Life's Weaver - #W3Prompt #squarepoem #poetry #poem #poetrycommunity #writer #writingcommunity #resilience @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's W3 Prompt #143: Wea've Written Weekly, host Tia Jain challenges us to write a poem about "the bittersweet, painful, or unsettling aspects of the past and its hold on the present." She also encouraged us to use the imagery of shadows, cracks, and reflections. 

Her chosen form is a "square" where the rows represent stanzas and the columns represent the number of lines in each stanza. So, if you want a 3x3 square, the poem would have three stanzas with three lines in each stanza.

Just yesterday, I finished reading Tale of the Seasons' Weaver by D. Wallace Peach, and that story is still in my head. It was absolutely incredible, and if you enjoy reading fantasy, I highly recommend it. Also yesterday, I came across a post by a beautiful poet, Suzanne, asking for words of encouragement for her daughter. So, I thought I'd use those two ideas for inspiration. 

(Image created by Microsoft Bing Image Creator)

Life's Weaver

many broken, tattered seams

once thought useless, now revisited

mended together but not the same, maybe better

brokenness builds character, they say

give up or build your resilience

the choice is yours

reflect on what once was, but don't live there

fill the cracks in your armor with love

welcome radiant light into your future

Would you like to write a poem for this prompt? Join us here.

Newspaper Sundays with Dad - #tankaprose #dVerse #moonwashedprompt #newspapers #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #poetics #writer #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

 

Hello, beautiful readers! My son is working an almost full-time job, so I'm finding myself with more time to play with poetry in the evenings. Still, being the overachiever that I am, I'm trying to participate in multiple challenges. So, sometimes I need to combine a few of them.

The two I've chosen to combine today are Moonwashed Weekly Prompt - Chroma and dVerse's Poetics: For the love of the broadsheet. In MWP, Eugi has given us the word chroma as well as the following phrases to inspire us:

intensity of brilliance

layered in hues

chroma

The dVerse prompt is provided by Heather. She has challenged us to create a poem about newspapers. She gave a lot of creative ways in which we could create this poem, but I'm keeping it simplistic with just the written word. 

I decided to write a tanka prose. This poetry form consists of one paragraph of prose and one tanka, which is a poem of five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. Tanka proses always have a title. My key words are bolded and italicized.

(Image created with Microsoft Bing Image Creator)

Newspaper Sundays with Dad

Growing up, my father did not express his love in words. He was a military man who showed his devotion through actions. He built us a playroom when we lived in Korea and a treehouse when we lived in Mississippi. He coached our soccer team. He helped us with our homework when we were frustrated. No, he didn't use words when we were children, but sometimes actions are just as loud.

father and daughter

complete puzzles on Sundays

devoid of chroma

such focused intensity

layered in love's vibrant hues

Would you like to try one of these challenges? Click on the links below.

Moonwashed Weekly Prompt - Chroma

dVerse's Poetics: For the love of the broadsheet

A Mind's Universe / A Walk with Fairies - #dVerse #prosery #fairies #AmandaGorman #poem #poetry #poet #poetrycommunity #writer #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This dVerse challenge is being hosted by Merril D Smith. She has titled it Prosery: Finding the Light. To write prosery, you take a line of poetry and place it in a prose piece. You are allowed to add punctuation but you cannot add words to the quote. The prosery should be less than 144 words. She has chosen a line from Amanda Gorman's poem, "The Hill We Climb." Here is the line.

"where can we find light in this never-ending shade?"

-From Amanda Gorman, "The Hill We Climb"

For those of you who do not know, I am a middle school intensive reading teacher. I also sponsor a poetry club where we focus on all kinds of poetry, including spoken word poetry. I work with Bluapple Poetry and the Jason Taylor Foundation to teach students how to speak their truths through poetry, so I'm happy that this challenge's inspiration comes from a spoken word artist.

I struggled with keeping it to 144 words, but this is the prosery I created.

(Image by @popmelon on Pixabay)

A Mind's Universe

The recesses of the mind hide in dark, desolate crevices, craving the deep oblivion. Sometimes, they become needy, hungry for attention. These aberrations slink from their hideaways into the conscious, creating havoc and disharmony. Spreading like a plague, they infect the happy, healthy village of the mind until an ominous cloud cloaks it in darkness. Cynicism, depression, and anxiety overwhelm its counterparts, caging them in formidable cells of isolation. Darkness descends, and we withdraw from the world, wondering, where can we find light in this never-ending shade?

With just a thought, light begins to crack through the darkness. Light’s power lies in its strength to attract other sources of hope. Just a spark will spread, forcing darkness to retreat to its shadows. A spark will become a flicker which will turn into a flame. It is up to us to keep that flame alive.

 ~~~

This prompt also inspired a micro-read, so I thought I would share that as well. Originally, it had 419 words, but I brought it down to 144 to match the prosery. I hope it still kept its essence. The quote is bolded and italicized.

(Image created with Microsoft Bing's Image Creator)

A Walk with Fairies

"I never should’ve agreed to this," Mario said.

"We didn't go far." Sonia sniffled.

Stacy smiled. "We just need to find light."

Sonia looked around. "It’s getting dark. Where can we find light?"

"In this never-ending shade? We won't." Mario looked up. 

"Just follow the fairies."

Mario rolled his eyes. "There’s no such thing as fairies."

Sonia whispered, "I'm scared."

"Don’t worry. The fairies will lead us home."

Just then, flickers of light appeared.

Stacy pointed. "The fairies have arrived! Follow them."

They followed the blinking sources of light.

Mario pointed. "I think that's the streetlamp at the playground."

At the end of the forest, Stacy turned back. "Thank you for helping us, fairies."

A flickering light approached. A beautiful fairy with iridescent wings kissed Stacy’s nose and flew away.

"Goodnight, fairies! I'll visit soon," she promised and then traipsed after her friends. 

Would you like to write a prosery poem? Join us here.

Spring Flowers - #haiku #FFFC #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #writer #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! For Melissa's Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge this week, she shared the photo below from Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa on Unsplash and asked us to write a flash fiction piece or poem inspired by it. I've chosen to write a haiku, which consists of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. 

(Raymond McIntyre, Flowers with a mirror [1968])

dainty spring flowers

reflection of earth's rebirth

beauty and hope live

Would you like to write a piece inspired by this image? Click here. 

The Book Club - #whatdoyousee #WDYS #doubleinvertednonet #nonet #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity #writer #writing community @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's WDYS challenge, Sadje has given us the image below and asked us to write a story, poem or caption to connect with it. I've chosen to write a double inverted nonet, with the syllabication pattern of 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9. 

(Image credit: Tao Heftiba @Unsplash)

The Book Club

flowers wilt aside the empty cup

dust collects upon once used chairs

whispers of past enjoyment

crave for listening ears

curiosity

stolen by the

digital

gaming

world

~wait~

hear that

listen close

creaking hinges

bring in the sunlight

readers with books enter

laughter fills the air again

new flowers bloom, wine glasses filled

the world of imagination lives

Would you like to write a poem about this picture? Join us here.

Simple Serenity - #Shadorma #EkphrasticPoetry #poetry #syllabicpoetry #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #writer @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! It's time for syllabic poetry with Robbie Cheadle's Spin the Bottle Week 2! This week, Robbie encourages us to write a poem about the Garden Acraea butterfly by using a photo she took during a recent hike. 

She also chose the poetic form called Shadorma, which is a six-line stanza with a syllabic pattern of 3-5-3-3-7-5. Shadormas are always titled. 

(Photo taken by Robbie Cheadle)

Simple Serenity

delicate

garden butterfly

vividly

protected

black spots repulse predators

free to flit about

Would you like to write a poem about this picture? Click here.

Ever Green - #W3Prompt #142 - Wea've Written Weekly #LAFires #hope #renewal #poetry #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #writer #poet @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This week on Wea've Written Weekly, Sarah David encouraged us to write a poem of up to 12 lines on the theme of hope or renewal. 

My heart has been a bit heavy with the destruction of the forests and homes in Los Angeles. So many animals have perished or lost their habitats. So many people's lives have been upended, all their treasured belongings destroyed. So, I've decided to write a free-verse poem with this in mind.

(courtesy of @Sorbyphoto on Pixabay)

Ever Green

Grim Reaper and chaos visit

indiscriminately

death and destruction lie in their wake

pain and suffering invade the souls of survivors

hearts weigh heavy with loss

yet...

Mother Nature and the human spirit are resilient

like the evergreens who withstand winter

seedlings and roots will rise once more

like the phoenix who rises from its ashes

residents will rebuild

hope will thrive again

Would you like to write a poem about hope or renewal? Join us here.

If you would like to help the victims of the Los Angeles fires, this article has multiple places where you can help. Click here for the article.

Shades of Gray - #margins #dVerse #poetry #tanka #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity #perception @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This poem was inspired by Dora at dVerse! It's challenge is called Diving into Margins. Dora encourages us to write a poem about margins. She shares many examples of margins such as the margin between transitions, the margin of a stream or seashore, the margin of shade and light, the margin of time, and so many more. 

While looking through her beautiful inspiration, the first two lines of my poem below came flowing out of me, so I went with it. I decided to write a tanka poem for this prompt.

(courtesy of @geralt on Pixabay)

Shades of Gray

the truth lies within

the margin of perception

skewed reality

separate fact from fiction

accept thoughts aren't always true

Would you like to write a poem about margins? Join us here.

Life's Reset - #dVerse #Quadrille #moonwashedprompt #whatdoyousee #WDYS #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #poetry #poem @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! I'm blending poetry challenges again. The first challenge comes from Moonwashed Musings, where Eugi inspires us to use a word or phrase from the following:

simplicity

in an uneasy world

praise unforgotten calm

The second challenge comes from De Jackson over at dVerse. The challenge is called Quadrille #215: Ready for Liftoff, and we are asked to write a quadrille with a variation of the word lift in our poem. A quadrille is a poem with 44 words and is focused on a word. 

The final prompt comes from Sadje's What Do You See? prompt. She provided the image below and challenged us to write a poem about it. 

As time is always limited for me, I found a way to blend the three together into one poem. 

(Image Credit: Pavlo T @ Unsplash)

Life's Reset

oftentimes, I seek solace

a place of reflection

always in nature

where life continues just because

away from manmade contraptions

I ground myself

giving Mother Earth what no longer serves me

finding my simplicity in an uneasy world

lifting my spirits to begin anew

Would you like to write to one of these prompts? Click the links below.

Moonwashed Musings

Quadrille #215: Ready for Liftoff

What Do You See?

Dark Temptations - #CreativePerspectiveChallenge #writingchallenge #poetry #writingcommunity #tankaprose @dlfinnauthor @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! D.L. Finn has started a new monthly challenge called the Creative Perspective Challenge. Every month, she will share an image to inspire us to write a poem or flash fiction. I've posted this month's picture below.

I've decided to write a tanka prose, which is a paragraph of prose and a tanka poem. While the person is holding light, the darkness seems foreboding to me, so I went with it.

("Person Standing and Holding Lamp Inside Cave" by Jeremy Bishop)

Dark Temptations

I peered into the vast, dark cave. My lantern's power only illuminated that which was right in front of me. A fraught silence surrounded me. My sense of adventure hammered my heart, or was that fear? Taking a few steps back, I scrutinized the entrance of the cave, contemplating my next move. From this vantage point, it resembled the gaping mouth of a demon. An eerie, soft whistle exhaled from the mouth. Trepidation crawled upon my skin. Shaking my head, I slowly retreated from the opening. Tomorrow, I'd seek a different adventure, one that seemed more welcoming.

danger in darkness

not all risks are worth taking

listen to your gut

recognize fragrance-laced lies

champion enlightenment

Would you like to write a piece for this picture? Join us here.

Winter's Kiss - #FFFC #haiku #ekphrasticpoem #snow #poetrycommunity #writerthreads #writingcommunity #writingchallenge @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This morning, I saw a post from Melissa Lemay encouraging us to write a flash fiction piece or poem inspired by the beautiful image below.  Immediately, a haiku came to mind, so I'm sharing it with you.

no hunter in sight

winter's kiss provides freedom

pure serenity

Would you like to write a piece connected to this picture? Join us here.

Bird of Paradise - #tanka #syllabicpoetry #poetry #ekphrastic #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity @bakeandwrite @robbiecheadle.bsky.social @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! Robbie Cheadle has begun a weekly activity to practice syllabic ekphrastic poetry. She's calling it "Spin the Bottle" poetry. She will be using images of South African flora and fauna. The one above is a beautiful watercolor painting that she painted. It is in the inspiration for this week's poem.

I first came across Bird of Paradise flowers when I lived in Panama in my tween years. They were everywhere, and I found them so interesting. In Florida, these flowers also thrive. The flowers themselves don't last very long, but the plant thrives and blooms again. I've chosen to write a tanka poem, which consists of five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The third line tends to be a pivot point, creating two poems in one.

flower's short life span

shows vulnerability

bird of paradise

vibrant colors attract all

embrace and cherish beauty

Would you like to write a syllabic poem to this beautiful painting? Join us here.

Welcomed Transformations - #dVerse #ArtInNature #MTB #moonwashedprompt #butterflies #transformations @YvetteMCalleiro

 

Hello, beautiful readers! It has been a typical, busy week for me, so I didn't have much time to write as much poetry as I had wanted. I have a moment now, so I thought I'd try to combine three different poetry challenges into one. 

Two of them come from dVerse. The first dVerse prompt is called Art in Nature. Melissa Lemay shared a few photos taken from Michael Sammut and asked us to write a poem about one of the photos. 

The second dVerse prompt is MTB: New and Old in a Palinode, which encourages us to write a palinode about one of three themes connected to old and new year ideas. A palinode is a poem that contains two verses, where each verse has an equal amount of lines with a minimum of nine lines in each. The two verses should have contrary views.

The third challenge came from Moonwashed Musings. This prompt encouraged us to use her chosen image or any of the given words (bittersweet, enchanting brew, or unidentifiable) within the poem.

So, I decided to write my palinode with a double inverted nonet. This poetic form has 18 lines with a syllabic count per line of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9, 9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. It reminds me of butterfly wings, and since the two images have butterflies, it feels like the perfect form to use. When I think of the concepts of old and new year, I think of shedding that which no longer serves us. So, that led me to the idea for my poem.

"The Old Year's gone away / To nothingness and night" ~John Clare

Welcomed Transformations

i.

harsh

struggle

bittersweet

drawn to the flames

enticing façade

desperately needy

of others' confirmations

not realizing self-value

stuck in loop of insecurities

ii.

discover positive energy

embrace warmth of enchanting brew

choose to ignite fire within

transformation begins

chains of reliance

wither away

beautiful

happy

free

(Meadow Argus / Photographed in Solomon Islands / Michael Sammut)

If you'd like to participate in these writing prompts, see the links below:

dVerse - Art in Nature

dVerse - MTB: New and Old in a Palinode

Moonwashed Musings

Create Yutori - W3 Prompt #141 #Yutori #tanka #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #naturewalks @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This week's We'ave Written Weekly challenge is being hosted by Suzanne! She has asked us to write a poem using the theme of Yutori. Yutori is a Japanese words which means "elbowroom, leeway, room, reserve, margin, allowance, latitude, time (to spare)."

When I read the definition, I connected with several words - elbowroom, allowance, latitude, and time to spare. Immediately, I thought of a place where I do not feel rushed, somewhere that I can just explore and exist without any expectations. That led me to two places: the beach and the nature trails where I go camping. Since I have written several poems about the beach, I chose to go with the nature trails this time.

Part of the instructions included using any Japanese poetic form to create the poem, so I've chosen to go with a tanka. For those of you new to poetry, a tanka is a five-lined poem with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The third line tends to be a pivot point, essentially creating two poems in one, with the third line belonging to both.

(taken at National Everglades State Park on my most recent camping trip)

endless rugged path

free to explore, no deadlines

create Yutori

escape from mundane routine

discover world around you

Would you like to write a poem about Yutori? Join us here.

Brave - Saturday Six Word Story Prompt #6WSP #119 #brave @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! I discovered a new challenge by Shweta after seeing it on Sadje's site. It simply requires you to create a six-word story using the chosen idea for the week. You can either include the word in your story or have the story capture the essence of the word. This week's word is brave. So, here is my contribution.

Only the brave find hidden treasures.

Do you want to create your own six-word story? Join us here.

The Tightrope Within - dVerse Haibun Monday #haibun #burninghaibun #selfesteem #selflove #negativetalk #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity @dVersePoets @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I'm trying out dVerse's Haibun Monday challenge. This week, Lisa introduced us to a burning haibun. This form begins as a normal haibun, but the poet creates the haiku/senryu by slowly "erasing" words in the prose until a hidden message evolves with the remaining words. Lisa describes it better here.

This week's challenge is to write a burning haibun based on an interior journey you've taken. The directions state to show "all of the incarnations, from original prose, to first erasure (or bolding words...) to the second erasure verse using the chosen bolded words, to the final haiku or senryu...)." Here is my attempt at this new (to me) form.

(courtesy of @Carol-Burley on Pixabay)

The Tightrope Within

I have lived most my life pretending to be strong, silently struggling as the negative voice within me repeatedly assaulted me. For as far back as I can remember, she has taken residence in the depths of my subconscious, an observant lingerer, nitpicking at nuances and miniscule moments, waiting for the right time to wreak havoc on my life. My self-esteem withered, causing me to withdraw and suffer in silence. I hid behind labels like shy and wallflower, hesitant to draw any attention my way for fear of providing her more power over me. Giving her the reins led to depression. Trying to control her led to anxiety. Yet, I refused to let her win. Meditation and mindfulness brought awareness and understanding, cloaking me with a weighted blanket of grounding and acceptance. I have learned to practice self-love, though it isn't easy. It's a delicate dance, the ebb and flow of awareness and acknowledgement, shedding judgment and fear. Now, I accept that I am perfectly imperfect, an exquisite masterpiece ever-evolving, and that creates calm within me.

strong negative voice

havoc on my self-esteem

self-love creates calm

Would you like to create a burning haibun? Join us here.

Winter Haiku #Whatdoyousee #WDYS #haiku #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! Today, I'm participating in Sadje's WDYS (What Do You See) Challenge #270. The goal is to write a creative piece based on the picture that is provided. I've chosen to write a haiku.

(Image credit: Dmitrii Shirnin @ Unsplash)

cold, lone wanderer

wintry escapade complete

warm home in distance

Would you like to write a poem for this picture? Join us here.

The Power of Words - Reena's Xploration Challenge #361 #writingcommunity #poetrycommunity #insecurity #paperrobes @YvetteMCalleiro @YvetteMCalleiro.bsky.social

Hello, beautiful readers! I'm trying out another poetry challenge from Reena called Reena's Xploration Challenge. This week, Reena provided a couplet of Mirza Ghalib that, in English, translates to:

Whose crafty creation am I; the image implores - 

Every image stands enrobed - but in paper robes

The challenge is to write a piece inspired by the second line of the couplet. The line reminds me of so many teenagers that I teach, and so I decided to write about them. I chose to write a free verse poem about the fragility of ego.

(image created by Microsoft Bing Image Creator)

The Power of Words

there she stood

wearing a veil of fortified steel as armor

a glare of indifference shared with the world

but within

the whispered words around her

crumble her resolve

for her armor is nothing but paper robes

Would you like to write a poem inspired by this quote? Join us here.

W3 Prompt #140 - Ode Poem #beach #saltlife #ode #odepoem #poetrycommunity #writingcommunity @kaddish_s @YvetteMCalleiro @YvetteMCalleiro.bksy.social

Hello, beautiful readers! As #TankaTuesday has retired, I am searching for other ways to tap into creating poetry. Today, I've decided to try David's Wea've Written Weekly Prompt. His weekly challenge visits different themes and styles of poetry. This week, the goal is to write an ode, which is a poem that celebrates or glorifies something. 

I've chosen to write an ode to the beach because, as most of you already know, the beach is my happy place. I've chosen to write a free verse poem, which has no syllabic pattern.

(courtesy of @bdh2008-1 on Pixabay)

An Ode to the Beach

You are a wonder,

Always yet never the same,

Embracing the life within and around you,

Healing the body, mind, and soul of those who visit,

Calming, nourishing, refreshing.

You are perfectly imperfect,

Tumultuous at times with your rage and angst,

Releasing that which does not serve you,

Finding your way back to peace,

Your ebb and flow creating a serene rhythm,

Strengthening, transforming, dancing.

You are resilient,

Indifferent to the intrusion of your barriers,

Trod upon, sullied, and disrespected,

Forgiving those who do not value you,

Wiping away their memory with laps upon the shore,

Embracing, accepting, forgiving.

You are my hero.

Would you like to try your hand at writing an ode? Join us here.