Art or Murder? #dVerse #FFFC #Quadrille #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! It's been another busy week for me filled with hanging out with family and friends. On Saturday, one of my poets performed in Piano Slam, which is a spoken word competition that also includes music and dance. My poet made the top 13 out of about 200 entries. She performed her poem perfectly, and I'm so proud of her.

Though I missed out on some great prompts last week, I'm starting off this week combining two. The first is dVerse's Quadrille #246: Let's get digging prompt. Punam invites us to write a quadrille (a poem with exactly 44 words) using the word dig. It can be a version of the word or a word with 'dig' inside it. I've chosen to use dug and dignity. 

The second prompt is Melissa's Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #369 which provided the image below. I remember seeing displays of blue, iridescent butterflies in cases back in the '80s, and I always felt so bad for those butterflies.

(image courtesy of Alexander Mass on Pexels)

Art or Murder?

life ended too soon

butterflies in glass coffins

no grave dug to lay them to rest

preserved for their elegance

trophies for selfish collectors

beautifully displayed in row

but no dignity given

if only we could cherish life

as much as we value art

Would you like to write a poem for either of these prompts? Click the links below:

dVerse's Quadrille #246: Let's get digging prompt

Melissa's Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge #369

Awakening - #TankaTuesday #tricube #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! I've had such a great week of poetry. Last Saturday, my sister's high school poetry team competed and made it to finals, which will take place in two weeks. On Monday, my sister competed in a coaches slam and won first place. Her poems had everyone crying! She's been competing for years and has never won first place. I was so happy to be there to witness it. Last night, she and I went to watch the LTABFLA Indy finals where one of her poets took third place. These young artists are incredible!

Today, I'm focusing on the #TankaTuesday poetry challenge. Willow invites us to write a tricube poem, which consists of three three-line stanzas with each line having three syllables. She asked us to focus on a moment in our day and describe how it affects us. I chose to go with the morning.

(image courtesy of Amazon)

Awakening

morning sun

is mimicked

in alarm

I fully

stretch my limbs

and waken

positive

vibes flow through

my body

I focus

on the cool

air I breathe

infuse my

lungs with all

its power

slowly, I 

rise, ready

to start day

Would you like to write a tricube? Join us here.

Nature's Harmony - #TankaTuesday #onomatopoeia #haiku #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! This past weekend, my middle school poets competed in a slam poetry contest and won second place. The event coordinators were so impressed with their poems that they invited them to compete at the high school level. While the chances of them winning are slim, the experience to witness slam poetry at the next level is invaluable, so we will attend the competition today. Wish us luck! :-)

This week's #TankaTuesday is being hosted by Robbie, who has invited us to write a poem using onomatopoeia. I chose to write a haiku and use whispers and whistles as my onomatopoeia.

(image courtesy of @Erik_Karits on Pixabay)

wind whispers through trees

a bird whistles in return

perfect harmony

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

Dear Future Love - #dVerse #loveletter #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

 

Hello, beautiful readers! I'm about to leave for my poetry club's spoken word competition, but before I do, I wanted to participate in dVerse's MTB: Letters in a Poem prompt. Laura invites us to write a poem as a letter "to self, to friend or foe, family or stranger, someone dead or living, to a pet or even an abstraction..." The letter is meant to be read not just by its recipient but also by a third person. Here is what I came up with. 

(image courtesy of #SamuelFJohanns on Pixabay)

Dear Future Love,

The day will come when you and I

Cannot imagine life apart

When we can't ever imagine how

It was ever you and me without we

When you will tell me I am the love of your life

And eternity is ours for the taking

When that day comes, I want you to know

This version of me you fell in love with was 

Born from fairy tales of happily-ever-after

Raised on half-truths and secrets

Crafted to trust only a few

She was sculpted by many rough drafts before you

Infused with the naivety of a hopeless romantic

Cultivated with insecurities and doubt

Forged in the throes of heartache and betrayal

Molded to make others happy

Hardened by loss and loneliness

Until she learned to nourish her own needs

Discover her own heart

Strengthen her roots

Nourish her self-esteem

Fortify self-love and acceptance

And then, and only then,

Did she open herself up to love

So, as you cherish the woman before you,

Remember to love the previous versions of me

As I will love all of you

Forevermore

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

Beneath the Surface - #3 #freestylepoem #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful reader! We are in testing mode at my school, and I am exhausted. As an empath, it's hard to be around so many stressed out students. Luckily, tomorrow is a teacher planning day, so I can release all that tension and reset for the next week.

Today, I am partaking in Wea've Written Weekly (W3) Prompt #205. Marion invites us to write a poem with the theme "Beneath the Surface." She gave the example of bulbs lying dormant in the ground until spring, but my mind went in a totally different direction.

(image courtesy of @JillWellington on Pixabay)

Beneath the Surface

she smiles

to mask her insecurities

that inner voice telling her

she isn't good enough to belong

she laughs boisterously

to mute the echoes of anguish

reverberating from her parents' fight

that morning

she belts out lyrics

to turn her nightly cries

into something beautiful

she portrays a picture of perfection

her complexion just right

her shadows, blush, and lipstick

the epitome of beauty

while concealing her bruises and cuts

under the newest fashion trends

she is the envy of all

who pretend to know her

but never take the time to discover

what's beneath the surface

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

Fools Abound! #TankaTuesday #choka #poem #poetry #poetrycommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! I am hosting at #TankaTuesday this week, and we are focusing on fools for April Fools Day. After creating the post for this week, I came across different kinds of fools on Google. Here are some of the various types:

Five Types of Fools (Biblical/Proverbs)

• Simple Fool (Peti): Easily deceived, naïve, and lacks discernment, but can be taught.
• Silly Fool (Kesil): Stubborn and confident in their own way, they react poorly to instruction and are serious rebels.
• Sensual/Selfish Fool: Unreasonable, driven by immediate pleasure, and often brings trouble through their speech.
• Scorning/Mocking Fool (Letz): Cynical, rejects rebuke, and mocks wisdom or authority.
• Steadfast/Hardened Fool (Nabal): The most dangerous type, described as wicked or stupid, who denies God and spreads destruction. 

Additional Types of Fools

• The Sluggard: Characterized by laziness and lack of foresight.
• The Rich Fool: Focuses on accumulating wealth for themselves rather than being rich towards God.
• Unaware Fool: A psychological perspective on those who live on the edge of danger without realizing their foolishness.
• Overly Cautious Fool: One who is afraid to take risks and lives to fit in.

As I was reviewing this list, many of them seemed to merge together to describe some of the leaders in the world, perhaps one in particular. So, on this day, where fools take focus, I chose to write a choka about these leaders.

Fools Abound!

a foolish leader

ego-driven maniac

choices serve to enrich him

focused on chaos

others' well-being matters not

surrounded by fools

his promises now broken

fate of country in his hands

incompetence at its worst

but hope still exists

not ev'ryone believes lies

new leader will rise

calm the chaos around us

and revive democracy

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