Monday, December 15, 2025

Winter Lullaby

Winter is here, stop and wait, it is time to hibernate
Snow is drifting all round, a white blanket to replicate
Rest your eyes, rest your head, until all the snow’s fled
Sweet dreams through the night, ’til spring comes back with the light


Written for dVerse Quadrille #238


Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Headless


Where did my head go?
I’ve searched high and low
The counters hold dirty dishes
And the bones of fossilized fishes
In the cupboard’s only some jam
Chips, moldy bread, and spam
My head’s not on the table top
Nor under (the floor could use a mop)
Checked the couch cushions; not there
Not even some stray strands of hair
It seems my head’s not anywhere about!
Guess I’d better get the old unicycle out
And cycle on down to the shops instead
I’m in desperate need of a new head. 

Written for dVerse.

Photo by ActionVance on Unsplash     



Thursday, February 13, 2025

Kaleidoscope Hue

Photo by Edward Howell on Unsplash












Roses are red
Violets are blue
The world’s an explosion
Of  a kaleidoscope hue
From the tip of the mountain
To the last ocean view
Of hickory and alabaster
Marigold, indigo, and emerald too
Lilac and teal that never will stop
All exclaiming that I love you

 

Written for What Do You See #275



Wednesday, February 12, 2025

One Thing at a Time

Photo by Majharul Islam on Unsplash








Pressed with a thousand needs
I repeat a familiar creed
One thing at a time
It’s the whole of my rhyme
Like the echo of a chime
One thing at a time
Slowly, like a sprouting seed
I look up and see I’ve done the deed

 

Written for Wea've Written Weekly.

 

 

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Reading Friends

Photo by Annelies Geneyn on Unsplash











Children sit beneath the spreading trees and read
Read
While the impatient wind turns the pages, wanting more
More
For who can ever have enough of such wonderful books?
Books
Sparrows above stop to peer down at the pages wherein
In
Dragons govern, heroes rise, fairies frolic, and villains lie
Lie
Even squirrels share stories while collecting scarlet berries
Berries

 

Written for W3: Wea've Written Weekly



Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Cleaning my Room

Photo by Hans Eiskonen on Unsplash









When my fairy godmother gave me this room
It was green and fresh; ready to bloom
Light filtered in one sunbeam at time
Filling the space with possibilities sublime
Here a chair and there a shelf of books
And a wave of a wand would make a cheerful nook
A place to take a seat and rest and sing
To take shelter from every trying thing

Alas, what great curse has come upon me?
What witch cackles at my sufferings with glee?
Where once I sat sheltered from life’s storm,
The light is darkening fast and goblins swarm
The room is weed-choked and far too stale
And I, only a princess, am far too frail
To lift up a hand and lift this vile curse
Is there no rescue from this wretched verse?

And yet - if I move this chair, throw out this box
Scare off the goblins and banish the rotting socks
Perhaps I can at least begin to reclaim my own;
Yank out the weeds and dust around my throne
Find the edges of the room and let the light back in
When the room is clear once more; at last begin
To wave a magic magic wand at possibility
And recreate a majestic haven of tranquility

 

Written for dVerse.

 

 

Monday, February 3, 2025

Gently Down the Stream

Photo by Aditya Chinchure on Unsplash













Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Scarlet flowers bloom ahead
Bobbing in sunbeams

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
While the sun strikes the water
Flashing like ice cream

Row, row, row your boat
Gently down the stream
Race the sun until the end
Catching one last gleam

 

Written for What Do You See #274

 

 

Thursday, January 30, 2025

Cello Fellow

Photo by SilverGardenia


Music from a charming fellow

Pulling notes from an elegant cello

Glides over small flowers yellow

Sweet and soft and mellow



Written for dVerse Open Link Night




Radiant Shadows

Photo by SilverGardenia


In the shadow of Shakespeare, a summer's day begins
In the shadow of Emily, feathered hope flies up and wins
In the shadow of Wordsworth, daffodils shine bright
In the shadow of Tennyson, a mirror flashes with reflected sight
In the shadow of Anne, refining fire burns strong
In the shadow of Christina, goblins sing a scintillating song
In the shadow of these giants, perhaps my own will grow in alliance

 

 

Poets and poems referenced:

William Shakespeare, Sonnet 18

Emily Dickinson, “Hope” is the thing with feathers

William Wordsworth, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, The Lady of Shalott

Anne Bradstreet, Verses upon the Burning of our House, July 10th, 1666 

Christina Rossetti, Goblin Market


Written for W3: Wea've Written Weekly

 

 

Drizzle

Image by tuptus1703 from Pixabay

 

down falls the drizzle

without a hiss or sizzle

as slowly it chisels

against pale cloud frizzles

adding to the sky’s grizzle

until at last it all fizzles

with the last drop of mizzle 


Written for Moonwashed Musings




Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Wading

Photo by Pascal Bernardon on Unsplash







She walks where waterlilies bloomed
Nearby the hanging boughs of yellow leaves
Lift on the breeze before falling doomed
Rippling where the watered mirror receives

Anything it can from the open air’s open hand
Here she removes two well worn shoes
Paying sure tribute from the upper land
And wades where e’re she’ll choose

 

dVerse challenge using these words in order near – can – remove – sure