The Versesmith

  dVerse Prosery : Toni Morrison  Here’s how to join in:     Write a piece of prose, up to or exactly 144 words, including the given line. "Lips forget what they have kissed." –Toni Morrison, from, " Eve Remembering " 144 words  image source        The door slammed on his way out...      It rattled the windows, which until now she thought was only an expression, and shook the table holding the tray with the glasses of aged Bordeaux. One toppled. Making no movement to stop it, she watched the ox-blood liquid spread, reach the end of the cloth, and drip to the hand-knotted Isfahan rug.      She reached her hand, now devoid of the blue diamond engagement ring (he had been very generous!), up towards her tear-streaked face and gently touched her lips with her fingertips.      Speaking quietly to the room, empty but for her quivering spaniel (he had yet to grow accustomed to angry voices and slamming d...

Poets and Storytellers United  Friday Writings #214: Love, love, glorious love! detail of stone lithograph in author's collection, 1909 - K. C. Baking Powder - ©Jaques Mfg. Co., Chicago  White roses by moonlight. Butterflies in the hollyhocks. Scent of vanilla rising from my coffee. Roses dry as bone. Butterflies have flown. My coffee cold and bitter. Love-lost, I live in shadow. ©2026 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved   #poetsandstorytellersunited #fridaywritings #sevenling #lovelost 

dVerse's  Quadrille #241 : Swearing by all Flowers  Pen us a poem of precisely 44 words (not counting the title), including some form of the word flower. Dead Winter is not the time to view my flowers. An ugly wasteland of crumbled seed heads, rotting leaves. Dead Winter is not the time to view my flowers. Although, even now, I have last summer’s memory, and visions of the one to come. ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

dVerse OpenLinkNight #400 "There is no specific form or theme required..." I saw the ravens again, waiting atop the lamp post, watchful as I walked past. A message to deliver, they attempt to catch my eye. It's best I acknowledge them. I write these words and wonder, do I trust myself enough? Heed a hunch? Believe a dream? The ravens' reappearance all the answer that I need. I'll leave them something shiny for their troubles. They journeyed far to strengthen me. ©2026 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved  

 Poets and Storytellers United  Friday Writings #209: Start Where You Are  ... take inspiration from this quote by Arthur Ashe, "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." At the moment starting and using and doing sounds like more that I am capable of.  Here's a sort of stream of consciousness, word association thing.   Starting out. A starting line. A line in the sand. Don’t cross the line. Wait here in line. Lines of latitude. Lines of longitude. Line up. Single file, don’t jostle, keep your hands to yourself. What do you have? Show me. Open your hands and let me see. You want me to guess? A coin? A rock? A lizard? No, a promise! Close your hands! Don’t drop it, promises are fragile, easily shattered. What can we do? Not much can be done. Time will tell. Time’s on our side. Time heals all wounds. No, that’s not right, not all of them. Some wounds never heal. We scar over them, pretend they aren’t there. Throw our hands in the air...

Poets and Storytellers United Friday Writings#208: Fireworks! "...be inspired by – Fireworks!" After a noisy New Year's Eve (and slightly less noisy New Year's Day night), and a very noisy morning (the dog cornered a raccoon in the yard), I couldn't help but appreciate the silent explosions of the dandelion.  I have written a  senryū. New Year's Eve too loud I prefer the quietude of dandelions ©202 6 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved   #poetsandstorytellersunited #fridaywritings #senryu #syllabicpoetry #dandelionpoetry #fireworks