The Versesmith

Tanka Tuesday Weekly Poetry Challenge No. 321 " This week's challenge is to write a specific form with a twist! Write an acrostic poem with a syllable count of 8, 9, or 10 syllables per line (all the same, or a mixture of syllable counts, is fine) ." I chose the word "Charm" and wrote a two stanza poem with the syllable count of 9/8/9/8/9 each. image public domain C ould he be more utterly handsome? H ave I died and gone to heaven? A ll I’ve ever wanted in a man, R ight there across the room from me. M y luck abandoned; he’s with his wife.   C an it be, or am I in a dream? H eavenly angel here on earth! A ll I have ever wanted in life.   R ed hair agleam in the moonlight. M y luck abandoned; I’m with my wife.  ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved #tankatuesday #tankatuesdayno321 #acrosticpoem #acrosticpoetry 

  I am pleased to have had one of my haiku accepted for publication on Pure Haiku .  The theme was Orchid, inspired by this image of orchids by Jonathon B. Hoyt.  In my haiku I mention " kadō," which means "the way of the flowers," also called "ikebana," and is the Japanese art of flower arrangement.  The art began in ancient times as offerings to a god or Buddha.  It was part of the training for educated men, such as monks and samurai. temple offering kadō bring tranquility silent harmony  ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved #purehaiku #haiku #syllabicpoetry #poetryfrom #orchid 

  Mindlovemisery's Menagerie Wordle #321 Prompt words in red.  My donkey?  You ask why she’s named Taradiddle .   Well, that’s a story for ya!   First, a donkey should be capable and strong, providing significant help on the farm.   Be an impactful animal, if you want to put it that way. Be useful.   Earn its keep, if you will.     As you know, I’ve always kept donkeys, and their dedication to the task at hand was nothing to sneeze at!   It was a slam-dunk with those fellas.   And gals.   I always kept a combination of the two, Jacks and Jennies.   At current , I’ve just Taradiddle . Now, Tara, which is what I call her for short, is different.   I’m flummox ed by her.   She’s not one of my own, born and bred on the farm.   No, I ordered her special like, on account of her being an ancestor of Balaam’s talking donkey.   Now, that might have been centuries ago, longer maybe, I’m not so good at history, but they say all his progeny had the gift down to this day!   Not Tara

 Tanka Tuesday  Weekly Poetry Challenge No. 318 " This week, using the painting as your inspiration, please write either a syllabic poetry form or..." The Expected One 1860 painting by Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller (Museum: Bavarian State Painting Collections) I have written a triple tetractys.  The tetractys was invented by Ray Stebbing and is a five line poem with the syllable count of 1/2/3/4/10.  It can be written with more than one verse, but with an inverted syllable count in each verse.  So, mine is 1/2/3/4/10/10/4/3/2/1/1/2/3/4/10 My belov'd, All Sorrow shall be my name ere we meet again in heaven.  Belov'd! I crouched, posy sweet at hand, a surprise to win your love, to pledge my troth.  Oh! Belov'd! A startle. A short stumble. A long tumble down the perilous rocks. ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved #tankatuesday #tankatuesdayno318 #syllabicpoetry #syllabicpoem #tetractys 

 Poets and Storytellers United Friday Writings #75 "...  take a well-known myth or fable and write as one of the main characters  (not necessarily retelling their story so much as inhabiting their skin).   And tell us who; please don't make us guess!" You won't need to guess, mine is obvious.  A bit too obvious. *see below for who this is Illustration from Stories That Never Grow Old , edited by Watty Piper, ©1938 by The Platt & Munk Co, Inc. N.Y. This job is so boring. So boring, this job. Most of the day, I sit by the hob.   Watching those damn, woolly dumb beasts, a job that more suits, the dull mind of the priests.   No, I am more worthy than just Shepherd Boy . One day I prove it with some clever ploy. ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved *The Shepherd Boy is from The Boy Who Cried Wolf , an Aesop's Fable.  It's the origin of our expression "to cry wolf" when giving false alarm.