The Versesmith

Poets and Storytellers United Friday Writings #85: First Lines  " For  today’s optional prompt , I invite you to write poetry or prose inspired by a fantastic first line. One that hooked you. One that lingers..."  photo: I’m sitting here where you left me hardly more than a week ago.* A week of year-long days, waiting in this place I broke my heart. I come in hopes that one of these long days I’ll find you sitting here. Waiting for me. Perhaps that’s why I come, to be here first. You’ll see me here and know I never meant for you to stay away although I told you go. I’ll be sitting here,  waiting.  Hope to see you soon.    ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved * First line of Cold Flat Junction , by Martha Grimes.  It was published five years after Hotel Paradise , the first in the Emma Graham series.  So, five long years have past for the reader, yet for Emma it's only been a little over a week.   ...

Ronovan Writes Ovi Poetry Challenge 4: RACE is your inspiration. Determined to win the foot race, he kept running a steady pace. Near the end tripped on a shoe lace, to come in next to last ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved

Poets and Storytellers United   Friday Writings #82 : Favorite Books "...write poetry or prose which includes  the complete title  of one of your favorite books. And if you’re feeling extra generous, tell me why your chosen title is a favorite." I sit at The End of the Pier gazing off into the distance, to squint past the hazy horizon.   There’s nothing to see; there never has been. The Pier is the End of the world.   I sit at The End of the Pier alone, no one ever sees me here to question why I come.   I watch the sun as it slowly drowns, coloring the sea blood-red   in its death throes.   I sit at The End of the Pier wishing I were sinking with the sun, longing to     step off the pier, to walk on moonbeams as they rise from the sun’s ashes. ©2023 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved The End of the Pier is by Martha Grimes.  If you are familiar with her as the author of the Richa...

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...

 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