W3....Prompt # 170....

A donsy means a gatherng or group especially of small beings

there was a goldfish called fonzy
who missed  his mates from his donsy
they took off to evolve 
thought their problems all solved
sadly discovered t'was  dangerous out there
stalked  by  demons with fake  orange hair
armed with  gold bricks and sharpened golf sticks
slow witted  destructive and unbelievably thick
fishies my dears don't bother to evolve
best swim in your bowls and search for your souls
don't think for a minute of swimming in ponds
they tried that before and got it all wrong

 

Tanka Tuesday Challenge no. 23

 
a loud thunderbolt
of reality hit her
must be growing up
facing the music at last
unpleasant but essential

Poets and Story Tellers United # 197....Friday Writings

 CELEBRATION

Ruhe Sanft mein holdes leben.

 

you
sent her this lovely aria
to sprinkle joy
to revive
that sad parched  dying bloom
sending her flying high
on clouds of ectasy elation and delight

you
her healing angel
who gave her hope
who blotted out
the dark dregs of despair with
your vibrant colour
your brilliance
your generosity
your kinship
your love

and it wasn't even her birthday

W3 - - Weekly Prompt # 169----- DESERT ISLAND

pity
no pens
no paper
to write
poetry

hard to imagine
how one would spend
the time

fishing

maybe
swimming
or
singing
perhaps

sporting activites

oh no
surely not
geriatrics
don't partake 
in that kind of sport

Whats Going On...In Uncertain Times

uncertain times
the world in tatters
a  global nightmare
doesn't look like changing
any time soon

what to do

what can a simple 
reclusive aussie poet
past her expiry date 
without wealth
\without status
without power
without connections
do about it

go to the supermarket
smile at everyone
make people laugh
make people happy
be a ray of sunshine
then
buy herself some flowers
go home
and  make some meatballs

Tanka Tuesday Challenge no 22 JULY

 

Photo by Paul Szlosek

CINQUAINS

great fangs
would like to know
the dentist's name -it costs
a fortune to get teeth that white
in Oz

oh dear
is that a plant
with teeth like that one should
be a flesh ripping carnivore
methinks

Writers Workshop....Rejection

Steven Spielberg famous movie director was rejected twice from Film School. A clerk administrator who filled out the application forms deemed him unsuitable for the course.

Fred Astaire failed his movie audition...Can't act Cant sing Can dance a little was the verdict.

Rachmaninov's first symphonic debut was howled off the stage. The conductor Glazunov was drunk and wrecked the performance. 

Rachmaninov had a serious breakdown because of it. Finally returned with the Piano Concerto no 2 It is the Worlds most popular Piano Concerto.

 

 Salvador Dali was expelled from Art School twice

Adolf Hitler failed twice in his attempts to be accepted into the Vienna Art School which probably was indirectly responsible for WW2 and the persecution of the Jews

               

MOI....I'm still standing

W3 Weekly Prompt --- FRIDAY WRITINGS # 186 POETS AND STORYTELLERS UNITED

CARDBOARD BOX

there was a time
before advanced technology

when endless hours of play
with a cardboard box
an item available to all
afforded happiness and delight

back then
children made 
puppet theatres
cubby houses
cars and carriages
frugal fun for all

eventually
a lot of these kids evolved into
creative  thinkers
problem solvers
well adjusted stable people

with an understanding of
camaraderie and cooperation
not needing to use magniloquent words
to cover up inadequacies

 nowadays
with advanced technology
the popular pursuit is

watching unsuitable material
often toxic and damaging
on their smart phones

we call it progress 

WHAT"S GOING ON ... BEING HUMAN

she
always felt different
always the odd one out

tried to fit in
to survive
but obviously
not a master of
camouflage

finally accepted 

she was an alien from another planet
problematic when younger but
getting older
it made her happy and grateful to be so

she derived comfort
from her furry friends and flowers
from her humble little sanctuary
from music poetry art and nature

sometimes

she wondered 
if there may be other aliens
stranded on this planet
some
in the same boat


she heard
an over educated over confident
rich bitch once say smugly
through flashing expensive dentistry
at a lunch
that poets were alien beings
never to be taken seriously

hmmm...
good place to start the search

BINGO

not alone anymore
flying high together

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY 16/7/25....ELEPHANT"S CHILD BLOG

 black idea party chance note faucet purple pardon jelly leather books root amusement

pardon me

take note
these valuable black leather books
are not to be thrown about
like  soccer balls for your amusement

by chance
try to let this idea
take root in your jelly brains
 A LIBRARY
 is not the party club house

incidentally
St Trinians will be billed 
for the repair of the broken faucets
and the purple paint  streaked on the walls
in the rest room

TANKA TUESDAY CHALLENGE no. 21 ...SHADORMA

 Alma Thomas ...  Artist
The first black woman to be granted a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art.

Alma Thomas.....1975...Untitled

SHADORMA

red flowers
painted by alma
beautiful
black splashes
a glow of strength and passion
testament to love

Delightful Song by Red Dahlia 1976

passion plays
a delightful song
green glimmers
through glass cracks
the siren sings her  sad song
so seductively

MLMM ...MONDAY WORDLE # 432

 sit blanket ball change choice thoughts clear play curl tree mistake side

come sit with me
by my side
curl up with me
under a blanket
clear your thoughts
for a change
good choice
not a mistake
we'll have a ball
listening to brendel play schumann
looking out at the red gum tree
blossoming bliss

POETS AND STORYTELLERS UNITED ----FRIDAY WRITINGS # 185

 Don't be afraid to start over. This time you're not starting from scratch, you're starting from experience."...Prompt

with her
doesn't matter
experienced or not
still falls in love head over heels
each time

she flys
through golden clouds
glissando con moto
bursting with joy elation and
passion

until

the bubble bursts
reality hits hard
before the inevitable
big crash

just once

she should follow her head
instead of her heart
spare herself
the ultimate shattering
devastation and humiliation

just once
resist head over heels in love
somersaulting up in the clouds
just once

before
she shuffles off this mortal coil

W 3----weekly prompt

 

Mahon Pool Sydney

a savage beauty
not for the faint hearted

no one

swimming today

in the pool

an angry seascape
shrieks "keep out"
the wind howls
the waves crash

two more months of winter
two more months of icy gloom

Mahon Pool

Words for Wednesday....Elephant's Child Blog

 sort pollution crooked learned wanting industry education colour withdraw coach bellow cat

wanting for nothing
a rich kid
the sort who had
a superior education
a life coach for his persian cat
learned wealthy parents captains of industry
who funded the movie 'the colour purple'
withdrew from conventional life
devoting his time and energy
to exposing crooked government officials
got  arrested for bellowing at a policeman
at a demonstration protesting
the pollution of the planet

What's Going On----Rest/Relax

   MIRROR CINQUAIN

         

A koala sleeps from 18 - 20 hours a day. Our little Aussie bear knows how to relax.

  

             my bed
          my sanctuary
      away from the dramas
my rest time my dream time i love
                 my bed
                   it is
my favourite place in the whole world
       where i write  sleep soundly
              relax and dream
                   in peace

                                                 

Tanka Tuesday Challenge # 20

 CINQUAIN

the scent
of misery
grey clouds in the city
the grind of urban existence
tick tock

The Sunday Whirl

 string radar eyes rips rattle haunted river skin pebble legends tip swing

tennis legends
rattle and roll
rip up a river of sweat
with energetic swings
haunted by a fear 
of missed balls
defeat not on the radar

tennis tips
protect skin wear sunscreen
grunt like stepping on sharp pebbles
to unsettle the opponent
eyes on the ball
don't break a string

MLMM Monday Wordle # 365

 

break fresh pure rain beyond process open cause sound dull slip sparkle\

his verse sparkled
a breath of fresh air
never dull pure joy
open and humorous
a cause for chuckles
broke all the rules
slipped through the cracks
inevitably and beyond belief
his poetic license was revoked
a process raining on his poetic parade
the sound of crippling conservatism

Weekend Writing Prompt # 423....

GROTTO    17 Words


we had one
near the tennis courts
at school
our lady blushes at expletives
hit and miss

FLASHBACK 2

 https://rallentanda.blogspot.com/2010/03/flowers-that-bloom-in-spring-tra-la-la.html

W3 Prompt #166

 HUITAIN

theme- seeds

8 line stanza

8-10 syllables per line

ababbcbc...rhyme

you planted that potent love seed in me

it took hold firmly and grew very fast

it wasn't intentional i can see

charismatikos strikes with his hot blast

can reduce a love song to a mere farce

wild passionate feelings  throb through her veins

she's happy at last forgetting the past

 ignoring the warning of floods and rain

What's Going On.....FRAGRANCE

Her heart sings remembering the fragrance wafting from the herbs in the small kitchen garden of her childhood A garden created by torch bearers with an ancient past, hard working hands full of love, care, warmth, drenched in eau de cologne rather than sweat, obsessed with beauty, steeped in cuisine secrets and history. The connection to that garden was lost in the chameleon process ,essential assimilation to sate the need to fit in ,to belong,  a tantamount  prerequisite for social success . However remnants of the garden's fragrance always  lingered remaining  dormant , hidden in the depths of the psyche until  recently when charismatikos   featured, a  staggering reminder of her roots and who she really was.

t'was time to come home
waves of love wash in at last

all the doors unlocked

Beethoven Piano Concerto No 5 E♭ Emperor Alfred Brendel Kurt Masur

WORDS FOR WEDNESDAY- ELEPHANT'S CHILD BLOG

ferry first astonish  magnificent family obtain purple convey

alfred brendel joins the family of greats
taking his place with the first among men
always astonishing audiences
with his magnificent piano performances
passion'd in purple
conveying wonder to us all
alas it's time for the ferry man
to obtain him a comfortable seat
and row him across the styx
adieu dear maestro
thank you for everything

Alfred Brendel (1931 - 2025)

Tanka Tuesday # 19 + Friday Writings # 184

https://poetryandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com

 

NONET

a soft translucent cloud topples her
filled with rose pink light drenched in love
it falls unexpectedly
renewing hope again
a gifted angel
sent from above
to find her
one more
 time