#SixSentenceStories; Cone

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 19 Comments

The word this week for the Six Sentence Stories blog hop, hosted by Denise, aka GirlieontheEdge, is “cone”. But I haven’t participated since February so the following story contains all 19 words from the prompts I missed, in six sentences, no more no less. The Six Sentence Stories blog hop link-up can be found HERE.

Yeesh. Was gonna post this yesterday but the rain put my satellite wifi out, and now the power is out. On the anniversary of last year’s flood the traffic cones and detour signs are up again.

It’s Only Rock and Roll by D. Avery

Slipping onto the bus and sliding away into the night, they were on the move again, on to the next engagement.

Though tired to his core he couldn’t sleep, especially with Ace present. Ace always vibrated at a higher frequency after a show, went on and on about how performing was the greatest outlet for his creative energy, claimed a good performance gave him a lift better than any drug or tonic.

Unlike Ace, he was drained and would be glad when they were finished with this tour.

Through the window the faint light of dawn revealed they were leaving the endless level fields of grain behind, the landscape becoming hillier and more wooded, with remote mountains beyond and he finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of wandering the mountains, leading the life of a hermit.

Opening his eyes when Ace grabbed his arm, his tired brain registered traffic cones, blinking lights, the bus braking hard but too late, swerving over the double line before hurtling over the steep bank and rolling, rolling, rolling onto the rocks below.

The tour had ended.

d’Verse Poetics; In Conversation with Sarah Connor

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 34 Comments

This week’s Tuesday Poetics at d’Verse Pub for Poets, hosted by Kim, would have us celebrate the poetry and poetic prompts of Sarah Connor. Go to the Pub to read the interview and update on this fine publican. The following septolet is constructed from words lifted from three of Sarah’s poems; ‘Cliff-dweller’, ‘No mail- no post’, and ‘This Doesn’t Feel Like Home Yet’. Thank you Sarah for this collaboration with Kim and the poets at d’Verse.

Sarah by D. Avery  

tucked into rhymes

words find me

this window

opens

a bird

sings

stretching time

d’Verse Quadrille; Figment

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 20 Comments

Quadrille Monday at d’Verse , is hosted by Lillian this week. Her directions are simple: Write a quadrille (a poem of EXACTLY 44 words, not including the title) AND include the word “figment” or a form of the word within the body of the poem. A synonym for figment does not fulfill the prompt. It must be the word, or a form of the word. Link yours up and find more at the pub.

Figmentations by D. Avery

the mind’s fingers trace

silver webs

of thought interlaced

imaginings formed

from intricate filaments of fictions

constructing the finest filigree

catching golden light

fluttering flights

of fancy threads

winding wrapping woven tight

until felt figments feign

pretenses of reality

flapping fiercely in the wind

W3 Prompt #110; Spiraling

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 8 Comments

Wea’ve Written Weekly

The prompt this past week at W3 Wea’ve Written Weekly was to write about a spiral; spiral shapes in nature or art, or perhaps a more figurative or metaphorical spiral, using as few or as many lines as you wish, as long as the syllable count is based upon the Fibonacci Sequence (1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, etc.). You’d think I’d have been quicker to post, being the prompter this week. And now that time is past, but here is my response. You are encouraged to go HERE and read all the wonderful FIBs from the W3 poets.

© 2022 GEORGIA O’KEEFFE MUSEUM / ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK
Georgia O’Keeffe. Evening Star No.III, 1917.

The

art-

ist said

“to see takes

time” and she took time

almost one hundred years seeing

even blind, her introspective perspective growing

she created “an equivalent for what (she) felt about what (she) was looking at”

Always the artist saw and interpreted —shapes and colors, spirals and curves— consequential lines reaching towards elemental wholeness

W3 Prompt #109; Unrequited Love, Again

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 15 Comments

Wea’ve Written Weekly

This is a second sonnet for Michelle Navajas’ prompt at W3 Wea’ve Written Weekly. Mich’s challenge is for us to “Compose a modified Italian sonnet with the theme of unrequited love; 14 lines, two stanzas (an octet and a sestet), meter not required (this is why it’s a ‘modified’ Italian sonnet), and a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CDECDE. Go to The Skeptic’s Kaddish to find out how this unique prompt works and to link in your own poem. Thank you David for hosting and Mich for the challenging prompt.

Old Beliefs by D. Avery

You believed you did, you said you did
and yes, I said it too
believing the saying made it true
We were faithful unlearned kids
Together we went where life led
without regret or rue
ignorant of all we thought we knew
And still believed we did, said we did


share love lasting and true
But have grown less assured
when together we feel all alone
Still we say it, what else to do?
Echoes of hollow words…
Was it love? Where has it gone?

W3 Prompt #109; Unrequited Love

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 34 Comments

Wea’ve Written Weekly

This week’s W3 Wea’ve Written Weekly Poet of the Week is Michelle Navajas. Mich’s challenge is for us to “Compose a modified Italian sonnet with the theme of unrequited love; 14 lines, two stanzas (an octet and a sestet), meter not required (this is why it’s a ‘modified’ Italian sonnet), and a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA CDECDE. Some variation exists for the rhyme scheme of the last six lines, but the first eight lines are always ABBAABBA. Go to The Skeptic’s Kaddish to find out how this unique prompt works and to link in your own poem. Thank you David for hosting and Mich for the challenging prompt.

Earth’s Heart by D. Avery

I’ve loved you since your beginnings, ‘tis true
Provided everything that you could ever need
clean air, water, diverse animals, plants, and trees
Such beauty! I didn’t foresee the harm you’d do
Every gift I gave you, belittled as you grew
to become ungrateful, wasteful, inflamed by greed
You turned you took you twisted; teachings did not heed
You broke my heart; my heart, it breaks for you

Now you beseech me, pray and seek to make amends
Do you think I’m angry, unleashing now my wrath?
Now you seek the old ways, the way we used to be
Now your heart breaks as you see how it could have been
Now I’m scarred and sickened, changed, but I will outlast
you who so loves your life, but show no love for me

d’Verse MTB; Sounds (of Darkness)

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 24 Comments

At d’Verse , the pub for poets, Björn is running the bar and would have us Meet the Bar by writing a poem that features onomatopoeia. As I was toying with a second quadrille for Punam’s Quadrille Monday’s “Darkness” prompt, I reworked that to include more sound. Find out more at the pub.

Sounds of Darkness by D. Avery

cool darkness beneath the trees 
on a clear blue-skied day
shadows of sun-swept leaves 
shimmer swish and sway

warm darkness rings 
flickering firelight
cricket chanting brings
peace this summer night

when chirps and cheeps again
signal dawn’s warbling rise
darkness purls content 
and sighs

#2024PicoftheMonth; Quiet Time

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 13 Comments 
you
contain
ancient knowings
Earth’s witness

you sound the depths
of quietude
of timelessness

Another month, another photo. I wrote a septolet though this is strictly a photo prompt. Click HERE to find out more and to see how you can participate in Maria Antonia‘s #2024picofthemonth prompt. Almost two years ago I snapped a photo of a snapper for #picoftheweek. (See it HERE) This one is at least three times the size! Even longer ago I wrote about another large snapper I saw in this same lake. I just finished reading a great book, by the way, Sy Montgomery’s Of Turtles and Time; Mending the World, Shell By Shattered Shell.

d’Verse Quadrille #202; Hello Darkness

/ D. Avery @shiftnshake / 28 Comments

Yesterday’s Quadrille Monday at d’Verse , was hosted by Punam. Punam’s prompt: “darken your pristine white pages. Craft us a poem of dark thoughts, darker humour, darkest deeds or a darkling glance or maybe the darkness of soul! Use any form of the word darkness and write a poem.” A quadrille is a poem of any style as long as it is exactly 44 words, and this week must include some form of the word “darkness”. Link yours up and find more at the pub.

Upon Reflection by D. Avery


Darkness is a cradle for the day

a soft night-woven nest

where dreams incubate


Darkness holds a space in which

you might be held

you might be healed


Darkness is necessary to see

your self; to see 

light dancing with darkness

at dawn’s horizon.