memories – willowdot21

“Cinquain Poetry Prompt 48: FAITH is your inspiration.”

True faith
Is blind belief
The sun will always rise
Earth spins on it’s axis until
It stops.

Mankind
No longer has
Faith in anything but
Mammon. It’s the one shiny God,
Selfish.

RONOVANWRITES AMERICAN CINQUAIN CHALLENGE

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 61, Sisterly Love, 04/21/26

The header to this blog is actually my cousin but we are only months apart in age and we grew up together so she is like an extra sister. Lindy Loo.

This weeks Tanka Tuesday is hosted by the delightful Yvette ! She says. “Next week is my sister’s 50th birthday. While we have definitely had some trying times, especially during our childhood years, she is my absolute best friend. We talk every day and make every effort to spend time together at least once a month.”

So this week Yvette want’s focus on sisterly love. She says she realized that not everyone is blessed in having an amazing sister like she does. So for those of you who do not, you can broaden your idea of sisterly love. It could mean sisterhood, friendship, or support of all women.

For this week, let’s focus on the idea of sisterly love or sisterhood. Find a syllabic poetry form that works for you, and let your inspiration flow. Need help finding a form? Click here.

I have two wonderful sisters who I love dearly and we are are in touch daily. But we had another sister who we lost eleven years ago . So I have written about her. The form I have chosen to write is an Etheree . I wrote it so your can either read it from top to bottom or bottom to top. I have written about Mary’s death before but I have rewritten the poem so it is now syllabic.

My beautiful sister Mary and I about thirty years ago.

My dear and beautiful second eldest sister died in October 2015 . She was a nursing sister all her working life and she touched so many lives. She died a horrible and painful death due to a drug resistant bug.

Last moments

Machines murmured and slowly stopped their pings
Your soul, finally at peace, found wings.
After months of pain you are gone.
With your true love dancing free .
God Bless you sister dear
Is your heart soaring
I miss you so,
Rest in peace
Sister
Dear

Dear
Sister
Rest in peace
I miss you so.
Is your heart soaring?
God bless you Sister dear.
With your true love dancing free
After months of pain you are gone.
Your soul, finally at peace, found wings.
Machines murmured and slowly stopped their pings.

Thank You !

I was delighted and honoured to receive this email today. I have been blogging for getting on for fifteen years now and to tell you the truth I am totally chuffed to receive this honour.

As you can see Miss Gloria has had a hand in this. Thank you wordpress and all the new, to me, bloggers visiting me. Let’s not forget Gloria !

Gloria is on her way home !!! Go safe

Gloria, Earl and all the gang were having their final read of Goodnight Moon. Everyone was being very quiet. “What’s going on in here ?” Asked willow poking her head around the door.

Earl looked up and said “We are sad because Gloria is going home today 😔 and we will all miss her! ” Oh!” said willow “we can’t have that, I think you need to look at this another way ” Well everyone was shocked 😲…Jingles was the first to speak. ” Really willow what other way is there to look at this?” “Now let me see… I bet you are all thinking about how much you will be missing Gloria, right?” Everyone all knodded their heads. “Yes indeed said willow . Have you all wondered how the Aquaroomers are feeling without Gloria …..have any of you thought about how Gloria is feeling?” There was a hush and everyone looked very sheepish! …”I think” said willow we all need to be happy about all the lovely things we have done and all the tales we have told eachother. There are times in our lives when we have to be glad for others even if it makes us sad. Sadness doesn’t last forever. ” Everyone thought about this and agreed that willow was right! “Come on” said willow lets all have some cake. Then we can all wave Gloria off!

So they all had cake and talked about all the lovely times they shared.

So many things and so much more. Here are just a few of the memories.

So later that day after a lovely party 🎉🎉 Everyone went to Heathrow Airport to see Gloria off on her journey home to the Aquaroomers and Jennie in the United States of America. As they waved good bye and Bon Voyage they all had their own happy Memories of Gloria.

I won’t say there were no tears….even willow and hubby shed a tear. But everyone knew that this was the right thing, Gloria had to go home. Everyone was happy for Gloria. …..Gloria was so excited to be on her way home to see Jennie and the Aquaroomers! She was singing 💜.

God Bless Gloria , safe journey home. We love you.

Cinquain Poetry Prompt 47: REFRESH is your inspiration.

To wake
To mornings song
Her colours refreshed new
Dawn floods life, makes all one with the
Planet

This is part of Ronovanwrites American Cinquain Challenge

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 59, Onomatopoeia in Poetry 04/07/2026

Welcome to Tanka Tuesday, this week Robbie is your host for #TankaTuesday challenge. Robbie asks that “This week, we write poetry that includes onomatopoeia.

An Onomatopoeia is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests a sound that it refers to. Some examples are crash, bang, squeal, etc.

This week, I’m asking you to write a syllabic poem in any of the forms listed on this site using at least one onomatopoeia.”

I have chosen to write a Sijo: Three Lines 14-16 syllables per line
A total of 44-46 syllables for the entire poem.

My onamatapoeic words are. Pounding, Bomp,Thrum, Crackle and Sigh.

AWAKENING

Heart pounding bomp, bomp, blood pulsing thrum, thrum senses heightened
Fingers touching, electric shocks fly crackle, crackle.
The earth sighs gently, sharing it’s blessings. Roots touching, sap rising

Gloria gets ready to go home and gets a present.

Gloria is from The Aquaroom which is in New England, where she helps Jennie Fitzkee of A Teacher’s Reflections.

Jennie and I came up with the idea that the children in the Aquaroom might like to find out about England..well my part of England. So we hit upon the idea of Gloria coming to stay so I could show her around. The Aquaroomers could follow my blog … And I would fill her Journal with stories and photos, for those who are there in Jennie’s class now and also future Aquaroomers. Jennie and I thought this was a great idea. So did Gloria. Below is a post aimed at The Aquaroomers I hope you and they like it!

Day 16 Gloria is given a present.

Gloria was busy yesterday packing and writing her Journal! Earl was helping her pack while Hubby was helping her write her journal. Hubby suddenly said,”Gloria I have something special for you to take home with you! ” “Really ” asked Gloria, “Is it a present for me?” Gloria likes presents . “Yes indeed a present for you from me and it is very special.”

Hubby went to his ‘Box of Special Things” and took out a round pin badge. ‘ This is a very special badge Gloria and if you put your pen down for a minute I shall tell you it’s story.

Gloria put down her pen down immediately and listed. Hubby took a sip of his tea and then began.

“A long time ago, there was a very big war called the World War I. When the war ended, many fields where soldiers had been were empty and quiet… but something bright and beautiful began to grow there — little red flowers called poppies 🌺.
People noticed these poppies and thought,
“Let’s use this flower to remember the brave soldiers who helped keep us safe.”
So the red poppy became a special symbol of remembering.
Not long after, in the 1920s, a caring group called the Royal British Legion was started.
It began in 1921, so now it has had its 100th birthday 🎉 (this year it is 105 years old)
The Royal British Legion helps:
Soldiers who were hurt in wars.
Families who feel sad or need help
Older veterans who need care
They are there to be kind and help people who served their country.
Every year, before a special day called Remembrance Day (on the 11th of November), people wear little red poppies.
The Royal British Legion gives out these poppies. People don’t have to pay a set price — they give a small donation 💰 if they can.
The money helps the charity keep caring for soldiers and their families.
So when you see a red poppy, it means: 🌺 “We remember.”
❤️ “We care.”
🤝 “We help.”
It’s a small flower with a very big meaning.”

Gloria loved that story and when Hubby put the badge on to her necklace she felt tears in her eyes and she noticed that hubby too had tears in his eyes. “Oh that is a lovely present, thank you so much hubby! I will treasure it always and tell the Aquaroomers all about what it means.” Hubby smiled.

Gloria was excited she rushed off to tell the others all about her present.

Gloria Has an Egg Hunt.

Gloria is from The Aquaroom which is in New England, where she helps Jennie Fitzkee of A Teacher’s Reflections.

Day 15 Gloria has an egg hunt.

Gloria and Earl were having a read of Goodnight Moon when Gloria suddenly said “Do you think we will get an Easter Egg Earl?” Earl smiled and replied, “Well Gloria I am not really sure, what do you normally do at Easter?” Gloria looked surprised and Earl had to swallow deeply not to laugh! “Well said Gloria we usually go on an egg hunt!” So Earl got up and said ” Come on Gloria let’s go on an egg hunt!”

They looked in the garden but no there were no eggs!

So they asked Jingles and Ozzie and everyone else. They even woke Olivia up. Then they asked willow’s Sister and willow’s friend Louise. Not forgotting Charlie the nail lady. But no knew where the eggs were!

They looked in the playpark and the town but there were no eggs to be found 😔

So they knocked next door and asked Ben if he knew where the eggs might be. He didn’t but he suggested they looked around the flag pole and checked the flags. But still they could not find the eggs!

Then Earl said let’s ask willow and hubby if they know where the eggs are.

And Guess what they knew where the eggs were straight away! Hubby looked very sheepish and quickly said “willow ate them all!!” Gloria and Earl were distraught! “What!” Cried Gloria. She looked so disappointed. Hubby and willow smiled and said, “Don’t worry the eggs are safe ! No one has eaten them . Look they are here safe and sound!” Everyone laughed.

So Gloria had her Easter Eggs. And she was Happy.

And Earl was happy too. So was everyone else because Gloria was happy to share with everyone!

After they had finished both eggs it was time for a wash and then what do you think they did next ?

Yes they read Goodnight Moon. Happy Easter Everyone 🐇🐰🐣

Glyns Late Greats.

The late Jerry Garcia was vocalist with which band?

The Grateful Dead

2. Carl Wilson of which legendary band died in 1998?

The Beach Boys

3. The Rose was a Bette Midler movie based on the life of which singer?

4. Which late great duetted with k.d. Lang on his mega hit “Crying”?

Roy Orbison

5. How is Mary O’Brien who died in March 1999, better known?

Dusty Springfield

6. Whose life story was recreated in the biopic Sweet Dreams?

7. Florence Ballard was a member of which group?

8. Whose farewell note in 1995 read, It’s better to burn out than fade away”?

Kurt Cobain

Part of Glyns Mixed Music Bag Quiz.

Song Lyric Sunday.Born April Numero Uno .

This week April 5, 2026 our fantastic host with the most Jim Adams has requested we find : A Song written or performed by someone who was born in the month of April, for this week’s Song Lyric Sunday Well there were so many to choose from. Then I remember one song we all used to dance around to at work….not just us the customers too!

I have chosen a song by Alan Blakely of the Tremeloes. This song, is, I believe their best ever single. Call Me Number One.

In 1969. I was sixteen working in a boutique as a window dresser. I had already been with hubby for a year and we would not marry until 1971. At work we had the new Radio 1 on all day so we had plenty of time to hear our favourite music .

Alan David Blakley (1 April 1942 – 1 June 1996) was a British musician and record producer. A founder member of the Tremeloes from 1958 to 1996. As a producer, he worked on the hit song “She’s Gonna Win” for Bilbo, and nearly all the studio albums for glam rock sensations The Rubettes.

Blakley is best known as the rhythm guitarist and keyboard player with the Tremeloes. He was the co-writer of most of their hits until January 1972, when he started writing for other bands. His credits include co-writing (with Len Hawkes) various hits for the Tremeloes, co-producing the UK No. 42 hit “She’s Gonna Win“, with Bilbo, and co-producing singles and albums by Mungo Jerry with the group’s leader, Ray Dorset. He subsequently rejoined the Tremeloes in 1979 until forced to retire for health reasons.

“(Call Me) Number One” was their first single written solely by members of the group (Blakley and Hawkes), and it was released with the B-side “Instant Whip”, written by the other two members (Dave Munden and Rick Westwood). Whilst it did not reach the top of the UK Singles Chart, nor the charts published by the New Musical Express and Melody Maker (on all three, it was held off the top by the Archies‘ “Sugar, Sugar“), it did reach the top of one UK newspaper chart, Top Pops & Music Now, for two weeks. Elsewhere, the song topped the charts in South Africa.

At the time, member Alan Blakley said that they had “come to hate all those happy records, even the ones that sold hundreds and hundreds of thousands”, with Len “Chip” Hawkes adding that they had gotten “into the carefree, singalong thing and we found the more it worked for us, the harder it became to get out of the rut”. After writing “(Call Me) Number One”, the Tremeloes played it to some friends, who were “universal in their praise, but equally sure that it was the wrong type of song for the group”. The success of the song was a surprise for the group, given their recent releases, with Blakley saying that “people have bought it thinking it was a good record, and not because it was the Tremeloes”.

I picture the rain on windows
And I think of home
I wonder if you remember
Did you ever know

Walshie-walshie-walshie-walshie

Places I dream about
I will be getting out
Then I can follow the sun

You will be with me
I know you will give me a
Hand to get everything done

Call me number one
Call me number one

Will I be afraid to tell you
That I’m coming home
I’m ready to take the highroad
I’ve been away to run

Walshie-walshie-walshie-walshie

Places I dream about
I will be getting out
Then I can follow the sun

You will be with me
I know you will give me a
Hand to get everything done

Call me number one
Call me number one

Places I dream about
I will be getting out
Then I can follow the sun

You will be with me
I know you will give me a
Hand to get everything done