Categories
Topic

What’s in a Title?

How do you come up with your titles?

Writing is a different journey for everyone. Short stories, poetry, novels and crime stories. The choices are many.

Do you title your piece after you have finished writing? Maybe, you have the idea in mind from the start, so you build your story that way.

The title can make or break what we are trying to say. It can reveal the main point or give enough to spark curiosity. Either it will grab the attention of readers or send them on to the next thing.

I pose the following questions:
How important is the title?
Does the body of work matter most or the title?

Let me know what you think in the comments.

Thank you for stopping by today! 🙏🏽♥️

Categories
Poetry Topic

Autumn Whispers

Autumn leaves
the maples are green
first frost turns them ruby red
waving with each breeze
fading to sun-kissed bursting
crisp air of autumn whispers

Maple leaves turn from green, then red and eventually fade to rust/orange and even yellow. The turning of the leaves, ushers in Autumn.

Thank you for reading Autumn Whispers. It was written for the Tanka Tuesday prompt this week.

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Life and Wisdom-Tanaga

loneliness is an ulcer
inside, hidden, like sulfur
ravenous like a vulture
love sparks the heart, a pulser

Loneliness is something that people feel but no one can tell from the outside. A feeling that only that individual knows. Love, on the other hand is the cure. Love can be a small gesture of kindness, like simply smiling at a person. Giving them a compliment. Saying hello. Love can be talking to someone just for a few minutes longer than you normally would. Giving that extra time and/or attention. It does not have to be a grand gesture. These small and simple gestures carry such a significant meaning and have a positive impact on others and us.

The tanaga is written for the W3 prompt. Congratulations Michelle and thank you David.

Categories
Topic

Exhibit of Crushed Expectation

Image credit: Amaury Michaux @ Pexels

The Anticipation

Today is the unveiling of the new piece by D. Cash. The much-anticipated creation by renowned artist of the year.  

“What do you think it is?” asked the woman in the shorts.  The crowd turned to each other and started throwing out guesses.  

The man standing next to her, wearing a jacket and dark pants responds, “I think it is one of her famous oil paintings.”  The crowd glares at him with a puzzled look on their faces.  

The woman in the dress, jumps in, “who does oil paintings anymore. I bet it is a nude. I hope it’s a nude! At my age it’s all the action I’m gonna get.” 

“A nude!” exclaimed the crowd.  

Refusing to buy into that idea, they all shake their heads in disagreement. At that moment, a squeaky sound is heard from downstairs. Something, wooden and bulky being wheeled in and needing to be greased. Everyone turns their attention to that cringy sound. Curiosity is getting the best of them; they walk to the railing and look down.   

The crowd gasps with mouths open. Much to their surprise, it was not a canvas at all. Rather, a live model painted in metallic gold and silver. The box the model was sitting in was open on the top. A spectacular sight for the senior crowd. The two men on the end, turn away with disappointment on their faces.  

“You mean to tell me that I skipped Bingo for this! I’m outta here,” says the man on the end as he storms off.  

Exhibition Revealed

Smiling and eyes wide with excitement, the lady in the dress makes her way downstairs. She wants to be front and center when the live model steps out of the box. The event organizer gathers everyone around to announce D. Cash and her art exhibit. After a brief introduction, the box opens, and the live model is revealed.   

After a short moment, the lady in the dress quickly starts to frown.  

“Well, is that it. You are not going to entertain us with a song and dance? What kind of showing is this?” she shouts. “I guess I better get back home. I can see more action sitting on my porch with my binoculars and a glass of lemonade.” mumbling to herself.  


Exhibit of Crushed Expectation is written for the prompt by Sadje for WDYS. The lady in the dress thought she was going to see some action but was disappointed. She retreated to her home to do some sight-seeing of her own. 😁

Thank you for stopping by to read! 🙏🏽💖

Categories
Poetry Topic

When The Mind Skips

Forgetting is that thing we do  
It comes to mind then dries up
Like the sun does to morning dew
Just as quickly as it came, it fades too

Forgetting is that thing you do
Someone asks you to stop by the store
You agree, it is on the way
Two blocks past the store, oops

Forgetting is that thing I do
Where is my ginkgo and ginseng
I know it's here somewhere
Oh, this aging is starting to sting

Forgetting is that thing we do
Categories
Topic

Can You Answer This? How Do You Handle Overstepped Authority?

Can You Answer This? How Do You Handle Overstepped Authority?

For the purpose of this question, an authority figure would be a teacher/professor, doctor, judge, police officer, or manager.

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect. Does it make it okay for someone in authority to treat others in a disrespectful manner? Just because they thought they could or that it was alright because of their title.

If this scenario happened to you, how would you respond?

  • Snap back with the same energy
  • Depends on the situation
  • Remain calm and firmly say, “don’t speak to me in that tone”
  • Dismiss it and act like everything is ok

Thank you for stopping by💖

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Read Me to Oblivion

Stacked books to read
Read me to oblivion
Take me to a place
Fabricated by my mind
Intricate and curious

So many pages, so many books
Splashing my imagination
Like a bare canvas in waiting
Ideology combined with the mind

Where should I go next?
Mystery or romance
Fuse them together
It's the same dance

What is romance without mystery?
Past behaviors and repeated history
Teach us a thing or two about love
Cling to the strings of the heart

In these books we find so much art

Read Me to Oblivion was written for the WDYS prompt by Sadje.

Categories
Poetry Topic

Art, Poetry, Writing and Music-Erasure Poem

The poem below, Art, Poetry, Writing and Music-Erasure Poem was crafted from a Trenta-Sei poem that I wrote in April. The original poem is also featured at the end of the post. It was written to commemorate the art of poetry existing for 30 years.

Erasure poetry is a fun form. You can either create something totally different from the original or focus in for more detail on the original text. My attempt for the erasure version was to highlight the most descriptive words for a more detailed version. Essentially, eliminating the extra words in the lengthy, Trenta-Sei.

Erasure Poem-Art, Poetry, Writing and Music

Artistry comes 
creating motion
that transforms rhymes
poetry
riding words
feeling inspiration
ideas abound
page aglow
in strokes
haphazard, circular and abstract
Writing
on a wild ride
awing the reader
delight, vivid, succinct
rhymes arousing the senses
crisp and clear
music
an art form
infused with deep revelations

Original Poem-30 Years Turns the Art of Poetry

Artistry comes in many forms 
Creating ways to move
Motion in strokes not the norm
Writing that transforms and grooves
Rhymes skillfully arousing the senses
Poetry and prose in many tenses

Creating ways to move
Your mind drifts afar

Riding words feeling the groove
Inspiration shining like a star
Don't stop, ideas abound, keep up the flow
Intricate words flood the brain,
page aglow

Motion in strokes not the norm
Acrylic, watercolor or oil
Brushstrokes
haphazard forming a storm
Circular and abstract like a coil
Collage of fabric in Pink, Yellow, Green
Blending media, asking what it means


Writing that transforms and grooves
Taking you
on a wild ride
Explain the meaning a pen behooves
Awing the reader, mouth open wide
Scanning the page,
delight and disbelief
Vivid, exact, succinct and very brief

Rhymes skillfully arousing the senses
Cadence so crisp and clear
No more dis songs, time to mend fences
Harmony is
music to my ears
An art form transcending generations
Lyrics
infused with deep revelations

Thank you for stopping by! 💖🙏🏽

Categories
Self Awareness Topic Words of Wisdom

🤫Throwback-Words that Should Remain Unspoken

The post, Things You Never Say to a Woman, was originally written in 2023. It is a throwback that I thought still applies today. Although, written with humor, it has some good pieces to keep in mind too. Hope you enjoy.

Thank you for stopping by🙏🏽💞

Categories
Diversity Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Disentangle or Liberate is now on Spillwords

Hello, to my WordPress family and friends.

Disentangle or Liberate is now published on Spillwords! The poem was written for the July prompt at Spillwords.com. This month the theme is breaking the chain. I have included an excerpt below.

I wrote about how to break free from old ways of thinking. It allows for progress and change. Enjoy!

The chain is linked since
Many generations ago
But wait, we can break it
A process hard to conceive

Read More

Thank you to my WordPress readers for your support and spending time with my blog💖

Thank you to the editors at Spillwords for accepting and publishing my poetry. 💖

Categories
Poetry Topic Words of Wisdom

Pieces of Seaside Ashore

Flip flops on the beach
Sandy pebbles in my shoe, ouch
Bringing home the sunny beach too
Unzip my bag, it's in my pouch
Sandy pebbles in my shoe, ouch
I sit and find golden grains in my couch
From my pockets pieces of seashore askew
Sandy pebbles in my shoe, ouch
Bringing home the sunny beach too

Pieces of Seaside Ashore is written for theW3 prompt by Selma. She has asked us to write about summer.

Her guidelines: Summer is hot, sticky, noisy, melty—and perfect for a poem that keeps coming back around. This week let’s write a triolet: a playful eight-line poem built from repetition and rhyme.

Thank you, David, for your dedication to hosting every week. And thank you Selma for the inspiration for this week’s prompt!

To my readers, thank you for stopping by and spending time with my blog! 💖🙏🏽

Categories
Poetry Self Awareness Topic Words of Wisdom

Dreams to Light

Girl looking to the sky and dreaming
Can I be a nurse? 
Cure people so they can live
Feed the hungry ones
Provide homes to all people
From my dream I awaken

~Little girls with dreams become women with vision-unknown~

Now that I'm older
Recruit all the helping hands
Volunteer, I am
My vision is bright and clear
Fight the good fight, persevere

Dreams to Light is about little girls who have big dreams of their own. Some are realized and some are merely a dream. Growing up and coming of age, into adulthood, womanhood, the vision forms. It can be as simple as gathering like-minded people together. Maybe even starting to act on those long-lost dreams as a child.

We all have different experiences in life and different ideas about what the world should look like, how people should live. It all starts with imagination and transforms to something bigger, more meaningful. If only we dare to bring those dreams to light.

Dreams turn to visions, then into movements. I pose this question to women who had dreams as a child; how has your dream shaped your life today?

Thank you for reading! 🙏🏽💞

Photo by Mustafa Omar on Unsplash

Categories
Diversity Poetry Topic

Voluminous Crown

Curly, natural, versatile movement and shape, elastic
Irons; titanium, ceramic, tourmaline, ionic
Hair fused with heat to create a look, iconic

Voluminous Crown was written for the W3 weekly prompt. The challenge presented this week by Jaideep is outlined below:

Write one three-line poem that brings together a cultural tradition and modern technology. Your poem can be playful, thoughtful, imaginative, or personal. Each line may contain any number of syllables, so feel free to follow your own natural rhythm

Thank you for stopping by to read! 💖🙏🏽

Categories
Self Awareness Topic Words of Wisdom

Connect the Dots Split Personality with O’Nika

In this video is a segment called Split Personality on the Connect the Dots podcast. The host, Louis poses questions, to which we both delve into these questions and give our perspectives.

Connect the Dots Split Personalities episode with O’Nika

Check out the Connect the Dots podcast on You Tube.

Thank you for stopping by! 🙏🏽💖

Categories
Poetry Topic

Is It That Time

Is it that time
Impending doom
The earth is combusting
About to be barren
-bare
No more breath can be heard
No more wildlife to roar
The world as we know it
-no more
Round, daylight orb, igniting
Making civilization extinct

Is It That Time, is written for the prompt by Sadje for WDYS. Thank you for the inspiration and the weekly prompts.

Image credit: Annie Spratt on Unsplash