allure of whispered pleas, your timid ghost eats time with soft devour, dull layers snap your boat into wooden chips, vague shadows hum their drowsy notes, sleep won’t accept my flowers, sanity begins to dip * sticky minutes pour adhesive on my brain, clock ticks its caterwaul to ear’s disdain, no one wins when sleep’s a game, mind is wandering, yawns depend on sleepy currency, crying uncle brings me to my knees, insomnia wants room to breathe, tears are lengthening * garbage sleep extends it’s trashy hand, here’s some winks, let’s count to 40, lean sleep is nurtured ’til its grand, 8 hours sounds quite fictional, a dangler’s back and forth of maybe, hope writes its name in shifting sand
Hope all of you are having a lovely day!♥ I just finished making valentine icons and now I'm eating a nice lunch. Yesterday, the community here had a Masquerade Ball and later this afternoon there will be Sweet Treats and Chocolate Dips followed by Valentyn Lysenko playing the Bandura Harp. Here's a video of him so you see how beautifully he plays this instrument.
Happy Valentine's Day!♥ I planned to post these earlier but I wasn't able to finish them until today. It's taking me longer because of eyestrain. Sorry I didn't get them out earlier, but at least these are the type of icon you can use any day of the year! Enjoy. :)
30. In 1873, Around the World in 80 Days by Jules Verne was published in France. Have you read the book or seen any of the films? I saw the movie many years ago, but I don’t really remember it.
31. Do you like hot chocolate with or without marshmallows? I drank it plain, no marshmallows.
Feb 1. What’s your favourite hot beverage? How do you make it? I like chamomile tea. I just heat water in the microwave and add a teabag afterwards. It’s very calming and soothing.
2. When was the last time you saw an original hand-painted painting? I have an oil painting that my mom made for me many years ago, of the view from my balcony.
3. Is there a book you’ve seen made into a film and been disappointed with the result? Not so much disappointed, but I thought the Harry Potter books in general were better than the movies.
4. How old is the oldest book you own? I have a copy of the Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson, dated 1895. It has Art Nouveau style illustrations by Charles Robinson. I just read a book about the author so when I saw this in a used book store I had to have it!
5. It’s the 60th anniversary of the game ‘Twister’ – have you ever played it? We played it all the time when I was a child.
6. In 1869, Harper's Weekly published the first picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers. Do you know anyone with a beard or a moustache? Many of the men who live here have beards or mustaches. One of them likes to braid his beard in various interesting ways!
7. Is there a subject at school which you disliked, but you would consider learning now? Science. I disliked it because it was difficult, but now that I watch Star Trek all the time, my interest in the subject has grown.
8. How often do you read fiction? I’m trying to read more this year. I read the book of the month for the bookclub I go to and usually have at least one other book that I read as well.
9. This year is the 40th anniversary of the release of the film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – have you ever seen it? Bueller…. Bueller…. Bueller…
It’s a very funny movie that I saw when it first was released. I especially like the parade scene!
10. Have you ever owned a Tamagotchi?
I had to look up Tamagotchi, I’ve never heard of it! It’s "an electronic toy displaying a digital image of a creature, which has to be looked after and responded to by the “owner” as if it were a pet.” Have any of you owned one?
* cloak of decay lines pallid skin, her dreams are empty pockets, tangible grip starts to degrade, persuade the alley you belong to stars instead of gutters, breakable you resists decay * dirty skirts are patched with hesitation, imaginary meals ate with anticipation, dusty scales weigh her situation, city smells are lingering, rusty gates scratch her aching scars, empty streets fill with prison bars, hell’s curtain blocks the stars, hope is shivering * concrete naps are pillows made of stone, she dreams of fairer tidings, the world around her is askew, twilight is a sheet that blurs her path that narrows and disposes, prayer is the light that burns anew
my muse is stuffed with verbs, she wears her pretty nouns like mittens, i’m an empty drawer minus a pen, drama is denied to sleepy eyes, my tired tent is lacking, unkempt wisp of verbal hair in drowsy den * you wait for the authored muse to rise, in lunar bed so misty, her perfumed bird asleep in crater’s dome, her sunken cheeks pocked with memories of distant verbal planets, you didn’t know were all your own * the world is striped behind word bars, vertical poles of promises unkept, sticky past tense stains its metal like a claw, silence conspires against a frozen tongue that yearns for vocal creation, words form when muse begins to thaw
19. What colour scheme is your bedroom? White walls, a brown desk and bookshelf combo, the nightstand is the same color. I also have a blue bookshelf on the other side of the room.
20. Have you read any of the Winnie the Pooh books? I did years ago.
21. Do you like wearing colourful socks? What do the brightest socks you own look like? I usually wear white cotton socks, but I do have some plush socks in two different colors… blue and green with white dots.
22. In January 1496, Leonardo da Vinci unsuccessfully tested a flying machine. Do you like flying? Noooo, lol.
23. The pirate William Kidd was born this month in 1645. Have you read Treasure Island? I read it when I was a child. I recently read a wonderful book about Robert Louis Stevenson and now I want to read Treasure Island again.
24. Have you ever knitted a garment or had one knitted for you? I’ve knitted scarves. My grandmother knitted outfits for me when I was very young.
25. It’s Burn’s Night – a night to celebrate Robert Burns and all things Scottish. Do you like Scotch whisky or do you prefer Irish Whiskey? I do love Scottish things but I don’t drink.
26. It’s Australia Day! What do you think of when you think of Australia? Heath Ledger, Kangaroos, Koalas, the Great Barrier Reef, beaches, Aboriginal culture
27. Up-Helly-Aa is a vibrant fire festival celebrated in the UK Shetland Islands tonight. Thousands gather to witness the breathtaking sight of a longship ablaze, illuminating the night sky. Do you have any similar local winter or summer celebrations? No.
28. Have you ever played a kazoo? Yes, lol.
29. It's Tom Sellek's birthday - have you ever seen him in anything you've enjoyed?
Yes! I loved him in Magnum, P.I. and Three Men and a Baby.
Proposal Rock is a sea stack (a very small island) on Neskowin beach in Oregon. It's a popular place for weddings. I climbed up there many years ago and enjoyed the amazing view of the ocean.
* fossils ride a subway steeped in time, tea bags made of bone are flavored rhymes, basking in infinity, aging’s their priority, every day’s a walk on burrowed floors * napping like a buried flake of star, squinting beams of light emerge from tar, memories become unpenned, ancient coins are thoughts to spend, dinosaurs are letters spelled in sand * carpeting their fragments like sweet blooms, proposal rock will wed their dinos soon, amber lines her bridal dress, ancient courtship is success, waves reflect jurassic harmony
6. In 1709 The Great Frost began during the night, a sudden cold snap that remains Europe's coldest ever winter. What temperature will it reach today where you live?
It'll be 45 today.
7. In 1803, Henri Herz, an Austrian pianist and composer, was born in Vienna, Austria. Have you ever learned the piano? If not, would you like to?
My mom was a piano teacher and I started taking lessons as a young child, until I left home in my late teens. ( Read more...Collapse )
skillful sea gambles on the shore before it turns to shrinking, the waves decide to sleep ’til noon, the hurried pitch of stormy seas is just a memory distant, sweet tidal sands dream of the moon, * extra-small waves, reverse the way that it behaves, its plucky heart is always brave, when taller heights are beckoning, squeeze past the dreams that squash your plains, the zero wind of hurricanes, a million squalls become detained, the perfect wave is happening * sea draws a card, look now, the evening tide is always winning, morning tide answers with a grin, the hushed remains of scattered seashells tell their ancient story, their billionth tale can now begin
The idea for this poem came from reading some info about how the potato got its ability to form tubers from tomatoes! It all happened long ago, when ancient ancestors of tomato and potato plants produced a hybrid. The tomato genes of this plant provided the trigger for tuber formation, which developed into the potatoes we have today!
The words: Potato Disillusioned Driving Obnoxious Report Scrabble
* obnoxious sun crawls deep in dirt’s deny, broken rays are hidden birds with stagnant fly, in the deepest coal of afternoon, sunless den is made to bloom, blessed tuber birth is heaven’s sign * ancient genes report their fevered dance, tomato roots its way to wide expanse, potato is its future dream, giving spuds a polished gleam, driving skinny roots to plumper land * disillusioned roots are shown the door, scrabbled slip of fear is here no more, potatoes run an underground mile, celebrate with tuber smile, starchy earth dances in its core
26. It’s National Pear Month – do you have a favourite variety of pear? I’m not sure, I haven’t eaten fresh pears in awhile. But I do like Gerber baby food pears a lot.
27. Do you have a favourite way of using up leftovers? I don’t have any leftovers! My meals are really simple and I don’t make more than what I need at the time.
28. How much exercise have you had over the last few days? I take walks twice a day.
29. In 1886, the dishwasher was patented. It was invented by Josephine Cochran, who lived in Shelbyville, Illinois. She constructed the first one and won a prize at the Chicago World Fair (and was used by the restaurant industry). Do you own a dishwasher or wash your dishes by hand? I don’t have a dishwasher. Even when I did have one, I’ve always done my dishes by hand.
30. It’s National Bacon Day! What’s your favourite way to eat bacon? Have you ever tried vegan ‘bacon’? As a child, I loved bacon. My favorite way to eat it was bacon and eggs or a BLT. When I became vegetarian I occasionally ate vegan bacon. Later on, I lost my desire for anything that tastes like meat.
31. It’s New Year’s Eve – how would you sum up 2025 on a scale of one to ten? Let’s stay positive - what was the best thing that happened to you this year? I’d probably give it an eight. This is the first full year since I moved and it’s been a big improvement over where I was living before, so that’s the best thing that happened to me.
1. What’s the first thing you think of when you consider the year ahead? That I’d like to be more organized than I was last year.
2. What’s the weather like today (warmer or cooler than average)? It’s in the low 40’s this morning, which is pretty much the average for this time of year.
3. There is a Wolf Moon tonight - it will be the fourth supermoon in a row. Have you seen a supermoon before? It was cloudy so I didn’t see it. But I have seen supermoons before.
4. Do you have any travel plans arranged for this year? No, I don’t travel anymore. Though I do like to “travel” to the mall, lol.
5. Are you looking forward to any TV shows this year? I look forward to continuing my endless rewatch of various Star Trek series. I want to finish watching Wildfire and my rewatch of Northern Exposure.
Drowned Pool Secretary Cooperative Charismatic Reward
end of year refrain, her shrinking brain, waves goodbye to drowning numbers, 12 times she waves at phasing moon, 30 or 31’s the tune of charismatic syncopation, may starts to laugh, hey here comes june * halfway through the seasons, she’s stunned by the reasons, for cooperative adhesion, when loss is the reward she’s summoning time is a ghost without a leader, tiptoes on the edge of teeter, like a bird searching for a feeder, winter pool is approaching * december builds a nest, that’s warmly blessed, she’s secretary of the soon-born, 1 time she waves at baby year, 365 is the melody of mesmerizing fluctuation, january laughs, soon I’ll be here
My last poem from 2025! From last week's challenge, here's the six words from spikesgirl58
Form Illness Session Government Lunch Relief
Today's poem was inspired by something I wrote last year. In that poem, I wrote about how I felt (as a very young child) when my baby sister died at birth. One of the lines was "Food mocks me, I push away the heavy plate, Guilt nourishes me instead”.
Lunch leans down and pulls its sleepy curtain, my useless plate stares back at me, I form a snowman made from potatoes and peas, my tiny hands pretend that they’re not weeping, as I roll my snowman’s head down to his knees.
I crawl into a crib ten times too small, where an unruly government blankets me, like a fear pen tracing shrinking circles, on pillows more numb than a person can be
My tummy accept coins that buy relief, illness stuffed and buried in its seams, a session paid for with potatoes and peas where empty plates can mend my dreams
This morning I'll be opening presents.:) Later on I'll do some Christmas coloring, finishing up the advent coloring books that I've been doing all month long.
Here's my poinsettias, big and small! Below the cut is my waxed Amaryllis which is almost in full bloom. From the angle of the pic it's hard to see but there's more blossoms that are starting to open. And then there's my little Christmas tree. My apartment is so small so a tiny tree works out perfectly!
amethyst_witch a very Happy Birthday! I hope you have a wonderful day♥ *hugs*
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