A Quadrille is a poem of exactly 44 words, not including the title, using a specific, assigned word. Today’s challenge on d’Verse is Quadrille #85 – Raising our Poetic Voices – and VOICE is the word.
Here is my quadrille:
Voice
Every writer has a voice.
You may not hear its tone
or timbre on paper
but its Intent,
Heart,
Compassion,
and Grace
Speak loudly.
In only a page or less,
you know
if you like that voice
or not.
Does
your voice
speak love?
My Madison Valley Writers’ Group meets every first and third Friday. We begin with a free write for about 15 minutes – prompted by a topic drawn out of a bag. I have the bag and members are invited to add topics to it whenever they are inspired to do so.
Arriving five minutes late yesterday, I forgot the bag… so our topic was “Stream of Consciousness.” We were invited to write about whatever was on our mind.
Here is what I wrote:
LIFE
Life is a series
Of highs and lows
It’s full of surprises –
Some hugs and some blows.
As long as we’re able
To roll with the punches,
Life gives us roses
And blessings in bunches.
It’s when we are stiffened
By pain and cruel people
That life knocks us over
And we topple from the steeple
Of security and safety
That we have always had.
So send those folks back out
And come back to being glad.
Life is a series
Of questions with too many insults
Unless we learn to toss away
The negativity for positive results.
So, set your mind on “Happy.”
Let that sad emoticon disappear
And remember when you need a hug,
I’m always ready … always here.
Throw out the old boxing gloves.
Don’t return blows in life’s fight.
Just give back love and grace –
And keep your spirit ever bright.
It’s not Pollyanna thinking.
It’s possible – even probable – I know,
Because I practice that love daily.
It’s where I get my inner glow!
… and so do I!
See ya tomorrow
If you had a chance to do a free write
on a stream of consciousness right now,
what would your topic be?
I love discovering poets
whose words inspire and teach me.
Sarika is new to me.
This poem is so beautiful…
I just have to share it with you.
I encourage you to go to her blog,
if you, too, want to be inspired!
Nature’s Music
Euphonious burble
of the cascading water…
Dulcet whisper of
the gentle zephyr…
Drizzling raindrops
in staccato rhythm…
Melodious cadence
of psithurism…
Croaking of the frogs
and chirping of crickets…
Cooing of the doves
and buzzing of insects…
Birds chanting
sacred hymns in their abode…
Nature’s mellifluous music
on the play mode…
©Pure Reflections, 2019, Sarika
The use of words like:
is magical to me.
Does such useage strike an enchanting chord with you, too?
I think Sarika is a extraordinary writer/poet. I’m happy I found her.
You will be, too! She has only 109 followers so far, but
48 people clicked “like” on this poem… and 19 have commented so far.
That’s a wonderful percentage, don’t you think?
Obviously, she deserves much more readership than that… SO,
Visit her blog at:
https://purereflectionsblog.wordpress.com/2019/06/22/natures-music/
… and consider becoming a regular there!
See Ya Tomorrow
Don’t Complicate Life!
Some days seem extra hard;
Things just don’t start out right.
You wake up tired and you know
You didn’t sleep well last night.
Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com
You try to fix your attitude
By focusing on something sweet;
You look in the refrigerator
For some satisfying treat.
But nothing seems to help you;
You’re just feeling sad and blue.
Maybe if you write about it,
Joy will return to you.
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com
Your blogging friends have felt
Days when everything’s askew.
Why not spill your guts to them,
Like they’ve poured their hearts on you?
Photo by Christopher Thoms on Pexels.com
Well, spreading sadness seldom works
To make the situation better.
It’s like trying to dry a dish
With a towel that’s even wetter!
I found some sites on the internet:
Like https://www.goodreads.com
And their quotes do what I like to do:
Find love by giving it; so come along!
When you miss somebody, call them.
When you’re lonely, stop by or invite.
Explain and listen when you’re misunderstood,
And ask questions ’til you see the Light!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com
Say it kindly when you’re upset,
And don’t forget to tell it when you’re pleased.
Ask humbly for the things you need,
And put away that tendency of greed.
Practice these attitudes; exude patience and joy.
Life can be simple; no need to complain.
There is sunshine aplenty just around the bend;
No need to stand there and get soaked in the rain!
See ya tomorrow
Life is a book;
Each day a new page.
The story’s not written
By some far off sage.
.
You write it each moment;
It comes from your heart.
Today’s page is blank
‘Til you get up and start…
.
Start by breathing deeply;
Thank God for each breath.
Begin each day with gratitude –
From your birth to your death.
.
Praise God for Creation.
Look around and then start
To praise Him for His presence
In your life – every part!
.
Ask God for His wisdom
To help you every minute
As you choose your day’s tasks
And the JOY He puts in it.
Photo by bruce mars on Pexels.com
Have a joy-filled Tuesday, my friends.
Write this page with intention and love.
See ya tomorrow.
Of course, you know how that word, Google, originated.
It was those 4 or 5 guys in a garage, right?
But what about the word “zany”?
Where did it originate?
Here are some of the more than 1,700 words first used in Shakespeare’s writing:
He was sooooo creative!!
(That’s an understatement)
We’ll never know exactly what Shakespeare looked like,
but many portraits share similar features. This one is a Getty image.
Here’s an image of Zany Me:
How zany can you get?
You have to “SnapChat” it before you get
those ears and eyelashes – and such smooth skin!
Do you know SnapChat?
It’s one of many programs out there that
help us creatively present ourselves.
Internet Writing Programs
Sometimes we present ourselves visually with doctored images (like the one above).
Do we “doctor” our verbal images of ourselves, too? Microsoft Word is one of many programs in this technological world that allows us to spice up what we say and how we say it. I love using their templates. In addition to Microsoft Word and other well-known programs, I recently discovered Google Docs. Do you know about that app?
I have Google Docs on my iPhone.
Do you use that program to
create and edit documents on the go?
You can “get stuff done”
(how’s that for creative word usage?)
with or without an internet connection.
Photo by Hoang Do on Pexels.com
You can write on your own – or invite more people to contibute.
My granddaughter, Faith, used Google Docs to write her
paternal (DeAngeles) Family History.
Her dad is our son, Ty.
Faith sent the Goodle Doc to me to see and edit.
It’s a great program.
Descriptive Words
Particular words jumped out at me as I read Faith’s geneological study that included health histories of her grandparents, parents, siblings, and aunts/uncles:
These medical issues and troublesome words don’t describe the people, or
Where do we make sure such characteristics make it to the printed page and live on in history?
Signature Vocabulary
As a writer who has created a blog, YOU can be sure the beauty, the uniqueness, and the zaniness of your personality and your loved ones lives on. You can create a legacy for your family; one that tells more than birth, marriage, children, illnesses and death.
What words might people attribute to YOU? Have you a signature vocabulary? What do you want folks to remember about your family?
My Precious Husband
My precious husband, Bob, may not have invented the word, “Foo-Foo,” but his use of it for someone’s name is becoming a signature of his.
“You know, help me out, Foo-Foo was just over there by the Wuch-a-me-call-it. You remember!”
Uh, can you help me out a little more! Who and/or where?
He makes me laugh!!
The older we get, the more “Foo-Foos” there are in our lives!
Yes, words are our trademark. Just as identifiable as our fingerprints.
I don’t think I’ve actually invented any words, though. Have you?
Using Words Creatively
Do you use words in unique ways?
My blogging friend, Dorothy (deyspublishing.wordpress.com),
posted today about pouting clouds.
I said they were pouting and spouting.
Giving animate qualities to inanimate objects is a great use of words. I love the way many poets do that. They attribute people qualities and actions to things in nature… animals, clouds, unfriendly chairs.
My iPhone has a dictionary app that allows me to look at synonyms and antonyms as well as definitions. You probably have that app, too. It’s a great tool for finding ways to creatively use words.
Sharing Creative Writing With Others
In addition to sharing my writing on WordPress, I belong to a writers’ group. We meet every 1st & 3rd Friday. Our first 15 minutes is a Free Write on a topic we draw out of a hat.
Draw out of a Hat
I think when next we meet, we should have a list of original Shakespearean words and see if we can select six (or so) of them to weave into a story – with instructions to try and add one more – an “original” – one of our own.
Doesn’t that sound like fun?
Try it! Share your zany new word with me!
Have a whimsical*, zany weekend!
See ya tomorrow
*Whimsical is a Bob Goff “signature word” in my mind. Have you read his book, Love Does? I highly recommend it. Talk about a “wordsmith!”
Hugs to You !!
Inspire to Love
Let the SonShine!
You inspire me to respond
Learning to Live; Living to Learn; Learning to Love; Living in Love
Stats
Stats
I don’t put much stock in stats.
But every now and then I like
To take a look; especially when
WordPress announces spikes.
Day before yesterday they congratulated me.
They sent this message:
I was delighted because I remember
Back in 2012 to 2018 when
For 6 years my followers
Numbered less than 100.
I didn’t stop blogging
because my “followers number”
was stagnant.
I appreciated the readers I had.
I still do…
I appreciate YOU!!
But the stat that really has me
Singing in the shower with joy
Is the one I received yesterday:
You see, it really doesn’t matter if my followers
Number 100 or 10,000.
What matters is:
If so,
Hallelujah!
Pass it on!
Love your uniqueness and
Let the stats simply be
A source of information…
Not a fettish!
You relate?
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Awards, blogging, contentment, Gratitude, happiness, Love, Sharing, writing
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