Not Worth It

A boost of dopamine
Bought through retail therapy
A moment of bliss that quickly fades
Searching for the next shiny new thing
Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers
Drowning in cortisol
When the credit card bill arrives
No fighting or fleeing accrued debt
Lasting joy comes from connection
To others and ourselves
Leave that gadget on the shelf

W3 Prompt #190: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Sally, prompts us to: “Choose one phrase from [Wordsworth’s Sonnet ‘The World is Too Much With Us’] and steal it.” I have incorporated the line “[g]etting and spending, we lay waste our powers.”

Wrapped in Love

Gifts under the tree
Temporary joy they bring
Cluttered surfaces
Mass produced decorations
Quick to end up in landfills

Hand crafted items 
Cherished adornments hung with
Family photos
Remind of the departed
And the children now grown up

Warm meals made with love
Served on hand-me-down dishes
To the near and dear
Old tales and new encounters
Cherished moments created

Heartfelt gratitude –
To those who are suffering
May you find the gifts
Of love, peace and contentment 
For this moment and beyond

TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 42, hosted by Yvette.

Aquatic

Delicate creatures
Peak our curiosity
We destroy their natural habitats
Offer our protection
Attempt to educate the public

Axolotl

Vietnamese Mossy Frog

Sandee’s Awww Mondays

Belted Kingfisher

I wait in silence
Certain of my advantage
A little patience
Delivers delicious fish
Exuberantly gobbled

W3 Prompt #188: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Indira, prompts us to write in any form and on any subject, adding a “comic touch.”

Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #445 – Wait (16 words)

I. J.’s Birds of the Week Invitation CXLV

Reading Glasses

They hide themselves 
when needed most 
Lost then found 
and set upon my nose

Smudges smeared further
Cursory rub with shirt cloth
before sprayed and polished
by microfiber swath

Blurs turn to clarity
For a while at least
Until glasses laid down
and the cycle repeats

W3 Prompt #186: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Dennis, prompts us to write a 12 line poem about an object that “simply is.”

Shell Flowers

Nature in new form
Creative hands assemble
Shells into flowers

Terri’s The Flower Hour #7

Mind Wander, Sky Wonder

A pleasant night under bright starlight 
The hoot-hoot of an owl, a distant howl
I sit and contemplate my significance 

Thoughts surface, as I ponder my purpose
Unwittingly resigned to a wandering mind 
I sit and ruminate on life 

But the moon disrupts my disorderly conduct
It waves to Regulus and winks to Venus 
I sit in awe of the night sky

Enchanted I rock as the clock tick-tocks
Father Time sings a nursery rhyme
And ushers me off to bed

W3 Prompt #185: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week, Shaun, prompts us to write a poem utilizing internal rhyme.

North American Rock Wren

Withering desert heat
Grown men whine like small children
Only the strong thrive
Little songbirds sing from rocky outcrops
Warning the weak and weary wanderers

I. J.’s Birds of the Week Invitation CXLII

Duvet

Feel it
The chill seeps in
No need for The Sandman
Tucked under comfort of duvet
Sleep comes

Ronovan’s Cinquain Poetry Prompt 26: CHILL

Colleen’s TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 38

© Oracle cards by Judy Mastrangelo

Featured image generated with AI and modified by author.

Grateful Turkey

I decided to soak up some sun
Take a dust bath in sand – so much fun!
But I heard on the way
Is Thanksgiving day
So it’s probably best that I run.

Wild Turkey on greenway

I. J. ‘s Birds of the World Invitation CXLI

Sandee’s Awww Mondays