Surrounded By Sea

Surrounded by sea;
Is the place for me.
I sit on my dock; 
On a chair I do rock;
And stare to the west;
To watch the sunset.
I hear some fish jump;
And feel the waves bump;
While I sit there alone;
Watch the boats head for home.
As the sky turns to ink;
The stars there do wink;
And the sea transforms black;
As its ripples wink back.

Reposted in response to W3 Prompt #61: Wea’ve Written Weekly poet of the week Heather’s prompt: “Write a poem in any style about a place that evokes emotion (a place where you find poetry).”

Below is my audio/reading and photo compilation:

Surrounded By Sea

Carpenter Bee

A bright sunny day
Descending carpenter bee
A shadow passes
Over the crimson Bee Balm
A fruitful landing
Carpenter Bee on Bee Balm

Prompted by Denzil’s Nature Photo Challenge #17: Bees and Misky’s Twiglet #331 .

Baby Raccoons

Prompted by Sandee’s “Awww Mondays”.

Shrouded In Mist

The castle looms in the distance – a potential place of refuge. It appears to float in the sky, shrouded in mist. I imagine a labyrinth of discombobulating hallways and twisting staircases within the castle walls. I advance with a tentative and delicate step, as if moving to the rhythm of an adagio. A path emerges through the haze as I draw closer. I resolutely approach the formidable gate, pounding on the ancient wood in desparation. The gate parts and I realize my mistake.

Prompted by Sajde’s “What do you see # 192- June 26, 2023” and Sammi’s “Weekend Writing Prompt #317 – Adagio.”

Image credit; Tim Rebkavets @ Unsplash

Evening Magnolia

Magnolia Bloom

Prompted by Cee’s “Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD).”

Gnarly Trees

Among ancient ruins
Spirits wander ornate paths
Gnarled trees call to me

Prompted by Tina R. Schell’s “Lens-Artists Challenge #254 – Spiritual Sites”.

A chōka: Magical Artists

Magical artists
Pull lines and light from their hats
Waving magic wands
Spewing color on canvas
Creating objects
Actual or imagined
Leaving us in awe
Of the otherwise mundane 
An adorned cup of water

Prompted by Colleen Chesebro’s #TankaTuesday #Ekphrastic #Poetry Challenge No. 325, 6/20/23:

“This #TankaTuesday challenge explores Ekphrastic poetry, inspired by works of art.”

See Rebecca Budd’s blog on the “The National Gallery 5 Minute Guided Meditation” focused on the following painting:

A Cup of Water and a Rose by Francisco de Zurbarán

Grounded Birds

If I could fly, 
I’d take to the sky,
And build my nest high,
But some birds won’t.

An owl I found,
That lives underground,
Perched on its mound,
Standing guard.

A killdeer will rest,
On its earth-built nest,
Its young it protects,
By feigning injury.

Funny feathered friends;
Eccentric avians;
Free to transcend,
My sense of practicality.

Subject prompted by Terri’s Sunday Stills: Fun with #Furred and #Feathered Friends.

Form prompted by Ronovan’s Ovi Poetry Challenge: FREEDOM is your inspiration.

Burrowing Owl
Nesting Killdeer

Leatherwing Beetle

Leatherwing beetle
Playing among beautiful pink yarrow
Swaying in the breeze
To nature’s rhythm
Feet beat on yarrow petals
Inadvertently tracking pollen 
While stirring up pests
For an afternoon snack.

Form prompted by Braden’s Layered Poetry: a New Form with an Example. “Each line begins the next one and completes the previous one. In this way, you can layer many scenes and meanings on top of one another in a flowing way.”

Subject prompted by W3 Prompt #59: Wea’ve Written Weekly’s poet of the week Lesley Scoble. “Write about the first wild creature that you see which inspires you on the day you write your poem (by wild creature I do not mean your spouse, etc.).”

I found the beetle while seeking a pink photo subject for Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: #Pink in the Great Outdoors.

Gifting Rainbows

Storms along the beach
Ominous skies winking blue
Gifting us rainbows

Prompted by Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Challenge #466 and Lady Jabberwocky’s “Prompt of the Week: The Rainbow Connection”