It is my pleasure and honor to participate in another flash fiction challenge based on the photo prompt. Award-winning author, Suzanne Burke, has provided these challenges every week. Everyone is invited to write a short story, poem, or a one-liner.
Here is the photo prompt for this week:
And here is my Tanka poem based on the above:
There is a wonderful poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, titled “The Sands of Time.” It is a poem that left a large impact on me when I was in high school. Its influence is obviously still with me.
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I welcome your comments.
Each week, award-winning author Suzanne Burke provides a photo prompt from which we are invited to write a one-liner, short story, or poem. Everyone is welcome to participate.
This week I wrote a Tanka poem, which is a Japanese form of poetry with 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 syllables. I hope you enjoy this week’s entry.
THE BINDER IS OLD
JUST AS I AM ALSO OLD
WE ARE BOTH WORN OUT
TATTERED, TIRED YET EMBRACED
BY STRAPS OR YOUR LOVING ARMS.
OUR SKINS ARE WRINKLED
TORN, FRAGILE, SCARRED, YET HOLDING
US TOGETHER WHILE
HIDING SECRETS, LIES, AND DREAMS
NEVER REVEALED TO OTHERS.
NOW THAT I HAVE PASSED,
ONLY GOD’S JUDGEMENT MATTERS
BUT I PRAY YOU WILL
LOVE ME WITHOUT CONDITIONACCEPTING MY HUMANNESS.
READ THE WORN PAGES
KNOWING THEY COME FROM MY HEART
WHILE BARING MY SOUL
SO YOU WILL KNOW WHO I WAS
STILL LOVING, ACCEPTING ME.
WHEN YOU CREMATE ME,
DO THE SAME TO THE BINDER
PUTTING OUR ASHES
IN THE GROUND OF THE OAK TREE
TOGETHER, FOREVER MORE.
If you have not yet visited Suzanne Burke’s website and purchased one of her books, I encourage you to do so. One of my favorite books are “Empty Chairs” written under the pseudonym of Stacy Danson. https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/
Thank you for visiting my blog today. I appreciate any and all comments. And, if you are not yet a follower, I invite you to become one by simply clicking on the box in the upper right corner.
Here is my Tanka poem based on the photo prompt below. This was an especially inspiring photo, because I love classical music and as a child I watched and listened to my grandmother play such music on the piano. I invite you to listen to this beautiful waltz as you read the blog: https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=1s9oM_vNlyY
STRAUSS WALTZ AND ROSE
Mozart wrote many
Nocturnes, Waltzes, and Preludes
But none could compare
To the Strauss composition,
Roses from the South, a waltz.
A Strauss rose exists
Inspired by this special waltz
With blooms like his love
For Adele Deutsch, his wife,
Pure and sweet forever more.
The pink bloom is strong
As graceful fingers hold it
Fragrant and perfect
The Strauss waltz and rose flower
Fill our souls with joy and peace.
As you listened to “Roses from the South” waltz, were you smiling, swaying, or did you get up and dance? Did you envision couples dancing in a large circle with women in their swirling dresses and men in tuxedoes? I hope it filled your soul with joy and peace. Please let me know how you reacted to it.
Welcome everyone to my blog. It is with great pleasure that I share another Flash Fiction challenge. Suzanne Burke, an award-winning author, has provided a photo prompt, which is quite beautiful of a wolf in a wintry scene. I love the photo and wrote the Tanka poem as shown below.
WINTER SNOW HAS COME
AND I'M LOST FROM THE WOLF PACK
BUT I DON'T GIVE UP
SEARCHING THROUGH THE SILENT WOODS
HOWLING WITH MY HEAD RAISED HIGH
My thanks to Suzanne Burke for providing this flash fiction challenge. I invite you to go to her website, read her amazing books, and follow her blog. I encourage you to try to write just a one liner, a short story, or a poem based on that week’s photo prompt. https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/
What thoughts and images come to your mind as you look at the photo prompt? What emotions come forward? Fear? Loneliness? Danger? Sadness? I look forward to reading your comments. Thank you for reading my blog.
This week’s photo prompt brought many different emotions and story ideas. I was inspired to write another Tanka poem.
A SHATTERED LIFEMy life before you
Was in shambles and lonely
But now it's healthy
Because your love and goodness
Give me strength, joy, and courage.
I hope you enjoyed this Tanka poeminspired by the photo prompt. Ms. Burke offers these writing challenges on a regular basis. I encourage you to let your imagination go and write a short story, one-liner, or poem based on each photo prompt. Go to her website at https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/and explore her amazing books as well as her blogs.
Please leave a comment or question. I look forward to hearing from each of you.
Welcome to today’s blog. Once again, author, Suzanne Burke offers a flash fiction challenge based on a photo prompt. Everyone is welcome to participate. https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/
This week’s photo prompt created many stories and poems in my mind, but I finally chose to write a Tanka poem about magic, healing, and the beauty of nature.A Tanka poem is one flowing, unbroken line with 31 syllables separated into 5/7/5/7/7 parts. The actual photo prompt is nestled in the lower right corner of the larger photo.
WALKING IN THE WOODS
I SEE A MAGICAL KEY
ON THE FOREST FLOOR
THAT WHEN MY FINGERS TOUCHED IT
MY DISEASED BODY WAS HEALED.
I always enjoy reading your comments from which I find encouragement and support. In this time of world troubles, I rely on positivity, faith, and magic. How do you cope during these days? If you found a key, would it bringing healing, love, or would it just be a key?
My thanks to Suzanne Burke, who provides these flash fiction opportunities on a regular basis. She is an award-winning author of several books. https://sooozburkeauthor.wordpress.com/
KAREN INGALLS, AUTHOR, BLOGGER & SURVIVOR 