Category: crimson’s creative challenge

A scarlet ship

Chris Hall37 Comments


now this is a super scarlet ship
and she’s massive and marvellous,
she’s sleek and swift in the seas.
there are many major
operations on
this fine vessel.
so what’s next?
shall we
see?

it
was a
dangerous
mission this time.
the crew were clever
as always, as the waves
were lashing and moaning, but
she was able to aid, for all,
such a splendid, superb scarlet ship.

~~~

Crispina Kemp‘s photo – a fascinating fleet! – https://esvagt.com/services/fleet-list/ –

For Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge No. 80, Alliteration, Robbie has asked that we write a syllabic form using alliteration. Plus a lovely painting down there.

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #102

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 80, Alliteration 9/01/26

A little red car up there

Chris Hall35 Comments



those trees and bushes
are elegant in different hues,
so many green shades
in the great colour wheel,
very blissful and calming.

Colour, like features, follow the changes of the emotions.

but what is up there?
gosh, it’s a little red car!
vibrant, isn’t it,
but how did it get to there?
no clue, but fun, we’re grinning!

– Pablo Picasso


~~~

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #101

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 79, Color as a Metaphor, 8/25/26

Tread with trepidation…

Chris Hall34 Comments


Tread with trepidation

It’s so, so dry. Look at the grass, it’s brown. It’s dying or dead. Ridiculous! Actually it’s not just ridiculous, it’s rather worrying. I have never known a summer as scorching as this. Although 1976 was pretty similar. Gosh, that was a long time ago.

The worrying thing now though is this. It’s El Niño effect. And that is going to be brutal. It’s already beginning. There is drought, wildfires and heat waves too. Then on the other side there will be torrential rain with floods.

Now we need to think. Crops, livestock and infrastructure will reduce food production and disrupt markets. As supply falls, prices rise and food becomes less affordable. When combined with existing pressures such as conflict these climate shocks can quickly increase hunger.

so brace, brace and brace
many things will be required
let us keep alert

~~~~~~~~
145 words

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #100

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 78, Tread with Trepidation! 8/18/26

Is it autumn?

Chris Hall41 Comments


Autumn? Is it? You’re quite sure?
Surely it’s spring around here?
It’s certainly complicated
and I do like to be sure.

You see I’m a water maiden
I’m really rather shy though
but I’m bright and beautiful
and I’ll say that quietly.

I am by a lovely lily.
It’s a white water lily
and it’s so sweet and vibrant
and I love to sit with it.

So now I’m thinking to myself
it’s almost an equinox
and that is pretty pleasing,
it could be fall or vernal.

~~~

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #099

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 76, Celtic Autumn, 8/11/2026

Yet another nonsense poem

Chris Hall39 Comments


aha, I am here
as I muttered to myself
as I almost stopped
I knew I’d forgotten something
but what was it I wondered

I was half way now
on this pretty hump-backed bridge
but it’s bugging me
it was bugging me so much
as I dithered, and dithered

so what was it then?
as I stared at the river
but no clue was there
so should I go back, or not?
but no, let’s go, well why not!

~~~

Melissa, from Mom With a Blog, is our host this week at #TankaTuesday, and she asks us to write about forgetting things.

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #098

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 75, Oops, I forgot! 8/5/26

It’s up there…

Chris Hall31 Comments

“I can just reach it, well almost. Why don’t you try… you’re a little taller than me, aren’t you?”
“Ah, that’s it.”
“Oops, don’t drop it.”
“Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Now give it to me. I am going to open it. And smell it. Hmm, seems fine. So, another sniff… mm, I’m liking this.”

“You don’t want to smell it?”
“Thanks, but no.”
“But you do want to stay with me, don’t you?”
“Sure, of course.”
“Well, phew!”

“Now it’s time to have a little sip. Luckily I can tip it up with both hands. And slowly too.”

“Wow. That’s strong. It’s certainly an interesting aroma.”
“Hmm, is it nice?”

“Well, I will have another tiny sip. Just to make sure. It’s certainly warming.
“And that’s a good thing?”
“Sure. Now, another shot…, definitely nice now. Are you sure you don’t want some…? Oh well, all for me. Glug, glug, hic!”

~~~

150 words

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #097

Those koi, again

Chris Hall42 Comments

“Not so coy koi, or maybe a daydream.”

I walked around a pleasant park. I often go there. I love to stroll by trees, bushes and colourful flowers, the scent is always magnificent. There are bugs, bees and birds, so much to look at, and maybe take a few photos with my phone; but my favourite part is the beautiful pond where those not so coy carp, or rather those koi (like from Japan) would bubble up and ask for food – and I can.

Then often I would sit, or even lie down, to continue to watch them, and maybe have a daydream or two. And then I might pull out a notebook and a pen to write a little poem.

dream, dream and enjoy
a delightful day in spring
what could be better?

~~~

This week for #TankaTuesday, Yvette asked us to write a poem about a dream that came true or a dream that fell apart.

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #096

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 74, Oh, to Dream! 7/21/26

Young robin

Chris Hall34 Comments

Everything about this young bird shouted ‘robin’ despite it lacks the distinctive adult colouring. – Crispina Kemp

~~~

I’m a young robin
and I’m very proud indeed
my plumage is great
even though I am freckled
both mum and dad said next spring
I’ll be a red robin then

~~~

For Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday invites us to write a bussokuseki.
This form is like a tanka, but there is an extra seven syllable line at the end of the form. Choose your theme.

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #095

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 73, bussokuseki, 7/14/26

Oystercatcher

Chris Hall34 Comments

He’s an Oystercatcher. They nest in the adjacent grassland. – Crispina Kemp

~~~

I am a wader
and my plumage is striking
there’s mud, grass, water
as I’m looking for mussels
since my brood is quite near here

~Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.~

it had been early
and it was still very dark
there was a warning
screech, alarm, I was on it
but everything had been fine

– Rabindranath Tagore

~~~

For Colleen Chesebro’s Tanka Tuesday invites us to write a Tanka Puente.
Her suggested/optional theme is light versus dark.

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #094

TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 72, Tanka Puente, 7/7/26

Just a small forest…

Chris Hall42 Comments

“I’ll race you,” grinned one of the boys.
“That will be fun,” said the other.
So off they went on their bikes along the scrubby lane. It was almost neck and neck when they both stopped, and rather suddenly.

“Such a small straight track.”
“Let’s go that way.”
So the two of them made their way across the field. They had only a tiny squabble as they decided who would go first. And off they went.

A bit later they both stopped.
“Gosh, it was further than we thought.”
“Still this small forest seems excellent.”
“I wonder what we’ll find?”
“The highest part is over there.”
“It will be dense and quite dark too.”
“And that’s what we like.”

So off they went. And they had a great time. They hoped that they would find a couple of unicorns, and it could have been. A small sighting, they both thought.

~~~

150 words
🦄

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #093