solo traveller
striding through life’s long journey
youthful confidence
casts trepidation aside
to reach the ultimate goal
he seizes the day
glorying in his triumph
all demons vanquished
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Image credit: Suliman Sallehi @ Pexels
The image shows a person standing on top of a rock, his feet straddling two projections. In the background, you can see the skyline and down below some houses.
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #117 photo prompt
Wonderful writer, reader and reviewer, Diana of Myths of the Mirror blog has thrown down her velvet gauntlet for a fun writing challenge. Here’s what she says: “I don’t know anyone who owns a Kindle (or other ebook reader) and isn’t buried in books. We groan as we add more to the stack… then laugh about it and buy more! That’s my situation anyway.”
That’s my situation too!
Here are the details of Diana’s challenge – The Teetering TBR Pile – the challenge is open until 23 January if you’d like to join in too.
This is my response:
Ode to My Kindle
Kindle, my Kindle, how do you compare
to those wretched stacks of curling pages
whose covers dim in daylight’s brightness
spines rendered unreadable by old age?
Shelves piled high with neither rhyme nor reason
unruly stacks wobbling and tottering
set to tumble in thunderous cascades
engulfing unwary readers in words.
Kindle, my Kindle, how long has it been
since first we browsed those virtual bookshelves
hovering o’er Amazon’s icons bright
daring downloads at the click of a key?
Far have we travelled by land, air and sea
since I first loaded a heap of beach reads
oh, my Kindle, faithful companion
never rejecting yet another book.
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While you’re here, fellow overstuffed e-readers, can I just tempt you to just one more teensy-weensy book? The book birthday freebie offer I was running has finished, but you can download Song of the Sea Goddess for a snip: USA ~ UK ~ IND ~ AUS ~ CAN ~ ESP ~ South Africa and the Rest of the World
emerging at last
from an underground cocoon
pale sun still shrouded
yet emerald shoots glisten
birds are calling to the dawn
post-apocalypse
nature is undefeated
what will man do now?
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Image credit: LuizClas@ Pexels
The image shows a young person’s silhouette against a pink sky. There is a subdued sun in the sky and birds flying in circle.
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #116 photo prompt
Remember what it was like
to be full of wonder?
When every day brought
a fresh new adventure?
To view the world
curious and unafraid
without prejudices
or preconceptions
open to possibilities
alive with expectations,
just starting out
on life’s path?
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Image credit: Dimhou@Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #115 photo prompt
Reflecting
on the year that has passed
on the year before that
on how our lives have changed.
Remembering
the loved ones taken
without goodbyes, without a hug
or a gentle brush of a cheek.
Thinking
of those we couldn’t comfort
grieving behind closed doors
spending a first Christmas alone.
Lighting
a solitary candle
watching it flicker
pushing away the darkness.
Reminiscing
about the happy times
the laughter and the smiles
knowing they will return.
Wiping away
the tears that stain the page
the flame sputters, then strengthens
and burns again anew.
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Image credit: Being.the.traveler@ Pexels
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #114 photo prompt
As the festivities commence
my thoughts turn north
to the country of my birth
where snow crunches underfoot
and darkness is driven away
by constant pools of light.
Where ice sparkles
and children exhale
frosty breath
making snow angels
on silvery lawns.
Now I’ve put down roots
where summer’s sun
bakes the thirsty earth
and children dance
on dusty paths.
Here, where velvet darkness
draws in quickly
and Africa’s golden moon
smiles down, I know
I’m already home.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Image credit: Jonathan Borba @ Pixels
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #113 photo prompt
Sun’s last liquid rays slip silently beneath a purple-clouded horizon, while birdsong fills the twilight air. Wings, skimming softly over a wide velvet lake, whisper gentle goodnights, and from night’s star-bright firmament, a pearlescent figure appears, bathed in lunar light.
angel’s wings descend
cocooning the sleeping town
in tender embrace.
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Image credit: Kellepics @ Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #112 photo prompt
Note: It seems that some of my spam woes have returned. So if I seem strangely silent, my comments may well have slid into your spam folder. Please, if I’ve just popped in a ‘like’ on one of your posts and run away, would you mind having a hunt for me and fishing me out!
Saffron rays stream
over ochre battlements
castellations contrast
with soft sapphire hills.
Walls whisper secrets
in this citadel of splendour
cruelty and kindness
hidden deep within the keep.
Fortress façade fit
for the finest queen
monument to a mistress
a woman never seen.
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Image credit: Vrolans @ Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #111 photo prompt
I remember that day
my Ouma and me
perched on the bench
in the shade of her stoep
making up adventures
like we always did.
I remember that day
bright brown eyes
crinkling at the edges
her words, like whispers
captured by the keys
as I typed, my new laptop
balanced on my knees.
I remember that day
my Ouma and me
mind filled with light
eyes button-bright
sharing her final story
with me.
My Ouma has gone
but her stories live on
and now I am
the story teller.
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Image credit: Sasint @ Pixabay
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #110 photo prompt
Fish jumps, gulps a fly
bright waterdrops scattering;
cracking lake’s mirror.
Turquoise wings flashing
snapping beak swallows a fish;
bobbing waves diffuse.
Brown-fur dives deeply
leaving lacy white backwash;
dark head surfaces.
Fish flapping wildly
between sharp-clawed greedy paws;
nature in the raw.
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Image credit: Pixabay (free images)
Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #109 photo prompt
luna's on line 