Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Ukiah, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Into The Future

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Haiku Fridays with J-Dub
where Jill challenges us to write our
haiku using this image as inspiration.
I’ve written a ukiah for prompt #5
from Val’s Haiku Scavenger Hunt.

Β© Jill Witherspoon

ancient monitors that glow
data moving slow
dialing lines from long ago

Image by Me & Gemini

NARΒ©2025

Nancy’s Notes: Ukiah is a true reverse Haiku developed by Robert Ropars. It isn’t just the name that’s reversed; instead of typical un-rhymed haiku consisting of  3 lines with a syllable count of 5/7/5, ukiah consists of 3 lines with a syllable count of 7/5/7 and all 3 lines must rhyme.

This is β€œComputer Blue” by Prince

Haiku Fridays with J-Dub #24
Looking to Scavenge the Season

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NARΒ©2017-present.



American Sentence, Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Up, Up & Away!

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Val’s Haiku Scavenger Hunt
#4 where we are to write an American
Sentence. Also for Sadje’s weekly
question β€œWhat Do You See”.

Continue reading “Up, Up & Away!” →
Art Inspiration, Ekphrastic, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Introduction

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for dVerse Poets Pub – Introducing:
An Eight Year Old Artist – Azul. Our host,
Lillian, asks us to choose one of Azul’s
paintings and write an ekphrastic poem.

Continue reading “Introduction” →
Horror, Mini Story, Photo Prompt, Scary Story, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Under The Bridge

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Our gracious host, Rochelle, is asking us to get
creative in 100 words or less using the photo
seen below. This is Friday Fictioneers.

Continue reading “Under The Bridge” →
Haiku, Lampoon, Photo Prompt, Poetry, SenHai, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Lady Breaks(down): SenHai

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Thursday (AI Art) Inspiration

Continue reading “The Lady Breaks(down): SenHai” →
Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts, Zappai

Lonely Carousel: A Zappai

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Val’s Haiku Scavenger Hunt
#3 where we are to write a zappai, inspired
by the image from all my friends at Blog 57.

Continue reading “Lonely Carousel: A Zappai” →
Ekphrastic, Poetry, Quadrille, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Back Before Dark

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille –
β€œA Pocket In Your Poems”. Our host,
De, asks us to write a 44-word poem
using some form of the word β€œpocket”.

Continue reading “Back Before Dark” →
Mini Story, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Get Down!

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for β€œCan You Tell A Story In” –
exactly 62 words using the keywords below
and for Esther’s Writing Prompts’ word β€˜play’.

breakdance, vaccine, martini, shifty, woodpecker, horoscopd

Continue reading “Get Down!” →
Haiku, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts, Zip Haiku

A Sign: A Zip Haiku

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Sadje’s weekly query:
What Do You See? and for Val’s
Haiku Scavenger Hunt #2 where
the challenge is to write a zip haiku.

Continue reading “A Sign: A Zip Haiku” →
Continuing Series, Mystery, Noir, Original Series, Recurring Character, Short Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Wordle, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Big Push: A Case For Dirk Malone

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle.
Here are Brenda’s prompt words:

show, backbone, beings, believe, bit, storm,
stream, ring, scratch, tempting, devil, hunch

Continue reading “The Big Push: A Case For Dirk Malone” →
Limerick, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Fumble: A Limerick

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Laughing Along With A Limerick.
The prompt word is β€œtight”.

Continue reading “The Fumble: A Limerick” →
Poetry, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Wordle, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Backyard Captains

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle;
Di’s prompt words are shown here:

must, wake, shake, make, shock, smile,
brave, walk, plan, hands, pants, sad

Continue reading “Backyard Captains” →
Abhanga, Poetry, Tanka, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Divided Road: An Abhanga

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Tanka Tuesday. Our host, Willow,
asks us to write a poem about a historical event
which took place in the month of October. The
Abhanga is a poem with any number of stanzas,
each consisting of four lines with a syllable count
of 6/6/6/4. Lines 2 & 3 are the ones that rhyme.

Continue reading “Divided Road: An Abhanga” →
Micro Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Going Ape

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Weekend Writing Prompt
where our host Sammi asks us to use
β€œsleep” in exactly 15 words. Also for
Sue & Gerry’s Weekly Prompts Colour
Challenge and the word β€œorange”.

Continue reading “Going Ape” →
Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Rising Storm

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge.
Reena offers us two inspiring images for
our story or poem. We may use one or both.

Continue reading “Rising Storm” →
Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, SenHai, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Feasting: A SenHai

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Living Poetry. Bartholomew
asks us to write a poem using this
image as our inspiration.

Continue reading “Feasting: A SenHai” →
Haiku, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Carpet Of Gold: A Haiku

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Val’s Haiku Scavenger Hunt
#1 where we are to write a haiku with
a seasonal word and a turn.

Continue reading “Carpet Of Gold: A Haiku” →
Continuing Series, Longer Stories, Mystery, Original Series, Phrase Prompt, Recurring Character, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Many Unhappy Returns: A Minnie Ming Mystery

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Great Minds Think – β€œThe Five
Clues Challenge”. Our hosts, Sarah & Rohini,
challenge us to write a poem or story
incorporating these five clues:

a red umbrella, a missing tooth, 1984,
a woman who hates birthdays, a bird that cannot fly

Continue reading “Many Unhappy Returns: A Minnie Ming Mystery” →
Photo Prompt, Poetry, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Too Much Of A Good Thing: Senryu

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Senryu Sunday ~
Rall has offered several images;
this one sparked my imagination.

Continue reading “Too Much Of A Good Thing: Senryu” →
Informative, Music Blog, Song, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Here’s Johnny!

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Song Lyric Sunday –
β€œCrisp Autumn Weather”

Continue reading “Here’s Johnny!” →
Cinquain, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Dear Mother: Anaphoric Cinquain

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Wea’ve Written Weekly.
Our PoW, Khadija, asks us to write
an anaphoric cinquain where at
least the first three lines of our
poems begin with the same word.

Continue reading “Dear Mother: Anaphoric Cinquain” →
Ballad, Continuing Series, Musical Poetry, Original Series, Poetry, Song

Almost Home: A Widow’s Song ~ SS Sultana

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Inspired by Max’s blog, β€˜Old Steam Ships’ –
β€œSS Sultana: A Fire That Changed Laws”.
This poem/ballad was written in the voice of
Sarah Campbell, widow of Pvt. William T.
Campbell, 7th Tennessee Cavalry. Everything
I have written about Pvt. Campbell, Cahaba,
Andersonville, and Sultana is true and based on fact.

Continue reading “Almost Home: A Widow’s Song ~ SS Sultana” →
Couplet, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

It Don’t Come Easy: Broken Couplet

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for dVerse Poets –Poetry Form:
β€˜Breaking Up the Couple(t)’. Our host,
Grace, asks us to write a poem with
a broken, split or hinged couplet.

Continue reading “It Don’t Come Easy: Broken Couplet” →
Cinquain, Mirror Cinquain, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

In The Glow: Mirror Cinquain

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Crispina’s
Crimson’s Creative Challenge

Continue reading “In The Glow: Mirror Cinquain” →
Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, SenHai, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

In Spite Of Me: SenHai

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Haiku Fridays with J-Dub
where Jill challenges us to write a
haiku using her image as inspiration.
I’ve gone rogue and used my own image ….
the only orchid I haven’t managed to kill.
I saved Jill’s image for last. Thanks, Jill!

Continue reading “In Spite Of Me: SenHai” →
Art Inspiration, Ekphrastic, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Lady, Through Grimshaw’s Eyes

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for dVerse Poetics – β€˜Through the
Eyes of John Atkinson Grimshaw’. Our host,
Sanaa, asks us to write an ekphrastic poem
inspired by one of Grimshaw’s paintings.
Unfortunately, I managed to miss the
deadline for the challenge!

Continue reading “The Lady, Through Grimshaw’s Eyes” →
Fairytale, Fantasy, Mini Story, Photo Prompt, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Crimson Keep

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Our gracious host, Rochelle, is asking us to get
creative in 100 words or less using the photo
seen below. This is Friday Fictioneers.

Continue reading “Crimson Keep” →
Futuristic, Photo Prompt, Sci-Fi, Short Story, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Sugar Time

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Thursday Inspiration

Continue reading “Sugar Time” →
Longer Stories, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

What Goes Up…..

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for Great Minds Think – β€œOops”.
Our hosts, Sarah & Rohini, ask us to write
a poem or story about a situation where the
best of intentions ended in the worst results.
Also for Gerry & Sue’s Weekly Prompts –
The One Day Prompt.

Continue reading “What Goes Up…..” →
Haibun, Prose, Haiku, Word Challenge, Theme Prompt, Word Prompt, Poetry, Writing Prompts, Writing Challenge, Narrative

Bulbs: Haibun

Nancy's Notes πŸ–ŠοΈβ™¬

Written for dVerse Poets Haibun Monday –
β€˜Vision’. Our host, Frank, invites us to
write a haibun that alludes to vision.

Continue reading “Bulbs: Haibun” →