Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, SenHai, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Deadvlei

Written for SenHai Saturday where our host
Susi asks us to write a senryu and haiku using
the image shown below as inspiration.

Continue reading “Deadvlei”
Longer Stories, Original Series

My People

Inspired by Max’s blog, β€˜Old Steam Ships’
this is my story based on facts about the SS Eastland
disaster in the voice of Harry B. Thayer, President
of Western Electric, who chartered the ship
for 2,500 employees and their families

for a company picnic. Thanks, Max!

Continue reading “My People”
Longer Stories, Mystery, Photo Prompt

The Sky Above Dubbo

Written in response to a cool
image I saw on Bushboy’s World.
Thanks for letting me use it, Brian!

Continue reading “The Sky Above Dubbo”
Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Daddy’s Girl

Written for Haiku Fridays with J-Dub

Continue reading “Daddy’s Girl”
Limerick, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt

In Stitches

Written for Writing Prompt #123
using the prompt word β€˜rich’.

Continue reading “In Stitches”
Lai, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Two Hearts In May

Written for dVerse Poet’s Pub: Open Link Night.
Our host, Mish, invites us to follow our muse
and write a poem inspired by the image below.

Continue reading “Two Hearts In May”
Mini Story, Photo Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Mark of Zorro

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

Continue reading “The Mark of Zorro”
Mini Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Written for Β Weekend Writing Prompt
where Sammi asks us to get creative
in exactly 88 words using the word
β€˜pristine’ and for Sue & Gerry’s
Β Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge
and the prompt word β€˜fastidious’.

Continue reading “What’s Love Got To Do With It?”
Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Montauk’s Glow

Written for dVerse Poet’s Pub: β€œMy God,
It’s Full of Stars”. Our host, Dora, invites us
to write a poem inspired by stars in the night sky.

Β© Jonathan Elcock Photography

Old pilings stand like soldiers in the tide,
their shadows drowned in silver, ever still….
above them, dust of ancient stars collide,
a river bent across the night’s dark hill.

The land behind us hums with amber light,
Montauk’s glow a small and mortal thing,
while overhead, ten billion years take flight
in dust that makes the darkness swell and sing.

I stand there, feeling smaller by the mile,
a speck upon a speck upon a shore,
yet something in that vast and star-thrown aisle
makes me feel closer to it all the more

Alone. The rocks kept watch. The sea stayed low.
The galaxy leaned down to touch the deep….
and for one breath, before I had to go,
I held the whole of heaven, mine to keep.

NARΒ©2026

This is β€œAndomeda” by Paul Weller

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NARΒ©2017-present.

Limerick, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

A Hairy Situation

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

Continue reading “A Hairy Situation”
Very Short Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Wordle, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Explanation

Written for MLMM Monday Wordle;
the prompt words are shown below.

town ~ anxiety ~ box ~ half ~ wrong ~ sound
today ~ full ~ bench ~ running ~ message ~ again

Continue reading “The Explanation”
Poetry, Quadrille, Theme Prompt, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Light My Fire

Written for dVerse Poet’s Pub: A Light
Burst of Air. Our host, Lisa, invites us to
write a quadrille using the word β€œpuff”.

Continue reading “Light My Fire”
Free Verse, Poetry, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Wordle, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Static

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

voicemails ~ high ~ exhale ~ wind ~ begin ~ unaware
scared ~
glows ~ ghost ~ storm ~ story ~ lotus

Continue reading “Static”
Bussokuseki, Poetry, Tanka, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

La Casa Azzurra

Written for Tanka Tuesday where our host,
Colleen, asks us to write a bussokuseki, a tanka
with an additional 7-syllable line at the end.
Inspired by an image by my amici at Blog 57.

Continue reading “La Casa Azzurra”
Photo Prompt, Poetry, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Evening Wheel

Written for Sadje’s What Do You See

Continue reading “Evening Wheel”
Phrase Prompt, Short Story, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

A Stranger’s Danger

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter

Continue reading “A Stranger’s Danger”
Micro Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Insomnia

Written for β€œCan You Tell A Story In”
exactly 60 words using the prompts below.

insomnia, dare, tambourine, dust, fox, fan

Continue reading “Insomnia”
Free Verse, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

City Girl

Written for Living Poetry where
our inspiration is β€œBorn in the…”

Continue reading “City Girl”
Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

RDP Monday: flank

Written for RDP where segoil asks us
to get creative with the word β€œflank”.

Thanks, Heather!

Continue reading “RDP Monday: flank”
Phrase Prompt, Short Story, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Mercy, Delayed

Written for β€œIt’s Story Time” with Jolene.
Our four prompts lines are shown below.

Continue reading “Mercy, Delayed”
Short Story, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Delivery

Written for Muse On Monday. Our host,
David, asks us to write a story about
 getting a package we didn’t order.

Continue reading “The Delivery”
Golden Shovel, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Extraordinary Lies

Written for Wea’ve Written Weekly.
Our PoW, Violet, asks us to write a
Golden Shovel poem in which
every line is a lie – except one!

Continue reading “Extraordinary Lies”
Music Blog, Song, Theme Prompt, Writing Prompts

Man, It’s A Hot One: July Birthdays

Written for Song Lyric Sunday
“Mid-Summer State of Mind”

Continue reading “Man, It’s A Hot One: July Birthdays”
Phrase Prompt, Short Story, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

No Surprises

At Great Minds Think – The One Sentence
Explosion Challenge – Sarah & Rohini ask
us to have fun with the following: β€œPlease
tell me you didn’t open the blue envelope.”

Continue reading “No Surprises”
Photo Prompt, Poetry, Word Challenge, Word Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Oystercatcher

Written for Crimson’s Creative Challenge
and Esther’s Writing Prompt – β€˜bank’.

Continue reading “Oystercatcher”
Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, SenHai, Senryu, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Dropped Signal

Written for SenHai Saturday where our host
Susi asks us to write a senryu and haiku using
the image shown below as inspiration.

Continue reading “Dropped Signal”
Continuing Series, Monologue, Short Story

Torn In Two: A Narrative Monologue

Inspired by Max’s blog, β€˜Old Steam Ships’
this is my story based on facts about the sinking
of the SS Daniel J. Morrell on Nov. 29, 1966 in
Lake Huron from reports made by 26-year-old
watchman and lone survivor, Dennis Hale.

Continue reading “Torn In Two: A Narrative Monologue”
Juxtaposition, Phrase Prompt, Poetry, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Gilded Quiet

Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge.
The theme is to choose a quote to work with
in the juxtaposition of luxury and simplicity.

Continue reading “Gilded Quiet”
Photo Prompt, Short Story, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

The Long Con

Written for Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction
Challenge
using the image below as inspiration.

Continue reading “The Long Con”
Haiku, Photo Prompt, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Remembering Dusty Hill

Written for Haiku Fridays with J-Dub.
Image provided by Jill Witherspoon.

Continue reading “Remembering Dusty Hill”