Written for Eugi’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompt,
I have chosen her prompt ‘reach for infinity’.
Category: Poem
In Golden Light
Written for dVerse Poets: Quadrille #220 –
‘Engrave Your Name Across My Heart’.
We are asked to write a quadrille using
the word ‘engrave’. This is my quad.
Identical Grief Revisited: A Haibun
Written for dVerse Poets – Fancy
Meeting You At The Pub Today and
Saturday. We are asked to share any
poem of our choosing. I am sharing
a haibun I wrote almost one year ago.
Since then, our feelings remain unchanged,
except now laughter comes a bit more easily.
Breaking News
Written for dVerse Poets Pub
Complaint, A Poem of Lament
This is my Clerihew
Nature’s Buffet
Written for Eugi’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompts.
Inspirations appear below. This is my Dectina Refrain.
Hoots Mon
Written for dVerse Poets – Quadrille #219
A Poetic Hootenanny. Our inspiration this week
is “hoot”. This is my hootenanny quadrille.
Until Love: A Reverse Etheree
Written for Eugi’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompts.
Prompt words appear below.
This is my reverse etheree.
Tuesday’s Child: A Waltmarie
Written for dVerse Poets Meet At the Bar:
The Poetry of Names. Just last week
the theme at Song Lyric Sunday was
songs that feature our names.
This is my Waltmarie.*
Night of the Lepus: A Haibun
Written for dVerse Poets Haibun Monday 3-3-25.
Our inspiration this week is “March Madness”.
This is my haibun.
Electra Glide In Blue
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille Monday.
The prompt word is ‘indigo’; this is my quadrille.
Putting The World On Pause
Written today for Eugi’s Moonwashed Weekly Prompt.
The theme I’ve chosen is ‘simplicity summoned’.
This is my tanka.
To Be Free
Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge 369
where the theme is ‘isolation’. This is my etheree.
Heart’s Delight
Written for dVerse Poetics –
“From Your Valentine”. Here is
my poem, in the form of a letter.
Goddess of Love
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille #217:
Poems with Zing! This is my quadrille.
Groundhog’s Lament: A Haibun
Written for dVerse Poets Haibun Monday –
Celebrating Groundhog Day. This is my Haibun.
Take Me Back Home Now
Written for dVerse Poets Tuesday Poetics:
The Opticians Words where the challenge is
to use one or two or more sets of words in a poem
in the order in which they appear. This is my poem.
One summer I took his name.
“This means you are mine
and I am yours” he sighed as
we arose from the cold, damp floor.
I stepped nearer for him to remove
my veil and stared into his glistening
indigo eyes, blue-black like the crow.
Grazing his mouth with mine,
lips barely touching, I murmured
“Take me back home now, my love,
to our wedding bed
in the caves by the sea.
Read sonnets and verses to me
as waves churn and cream
against the ocean’s shore.”
NAR©2025
This is “White Wedding” by Billy Idol
The prompt words:
nose – one – cause – even
were – crone – our – summer
name – use – means – arose
near – can – remove – sure
crow – verse – see – renew
assume – once- van – sum
aware – caves – sea – cream
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy ~ The Sicilian Storyteller, Nancy (The Sicilian Storyteller), The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, and The Rhythm Section, and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
My Dad’s Lesson: Dectina Refrain
When my father emigrated to the US
from Sicily, he was given advice that
changed his life. With that in mind,
this is my response to dVerse Poetics:
For the Love of the Broadsheet.
I have chosen a Dectina Refrain.
Dance With Me: A Quadrille
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille #215:
“Ready For Liftoff”. Our host De Jackson,
aka WhimsyGizmo, invites us to “pen a
pithy poem of just 44 words, including
some semblance of the word LIFT”.
This is my quadrille.
Sightseeing
Written for dVerse Poetics – “Art In Nature”
where the challenge is to write a poem in
response to one of the featured photos.
I have chosen to write a Dectina Refrain
for the photo which appears below.
My Darling
This is a poem I wrote in 2017 when I first started with WordPress.
Some of you have seen it, some have not. I thought it would be nice
to share it for Christmas Eve. This is ‘My Darling’; I hope you enjoy it.
With Love From Us: A Haibun
Written for dVerse Poetics where the theme is
“Despite and Still”. My inspiration is the poem seen below
written by John N. Morris. Here is my haibun.
Christmas Tree Soliloquy
Written for dVerse Poets where we are encouraged to compose an
Etheree based on trees …. Christmas or fir-themed … consisting
of 10 lines. In an Etheree, the first line has one syllable;
the second line has two syllables, and so on, until there are
ten syllables in the tenth line. We are asked to create our Etheree
in the shape of a tree, with two extra lines of 2 syllables
each forming the trunk of our tree. This is my Etheree.
A Show About Nothing: A Cinquain
Written for dVerse Poets where the
challenge is to write a poem based on
Favorite TV Shows. This is my Cinquain.
Shot At Dawn
Today is November 11th, Veteran’s Day in the United States. For much of the rest of the world and especially in Europe, it is Armistice Day, the day that marks the end of World War I. On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 when the armistice was signed, over 20 million people had lost their lives.
I am honored to present to you a guest post by my friend, Paul Griffiths – The Birkenhead Poet. Dedicated to the young boys who lost their lives, Paul calls it “Shot At Dawn”; I call it perfection.
Chills and Fever
Written for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt #385.
The challenge is to write a poem or a piece of prose
in exactly 85 words using the word “vertigo”. Here’s mine.
What is this sudden disequilibrium?
I feel like I could fall flat on my bum!
Tummy’s flipping and I’m gonna be sick
Somebody get me some Pepto quick!
Ears are ringing, I’ve got a headache
Doctor, please! I need a break!
First a fever and now the chills
Pass me some of those magic pills!
My heart is racing like an SST
Give it to me straight, Doc. What’s wrong with me?
What’s that you say? It’s love vertigo?
There’s no cure? Well, whaddya know!
NAR©2024
85 Words
From 1964, this is “Chills and Fever” featuring a 24 year old Tom Jones and his group, The Senators.
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
In A Groove
Written for dVerse Poets Quadrille #207 Spin Cycle
Hold my hand, honey
and take me for a spin
Twirl me ‘round the dance floor
I’m loving the spin I’m in
Whisper those sweet nothings, baby
send shivers up my spine
and make my head spin, lover
tonight I’m gonna make you mine
NAR©2024
44 Words
This is “That Old Black Magic” by Louis Prima and Keely Smith, the Heppest of the Hep!
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Memories of Me
Written for dVerse Quadrille Monday #206.
Our prompt word is ‘bend; here is my poem.
I long to be myself again,
before the pain began.
Now wistfully staring at
old photos
of a younger me,
lithe with slender arms
and shapely legs
which once did bend
with graceful ease.
Dancing dreams fill my nights;
I want to sleep forever.
NAR©2024
This is “Pretty Ballerina” by The Left Banke
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Here’s To You, Mr. Robinson: A Cinquain
Seagull
Ballsy beach bird
Boss other birds around
Thinks he’s Edward G Robinson
Tough guy
NAR©2024
This is “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight
*Cinquain is a short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of 22 syllables distributed as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2 in 5 lines. Line 1: Noun; Line 2: Description of opening noun; Line 3: Action; Line 4: Feeling or effect; Line 5: Synonym of the opening noun. The cinquain, also known as a quintain or quintet, is a poem or stanza found in many European languages; the origin of the form dates back to medieval French poetry.
** Edward G. Robinson was an American actor who was popular during Hollywood’s Golden Age and is best remembered for his tough-guy roles as gangsters in such films as Little Caesar and Key Largo.
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Whole Lotta Shakin’
Written for Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge with the
prompt word ‘bank’ and for Weekend Writing Prompt #377
using the word ‘reverberate’ in exactly 43 words. Here’s my piece.
When my kids played
the whole house would
shake
like an eight point
earthquake
and the coins in their
piggy bank
would
reverberate
as the crystal glasses
in the dining room
breakfront
did the hippy hippy
shake
and I
baked
an
earthquake
cake
NAR©2024
43 Words
You can find the recipe for Earthquake Cake HERE.
This is “The Hippy Hippy Shake” by the Swinging Blue Jeans
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
Identical Grief: A Haibun
Written for dVerse Poetics: Picking Up The Pieces
where today we are sharing grief. This is my haibun.
Tomorrow will be 4 months since my husband’s identical twin brother died suddenly. His wife returned home from a walk and found him on the bedroom floor; she said he was still warm. The news felt like an arrow ripped through our hearts. Jim was dead. How was my sister-in-law ever again going to walk into her bedroom without picturing her husband’s body? How was my husband Bill going to face the rest of his life as the lone twin? At one time there were three brothers; now there is only Bill. This is the most difficult trial for him. My husband lost a piece of himself that day. We are numb, disbelieving, questioning, dazed, numb, numb, so unbelievably numb.
You know how people say that time flies? Not when it comes to Jim; time has stopped for us. Logically we know he’s dead but our hearts cannot accept it. It’s unbelievable, inconceivable for us. It doesn’t feel possible. We function normally every day, do the same old crap, talk and eat and laugh. We watch movies, go shopping, pay bills, gab on the phone, babysit. We live the same lives we lived before Jim died except he’s not here to share them and we cannot wrap our heads around that. It just doesn’t feel like he’s dead. He should be here. It’s not right that he’s not here. It’s like someone has played the cruelest joke on us.
Now, when my sister-in-law looks at Bill, it’s Jim’s face she sees. And sometimes when I look at my husband, I see Jim and I find myself pondering why Jim was the twin who was taken.
I am Bill’s wife but Jim was his other half.
save them in your heart
golden summer memories
for when winter comes
No idea who’s who!
NAR©2024
This is “Comfortably Numb” by Pink Floyd
All text, graphics and videos are copyright for The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk and The Rhythm Section and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 