X for ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday offers X for the prompt.

Spectacular photos of the cosmos come from the Chandra X-ray Telescope which completes its unusual elliptical orbit in sixty-four hours and eighteen minutes.

The above photo accompanies the June 26, 2009 press release and shows rays of the Milky Way that have accelerated in the remnants of exploded stars.

X-ray telescopes differ greatly from optical telescopes. High-energy, X-ray photons penetrate into a mirror in much the same way that bullets slam into a wall or ricochet when they hit at a grazing angle. The Chandra telescope system consists of four pairs of mirrors and their support structure.

Photo Credit: Optical: ESO/E. Helder; X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Utrecht/J.Vink et al

Follow the link to see more about this fascinating telescope and to view other incredible photos of our outer world.

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My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Poem for Carry On Tuesday

Carry On Tuesday offers this prompt: "The red rose whispers of passion,
And the white rose breathes of love" from A White Rose by John Boyle O’Reilly (1884 - 1890)

Wild Rose Promises

the red rose whispers of passion,
while its colored petals float
light as butterfly strokes
on blood-tipped thorns,
disavows the pledge of perfect

heady fragrance escapes
the downward tumble
permeates the summer air
and with a vow of evermore
the white rose breathes of love


Two of my poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.
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Haiku for One Single Impression

One Single Impression posts: Thanks to Lissa at Just Writing Words for the prompt blue rain this week.

color of the sky
drops in early summer day
mourning of blue rain

***

first blue rain
fills russet washes
spring essence

Original watercolor by Sue.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Trudy for Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblings offers the simple prompt - toys

Trudy, in her original clothing but with slightly crazed faces, has been in my possession for years. At this particular moment, I cannot say where she is.

A Google search through old newspaper archives brought up this ad from the Oklahoma Tire and Supply in The Kiowa News 1947.

Other Trudy's exist or existed although I've never heard of them but I cannot remember the last time I might have brought her up in normal conversation and far be it from me to play in abnormal conversation.

Have you ever seen or heard of this charming toy?

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My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Synthesis for Carry on Tuesday

Carry On Tuesday offers: You would have understood me, had you waited...from Ernest Dowson. 1867–1900




Synthesis

synthesis labored
cells and pheromones
failed to deliver

I didn't mourn your
retreat when
anger nipped the air

I'd like to think you
would have understood me,
had you waited, but

I don't believe that's true
synthesis once still-birthed
will not be born again


The image is a bookmark, watercolored by Sue.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Poem for Totally Optional Prompts

Totally Optional Prompts posts: Check out your horoscope and write a poem in response to it.

Natal Chart

A dry moat
Circles her houses
Family. money and love

Earth, fire and wind
Feelings are flares
Without tears

No water for mud
No water for steam
No water for flow

She seeks lakes
creeks and ponds
for a moat born dry

Fractal image was created with Apophysis, resized and buttoned in Irfanview.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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NaisaiKu for 3WordWednesday

ThomG, moderator of Three Word Wednesday, offers the following three words as prompt: fickle, sparkle, wrinkle

fickle deck of life
wild cards sparkle, beg wagers
wrinkles line crow’s feet
crone shrugs away old lessons
wrinkles line crow’s feet
wild cards sparkle, beg wagers
fickle deck of life

Follow these links to learn more about this form NaisaiKu and CYCLIKU

The image is a watercolor created on Bamboo Fun with Adobe Photoshop Elements.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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W for ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday prompts with the letter W. Thanks!

Water

I have a love/hate relationship with water.

The love part is readily fulfilled by pools, rivers, creeks, lakes, oceans and fountains.

The other part isn't so easy as I'm not fond of rain and it takes an act of Congress (well, not the last few of that august body) to make me drink water unless it's mixed with something decidedly tasteful.

An astrology theory suggests that because there are no water signs in my natal chart, the tendency is to fill those blanks with physical water. An interesting concept.


My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Summer for Heads or Tails

Barb at Skittles, moderator of Heads or Tails, offers this prompt: TAILS - "Summertime memory" Since this is TAILS your summertime memory needs to be a real memory of yours. It can be a childhood memory, a memory from teens years or later. It can even be from last week.

BERRIES

her dirt bike kicks up a cloud
powders the ancient cedars
and masks the scent of berries
sunlight mottles the trail

one fat shadow budges
rising to hind legs like a man
snarly grunts and nose a-quiver
stages a standoff on the path

two wheels without reverse
and short of turnaround plot
brake pedal hisses a squeal
pitches it out like an overthrow

the brown bear drops to fours
and waddles into heavy brush
she breathes the sweat of fear
shifts to three, throttles away


This true summer memory was posted a couple of years ago but it seems appropriate for today's prompt!

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Haiku for One Single Impression

One Single Impression posts: Thanks to Gautami of Rooted for this week's prompt, assimilation.

acid rain
drops into the pond
trail's end

*

rings echo
stretch ahead to mix
one pebble

*

spider nets
web the cobalt sky
vapor trails

*

The image was drawn on Bamboo Fun Tablet using Adobe Photoshop Elements, resized and buttoned in Irfanview.

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Poem Friday

Solstice

when the sun stands still
in a holding pattern

the brooding man in the moon
cocks an eye toward Centaur

sees a cosmic change
created by incoming of man

the season turns on cue
in shadows and crannies

at the dark of this moon
when the sun stands still

**Original watercolor, resized in Irfanview, framed in FrameFun.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon.com through a pilot program by Lulu Publishing and as always, available from my LuluBookstore.

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NaisaiKu for 3WW

ThomG, moderator of 3Word Wednesday, offers these three words as prompt: arresting, wicked, rhythmic...Please come play along!

to charm the idle
with arresting rhythmic tones
wicked comes calling
THOSE UNLIKELY TO REASON
wicked comes calling
with arresting rhythmic tones
to charm the idle

This challenging form explained at NaisaiKu and CYCLIKU

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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V for ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday offers V as the prompt. Thank you!

VIEWS

First image is the view from inside my car as it moved through the touch-free car wash,
and
the second is inside the ear of a 4-year-old as illuminated by his new flashlight in a very dark room.
The question is not whether you've ever seen views like this, but how important is it that you do?
These seemed to have taken on some importance in my life - do you think I'm bored or just flat out boring? Please don't answer. :)

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Haiku for One Single Impression

One Single Impression posts: This week's prompt is walls, thanks to Fledgling Poet

cliffs of quartz
embrace the shoreline
water bowl

***

keep away
protective buttress
betrayed heart

Fractal created in Fractal Explorer, resized and buttoned in Irfanview.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are now available at Amazon through a pilot program by Lulu Publishing and as always, available from my LuluBookstore.

~~~♥~~~♥~~~

Yard Sale for Totally Optional Prompts

Totally Optional Prompts offers 'Yard Sale' as the weekly prompt.

they came by car
by truck and bike
searched in vain
for tables clad
in two-for-a-dime
priceless bric-a-brac

the yard didn't sell
its weeds so tall
and flowers so small
one mell of a hess
~ not a single soul
made an offer of cash
**

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Naisaiku for 3WW

ThomG, moderator of 3WordWednesday offers the following words for today: Dangerous ~ Keepsake ~ Restless and invites you all to come play along!

dangerous keepsakes

tithed from ides of restless thought
swarm the cave of night
DACTYLS BORNE BY FIRE
swarm the cave of night
tithed from ides of restless thought
dangerous keepsakes

Follow the links to discover NaisaiKu and CYCLIKU! Fractal created in Fractal Explorer, resized in Irfanview and framed in FrameFun.

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are now available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

~~♥~~♥~~

U for ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday offers U as the prompt.




Unicorns appealed to me when I was a child and not much has changed. This little guy was wasting away on a Goodwill shelf several decades back when I latched on to him for use as a water channeler in a summertime desktop fountain. A little slow this year, I haven't rebuilt one but the time is close.

Wikipedia has this to say: Marianna Mayer has observed (The Unicorn and the Lake), "The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. He could be captured only by unfair means, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison."

What's not to like about unicorns?

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My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are now available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

~~♥~~♥~~~

Tune for Heads or Tails

Skittles at Heads or Tails offers Tune as the prompt.



I've never found a bucket that could carry my tune.

Strangely enough, my brother is an extremely talented song writer, guitarist who has created any number of wonderful musical CD's. He intersperses gigs in Arizona and Idaho with an annual Nashville show up. Do I feel envy?

Well. Not this week, I'm at the tail end of a cold/flu that's left me too tired to lift a bucket, let alone one full of tunes.

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My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

~~♥~~

Haiku for One Single Impression

One Single Impression posts: This week's prompt, intersections, comes to us from Haiku Tuna.

~*~

summertime
warbles a siren song
spring echoes

~*~

color spills
calyx meets the stem
throat's curve

~*~

daylight slows
temperature rises
cusp of summer

~*~

My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are currently available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

~~♥~~

Soul Mate for Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblingsoffers Soul Mate as the prompt.

ephemeral
as cacti in a sandstorm
as the dreamy unicorn
uprooted in the light

obscure chimera
cavorting in the midnight hour
beckons from the unfound
across a come-hither moon

a song that whispers
for the harmony of other
from that place where
love forgot to go

Original watercolor by Sue. My poetry books North of Summer and South of Winter are now available at Amazon and, as always, available from my LuluBookstore in print or as download.

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Haiku for Friday

early show
flours mid-June faces
pine pollen


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Poem for Totally Optional Prompts

Totally Optional Prompts offers: Uninvited Guests - what do you do with them?





boisterous birds
shred the silence from

the first warm spring day
shatter my nerves

camera lens reveals
a baker's dozen shriekers

hopping at the diving board
in the pool and out, except

one frightened screamer
who needs skimming

and set aside to dry
his feathers calmed

before the glorious day
resumes its serenity


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NaisaiKu for 3WW

ThomG, moderator of 3WordWednesday offers the following words as prompt: Folly, Hostile and Ordinary





unwritten folly
delivered by hostile voice
ordinary crime
VOLLEYED BY FOLLY
ordinary crime
hostile voice delivery
unwritten folly


NaisaiKu
CYCLIKU!

Fractal image created in Fractal Explorer.

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T for ABC Wednesday

ABC Wednesday offers T as the prompt. Thanks TEAM!

Top Down Tomatoes


My plant success is largely confined to creeping
charlies, leftover peace lilies and skinny spider plants.

I hope this method of growing tomatoes works. My daughters are trying it for the first time this year, too, but my son-in-law says he has seen them growing - we are excited!

The plant on the top is a small pepper.

Have you tried top downers?

Does it work?

How soon can I have fresh tomatoes?

(I've been waiting a week, already!)

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Motion for Heads or Tails

Skittles at Heads or Tails prompts with Heads - Motion

A Quacker Trio in 12 seconds






They left enough feathers for a pillow but no eggs. I was pleased about THAT.

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Haiku for One Single Impression

One Single Impression posts: Thanks to Floreta of Solitary Panda for this week's prompt, denouement.

nascent fruits
thrusting toward summer
blossoms fall

Fractal image created in Apophysis.

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