willowdot21

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 89, senryu, 11/3/26

This week our fabulous and busy mentor Colleen is our host for this week’s Tanka Tuesday. Here is what she had to say about her prompt for this week.

I really didn’t want to write anything political, or about the mid term elections in America. So instead I have chosen to write about a happy event in our family. Our youngest son, wife and our two grandsons have bought home a lovely bundle of love …Jessie a Golden, Labrador Retriever. …Jessie is already deeply inbedded in everyone’s hearts.

She arrived
Nine weeks full of bounce
Retriever

Brown eyed
Soft to touch
Love me

I  will worship you
Please  just love me in return
Loyal now to you

©willowdot21. Jessie at 9 weeks.

Song Lyric Sunday: November, November.

This week Jim , our Epic Leader at Song Lyric Sunday wants to pick a singer, songwriter, composer, producer or musician or all of the aforementioned born in November for this week’s prompt.

James Richard Steinman (November 1, 1947 – April 19, 2021) was an American composer, lyricist and record producer. He also worked as an arranger, pianist, and singer. His work included songs in the adult contemporary, rock, dance, pop, musical theater, and film score genres. He wrote albums for Bonnie Tyler and Meat Loaf, including Bat Out of Hell (one of the best-selling albums in history), and also wrote and produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell and Tyler’s Faster Than the Speed of Night.

His most successful chart singles include Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart”, Air Supply’s “Making Love Out of Nothing at All”, Meat Loaf’s “I’d Do Anything for Love (But I Won’t Do That)”, the Sisters of Mercy’s “This Corrosion” and “More”, Barry Manilow’s “Read ‘Em and Weep”, Take That’s “Never Forget”, Celine Dion’s cover of “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” (originally released by Steinman’s project Pandora’s Box) and Boyzone’s “No Matter What”. Steinman’s only solo album, Bad for Good, was released in 1981.Steinman’s work also extended to musical theater, where he began his career. He was credited with the book, music, and lyrics for Bat Out of Hell: The Musical, lyrics for Whistle Down the Wind, and music for Tanz der Vampire.

LYRICS HERE AT GENIUS

Jim Steinman is an absolute hero of mine…if my WordPress account wasn’t playing me up so much I would say much more… but the app is acting like a spoilt child so this is my 5th attempt to publish something so it now or never.

You can read more about him here!

HAIKU Fridays with J-Dubb

Here is my interpretation of Jilly’s photo.

JILLY SAYS.

This is about voice, reflection, and the quiet power of small poems.

With spit and polish
Clear as a mirror image
March into new life

See Jilly’s original post here.

Sanctuary…A story for Halloween.

SanctuaryRachel ran, ran as she had not run for months. The moonlight urging her on she gave her blood lust free range for once . She looked magnificent. By midnight she had killed and disposed of a huge bear and was having her normal internal fight. The werewolf in her craved a human, yet the tiny but strong human part of her was fighting the craving. Stopping in a clearing Rachel got the scent of something she craved almost as much as human, Vampire! It was close and it was female and the way she felt right now she could easily take her on. Standing stock still and sniffing the air she located the Vampire. Slowly and silently she crept up to a line of trees, fully aware that she was in the open and at a disadvantage she went carefully and stealthily . As she entered the wood she saw ahead of her a female Vampire bathing in a shallow looking pond. Rachel felt a shudder of sheer want pass through her . Closing in, she moved silently. The Vampire, at first unaware that she was not alone, suddenly felt Rachel’s hot breath on her neck. In a flash she rounded on Rachel. They stood fang to fang Rachel on the shore the Vampire in the water.In a flash the Vampire lept out of the water and landed in the snow behind Rachel, who turned on her hind legs and lunged at her victim. Biting the Vampire in the stomach she was spurred on by the taste of flesh. The Vampire let out a scream of anger and dug her nails deep into Rachel’s back. Rachel flicked the Vampire off of her back and pounced on her. The Vampire was trying to bite into Rachel’s neck but Rachel was high from lack of real prey for so long. Biting deep into the Vampire’s chest, Rachel was soon covered by the blood oozing out covering her face and fur. Quickly she ripped out the Vampire’s heart and ate it then just to make sure she ripped off the Vampire’s head , then she quickly lapped up as much blood as she could before the Vampire and her scarlet blood turned to ashes in the snow.Rachel felt elated she arched her back and throwing back her head she howled at the moon loud and long. As she turned to leave the wood she froze, on the wind she could sense and yes, smell, more Vampires, at least three of them. As she fought madly to clear her mind of moonlight and blood she saw a strange domed building on the far side of the clearing . She ran for the door she had no idea why she was heading to the building… she just felt drawn towards it. Halfway across the clearing to her grateful amazement it started to snow heavily covering her paw prints. As she reached the door her luck was still holding and it was open. As she slunk inside the door closed silently behind her.

Outside she heard the Vampires arrive. They spent what seemed like hours trying to open the door but failing. Walking into the gloom she saw light and felt warmth coming from a fire at the far end of the circular room in which she stood. The fire drew her in and she approached , all the time looking at the writing on the wall above the fireplace.“This is Sanctuary to all but Vampires”. Feeling exhausted Rachel curled up in front of the fire and slept.

Outside the Vampires tried to enter the Sanctuary without any luck. They then searched for their sister…in vain. Just before dawn they left to seek shelter.

You can read the whole story so far here at The Vampire , the Witch and the Werewolf.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS October 31, 2026

Ping went my phone. It was Linda with our SoCS prompt. Here is what she said.

“Friday has arrived and I’m here with your Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. So on Monday I think it was, I went to the store to grab a pumpkin and pulled a muscle in my back lifting it out of the giant cardboard box outside the store. I’m having a hard time doing anything, including sitting. Getting older sucks, I tell you. Anyway, happy Halloween! Here’s your prompt for this week:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “costume.’” Use it way you’d like. Have fun!“

Hey Linda I hope your back is on the mend.

True Story.

Damsel in distress

Her two piece costume strap broke

I managed to fix it

My old skills well remembered.

A hairgrip, patience, sorted.

********************

Some years back, on holiday in St. Lucia I went into the ladies, at the swimming pool one afternoon. There were two young women struggling to fix one of their costumes.

I offered to help as I have small fingers and I used to be a window dresser so used to fixing garments of all types. I did,and fixed the costume and quickly. They insisted I have a tequila… I had to pretend to drink it as I had already had three Italian Mojitos! I was their new best friend and somewhere there are photos of me at a pool bar with two glamorous American strangers 😁💕💕💕

I wonder where they are now!

HI MY LOVELY Friends.

My dear friends on WordPress…I have been here trying to keep up and read as many of your wonderful works as I can but life has been so busy and full of things I really have had to deal with.

So today I have had to delete a lot of your posts… I hope you will forgive me! I have every confidence that I shall receive lots more of your lovely posts.

Tomorrow I have to go out and will be out all day… hopefully I will be back to normal, whatever normal is by Thursday.

Please be patient with me I love you all .

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 88, What Lies Behind the Mask – 10/27/26

Ornate jeweled masquerade mask with text “Tanka Tuesday #88” — A photo from me and AI.

So, this week our Hostest with the Mostest is Yvette : Here’s what she said. “I thought we would focus our poems on the theme, What Lies Behind the Mask. What parts of ourselves do we hide from the outside world? What do others hide behind their outer façade?

So for this week, write a poem about what lies behind the mask. Choose one of the questions above to explore or allow your imagination to lead you to interpret that question in your own unique way. Use a syllabic poetry form that works for you, and let your inspiration flow. Need help with a form, click here.

I have chosen to do a mirrored Etheree about keeping up appearances.

Pots of makeup on the dressing table
Hide my feelings in gold and sable
No one needs to know my feelings
Fix my smile, stop it peeling .
Show the world what I choose
Gently hide the bruise.
Keep it secret
Never tell
Use the
Spell

You 
Present 
Your best side
The dark you hide
Never let them know 
Keep  up the smiling show
Stick knives in as many backs
Show your shock at worldwide  attacks.
Offer your help then ask for payment.
Don't  let the mask  slip, hide your true colours.

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 87, American cinquain, 10/20/26

This week Colleen is our host for Tanka Tuesday. . Here is what she has to say about the prompt. “You choose the theme, and let’s write cinquain poetry together. Start with the American cinquain and explore the cinquain variations. Please write at least two stanzas if you choose the American Cinquain.”

For the new poets joining in: Please check your syllable count using this counter: https://syllablecounter.net/.

I have been so busy of late that I have been unable to post but I have been reading and commenting on as many posts that I follow as I can. Tanka Tuesday is close to my heart I try to keep up with it as well.

I have chosen to do two types of Cinquain.

Mirror Cinquain are a titled form with two 5-line stanzas which consists of a cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain 2-4-6-8-2-2-8-6-4-2.

NO TIME

No time,
I have no time.
Impatient time tick tock !
Steeling my most precious moments,
It cares
Not for
My feelings or my sanity
Robbing me blind of sleep 
Zombie like I
Stagger.

Reverse cinquain is a titled form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of 2-8-6-4-2.

Cancer.

Cancer
All invasive gobbles you up
Try as we  may you win
Give up give in?
Not yet
Not yet
Unbeatable this time are 
Yet one day you will lose
Your hold on us.
Cancer.

Hi Everyone!

© willowdot21 my youngest son and his wife’s garden

Dear all I am away from WordPress at the moment and I have been for the last week ! I will be back next week!

Now this week and next week I am hosting Tanka Tuesday. Both posts are all set and ready to go out on time. I may be slow in getting around to check on everyone but I will get there I promise.

If you do not do Tanka Tuesday and I usually follow you I promise I have been checking in on you all and will be back to normal soon.

Here is Sam to tell you how I feel.🌹🌹🌹

One-Liner Wednesday.Out of the mouth’s of babe.

Last week my niece was looking after her granddaughter . They were making a bed for Maeva. My niece had got round to putting on pillow cases when Maeva looked at her and asked.

“Grandma why are you putting two pillows on my bed? “. “So you can be comfortable, Maeva” my niece replied.”I only need one pillow” Maeva announced. “Are you sure” my niece asked .”Oh Grandma! Of course I am sure ! I only have one head! “

Part of LindaGHill’s One-Liner Wednesday.