Throwback Thursday, Discovering Your Musical Tastes.

Maggie is at the helm today. We are back to our usual groove with lots of things to think about. Hop on over to Maggie’s post to read all the guidelines, questions, and ways to join in. Don’t forget To check out Lauren’s post too.

This week’s prompt is: Discovering Your Musical Taste.

What music were you exposed to in your family – genre, artist, or style.
Music in our childhood home was very eclectic because there were so many of us!
Mum and Dad though both deaf could still apricate music…. It was very loud so we all endured or enjoyed it! Dad loved opera especially Kathleen Ferrier . Mum loved show music, South Pacific, Oklahoma and Carousel. Brothers and sisters loved, Pat Boon, Frank Iflield, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Vee, Buddy Holly, Adam Faith, Jonny Mathis, Helen Shipiro ect.

Loved Adam Faith.

Did you enjoy that type of music or did you rebel against it?
So, so, love Buddy Holly, Adam Faith in fact all my siblings music, it took years to stop rebelling and finally appreciate classical and opera!
How did you listen to music in your childhood home? Radio? Record player? Television?
Radio mainly, Radio Luxembourg and pirate radio, and our old Dansette record player eventually T.V.
Did you buy records, tapes, cassettes, 8-tracks or CDs?
Started off with records and moved with the times. First record bought was Come On by the Rolling Stones.

What performers were you drawn to most as an adolescent?
The Rolling Stones, The Monkeys, The Hollies, Beach Boys, Adam Faith, zombies, well everyone really!
Who did you go to see for your first concert?
The Rolling Stones and the Yardbirds. It was at the Albert Hall London.

Who did you go with?
I went with a neighbour’s son . It was my 13th birthday, my parents bought two tickets and asked their friend’s son to chaperone me. He was very nice, liked both groups so it was win, win 😁

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What concert has been your favorite concert to date?
That first one really though there have been others.
When do you listen to music?
Whenever I can.
In the car?
Yes.
At work?
Yes when I first started work as a widow dresser in a boutique, there was always music. I am retired now.
While studying or doing projects?
Yes 💜
Did the music you listened to affect your attitudes, way of dress, or view of the world?
Yes I think it did and it still does.
How has your choice of music changed over the years?
Not a great deal because I still have an eclectic taste.
What is your genre of choice at this phase of your life?
Almost anything! Imogen Heap, Queen, Alanis Morrisette, Tori Amos,
Bonus Question: What band or group posters did you have hanging in your room?
Rolling Stones, Yardbirds, Monkeys, Small Faces.
Extra extra bonus points if you can share a copy of it or a link to it.

EXTRA EXTRA BONUS: Care to share a playlist from Spotify?
I am not doing Spotify at the moment 💜

The Warrior Within. Revised.

Today ten years after I originally wrote this poem, the reluctant poet read my poem The warrior within. I originally wrote this poem in 2012 when I was on the road to recovery after breaking my back for the second time! I visited that post and I have rewritten it here. Thanks to the reluctant poet for reminding me of those hard day’s.

THE WARRIOR WITHIN.

I shall not run I shall not hide,

I’ll face the void with eyes open wide.

I shall call up my warrior from within

And hone my sword, the battle to begin.

If I must make sense of what is my worth.

I shall do it now and justify my birth..

Each time the void comes for me

I make the mistake of trying to flee.

Why do this time after time, the path is futile

I end up broken, spent and feeling vile.

I shall not flinch this time. I will win

I will answer for every sin.

I see the void approaching swirling round,

My lies and fears creep towards me on the ground.

I start to shake terror grips my insides,

I call up my inner warrior from whence she hides.

With flaming hair of my youth and body strong and straight 

She takes on the terrors sending them to hell’s gate.

From deep inside I find the strength , that others knew I owned,

Sword in hand my bravery returns , refined and truly honed.

I see you disillusion, I see you hopelessness, I see you despair.

I face you now as a warrier you need to take care.

I stand and look you in the eye

I will not flee I will not fly.

I see you and I know you are me 

Yet given time I can make something more of thee.

The warrior within.

Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 401 SMOKE and Water.

slowly the mist falls
from tear stained eyes I can see
there is no future.

Ronovanwrite’s.

PART OF RONOVANWRITE’S WEEKLY HAIKU CHALLENGE.

Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge Prompt No. 100 (ROAR) in the D rhyme line.

Ukrainian emergency employees and volunteers carry an injured pregnant woman from the damaged by shelling maternity hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine.

The innocent.

The season is a changing fast
The bulbs are pushing up through snow
Their roots are spreading down below
Above there’s war, bombs fall and tanks blast
Nature hears the echos of the past.
She wonders will man ever learn
As innocents they crush and burn.
The Russians lie and will ignore
It is false news the liars roar.
Against evil we must stand firm.

THIS IS PART OF RONOVANWRITE’S WEEKLY DÉCIMA CHALLENGE.

#TankaTuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 264, 3/8/22 #Create Your Own Syllabic Form.

Welcome to Colleen’s Tuesday Tanka. This week Colleen said : “Create Your Own Syllabic Poetry Form & Teach Us How to Write the Form”

I thought about this and finally settled on a poem of two stanzas . Each stanza is of seven lines, each line is made up of seven syllables. The lines in the stanza do not rhyme but the lines in the first stanza do rhyme with corresponding line in the second stanza eg. First line stanza one rhymes with line one stanza two, second line stanza one rhymes with second line stanza two and so on . I have called my poem a Septex. This poem is about all the refugees all over the world past and present.

image from Pixabay

Refugees .

Gently falls the silent snow
Covering all the traces
Of the plight of the faceless
Hidden, easy to forget.
The refugee’s plight is plain
Unseen crushed under the boot
Of those who started this strife

Ceaseless they’ve no where to go.
Fear written on their faces
Children to their sides are pressed
Some bring their beloveded pets.
They look for rest, all in vein.
The bombs fall and soldiers loot
The remains of their once life.

The Eastern Winds.

This poem is in support of all those in the Ukraine and was inspired by Jane Dougherty’s poem, On Days of Wind . Please read Jane’s poem. I have borrowed the painting Jane used which is a painting by Franz Marc, killed at Verdun in 1916.

The washing hangs abandoned
In the Ukraine, blooded and singed
Cowering not from the wind but from the bombs .
It is tethered to a line, an invisible line
Everyone has forgotten and it stays Abandoned in the cold wind and snow.

It’s a symbol of the people
Made refugee
Hanging between life and death
Bombarded by those with no conscience
Empty promises of safe passage
Hanging on the invisible line
We must not dessert them.

© willowdot21

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The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 5, 2022.

Badge by Shelley Krupa..

A little dickie bird just landed on my shoulder and whispered in my ear. Yes it did and it told me that today is the eighth anniversary of LindaGHill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday. Well congratulations Linda what an amazing achievement 🥂🎇🎆🎊🎉🎆🎇🎊🎉.

As thebdixkie bird left he also told me that:Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “way to go.” Use it as a phrase or use it in its literal sense. Enjoy!

Way to go.

Back in the late eighties hubby, who was a senior Investigator for H.M. Customs and Excise before the Inland Revenue joined them, was sent to Northern Ireland.

I wrote a post about his commission and Warrent. from the Queen here

The late eighties were not the best time for a representative of the Queen visiting Northern Ireland. Why? Because Northern Ireland was then in the middle of the troubles.

Here is another post from that time.

Whilst in Belfast hubby and his colleague had to interview a chap on the Eastside of Belfast. The were told the way to go was to take the motor way to avoid the Falls Road and Divis Flats on Divis Road.

The trip there was fine, the interview fine. The return journey….not so. As they were leaving they asked the chap the best way to go to get back… The were told and gratefully followed the chap’s directions.

All was well until they took a turn onto the Falls Road, surrounded by lots of fierce looking guys sitting on the walls, all the traffic lights had wire meshing over them to protect them. They soon realized they were definitely in a no go area. Worse still they were in a red car with a huge floppy aerial denoting, a radio, denoting an official car. ..eek. Worse still they went through the Divis flats watched all the way by curious and not too friendly looking locals.

After a long and worrying drive back hubby and colleague decided that was definitely not the way to go!

This was part of LindaGHill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday eighth anniversary.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Feb. 26, 2022

It’s Saturday again and time for Linda to give us our prompt for SoCs, she says: Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “rest.” Use it any way you like. Enjoy!

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As I sit here in my quiet kitchen, in my quiet house in a quiet road pondering what’s happening in Europe. I didn’t get much rest last night but at least I have my own roof over my head and there are no Russian tanks or bombs or troops out side my door. Unlike the people of Ukraine who have had no rest or quiet since Putin decided to invade.

I, like the rest of world hold my breath as we appear to be on the edge of war. Putin waited his moment, he waited until the China Winter Olympics were over to invade, his troops had been on “manoeuvres” on the Russian/Ukraine boarders.

It all came home to me the other day when our eldest son rang me, his first words were, “Hi Mum, I went to bed normally and woke up to war” I agreed with him this is a serious situation.

Personally I thought we had put the dogs of war to rest but in all honesty the ghosts of war never rest. They lie in wait for a mad, bad, evil, dictator and then they slip their leash. Sadly another, who we have known of for years finally crossed the line and crossed the boarders.

Hidden in basements, underground carpark and train stations with their children, dogs and cats, forced out of their homes…no rest for them. Quques of people walking and driving to cross the boarders of their home country no rest for them. Quques of men young and old and in-between waiting to sign up to defend their country. Many of these men have never seen or had any training for war many will holding a weapon for the first time. No rest to for them.

I cannot rest watching videos of the people of the Ukraine telling us their stories and asking why they have received no help or support, no troops from NATO or the U.S. coming to their aid. I do understand that any movement to assist the Ukraine will be the excuse Putin wants to declare war on the rest of us.

So many times throughout history this has happened not least in Europe but all over the world. ‘It only takes a few good men to do nothing for evil to prevail ‘ a slight miss quote on what Edmund Burke said but it is true.

I shall rest my case here and though I try not to mention political subjects but my conscience will not let me rest.

Badge by Shelley Krupa..

Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge Prompt No. 98 (SWOOP) in the B rhyme line.

Ronovanwrite’s Décima Challenge.

© willowdot21

The golden Wyvern circles high
He dips and dives and gives a swoop
Heart full of joy he loops the loop
Scales sparkle as he sails the sky
T’is true magic to see him fly.
The Golden sunset is his cue
To be up, he has things to do.
A fantastical sight is he
To see a Wyvern roaming free
Fire from nostrils, scales green and blue.

K.L. Caley’s #WRITEPHOTO – ISLAND.

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For visually challenged writers, the image shows a circular island with a single tree and a collection of birds surrounding it.

Island – Image by KL Caley.

“Well where have you been Morgarna” asked Morgause wide eyed and grinning.
“Ah! I couldn’t possibly confirm or deny” replied Morgarna with a wink , “All I will say is Westminster and Partay! On Jonno”
“Seriously Morgarna where have you been” shouted Merlin from the kitchen.
Seriously Merls I just told you I can neither confirm or deny!”
Merlin was just about to probe more when his laptop beeped.
“Right Morgs you up for this one?” he said.
“Why me?” Morgarna hissed. “I’ve only just got back”
“Precisely” replied Morgause, “we have been covering for you since before Christmas”
“But I’ve been busy sorting …”
Merlin held up his hand, “Apparently ” he said handing her a print out, “you can neither confirm or deny what you’ve been doing!”
Two hours later Morgarna was sitting on the bank of a beautiful and peaceful lake with a small island with a tree in the middle. Well, she thought to herself there are worse places to wait for the Anomaly.
As she waited for her ride she mused on the view. Lighting a cigarette Morgarna wrote what was in her mind.Just then ever bird on the island took off , the Anomaly arrived. Morgarna sighed and stubbed out her cigarette, as she took her leap and was gone ……the piece of paper she had written on fell to earth.

crystal like mirror.
which is true which reflection
is this really life
or am I forever caught
imaged in the web of time.

THIS IS PART OF K.L.#writephoto.