Blending

in my garden
what it is that music is trying to say
the melody has opened a gate
where past and present
mingle together
in the mirror
Clearly I can see
the younger and older me
made of dreams and reality
floating and grounded
halves getting together
petals making beauty
my delicious walk in the rain
washing off all the sorrow
lightness is welcoming


W3 and Reena’s Exploration Challenge

W3 :: The wheels in my mind

The wheels in my mind go 'round and 'round
'Round and 'round, 'round and 'round
The wheels in my mind go 'round and 'round
anxiety is skyrocketing

My mind goes back and forward
back and forward
My mind goes back and forward
anxiety is skyrocketing

A decision needs to be made
this way or that way
A decision needs to be made
anxiety is skyrocketing

Indecision and what-if
making me crazy
indecision and what-if
anxiety is skyrocketing

Overthinking is stressing me out
nothing is perfect
overthinking is stressing me out
anxiety is skyrocketing

Unstuck and go ahead
ahead and ahead
unstuck and go ahead
anxiety is skyrocketing

W3Deanna’s prompt: Mother Goose Muse

For many of us, our first introduction to poetry came through nursery rhymes — those strange, playful, memorable verses we heard long before we understood what poetry even was.

For this week’s W3 challenge, you are invited to use a nursery rhyme as inspiration for an original poem. Your poem does not need to rhyme, and it may be written in any form you choose, but please try to keep it to no more than 24 lines.

You might:

  1. Incorporate a nursery rhyme character into your poem — as narrator, subject, symbol, or inspiration.
  2. Borrow or adapt an opening line from a nursery rhyme.
  3. Simply follow the memory of a rhyme wherever it leads you.

W3 :: the veil

thoughts
the mind goes far
here and now
there and then
be still, hear
the veil holds the truth


No image for this poem, I’d love to know what your thoughts are: Happy, sad, a start or an ending. What is this poem about? As the prompt asks, a dramatic moment where something changes.

Thanks, Ange for the great prompt!

II. Ange’s prompt: One-syllable challenge

For this week’s W3 challenge, writers are invited to capture a dramatic moment in just a handful of lines — a storm breaking, a glass shattering, a door slamming, a sudden realization, or any instant where something changes sharply or unexpectedly.

You may write in any poetic form, with the following restrictions:

  1. Your poem must be between 5 and 8 lines long.
  2. Every single word in the poem must be one syllable long.
  3. You are allowed one multi-syllable word — but it must appear as the very last word of the poem.

Have fun with the tension this creates. Sometimes the smallest words carry the greatest force.

W3 :: my bug

AI image

my first car, a Beetle, yes a Beetle

blue, shining and proud, smiling out loud

all iron for strength, in all the length

leather for comfort, letting go of all discomfort

i saved each cent, lots of bent

just a dream in the beginning, my head was spinning

as the money pile grew, everything blue

I saw the possibility, only stability

the freedom of going, and glowing

my own wheels, no more in my heels

i miss you, my little bug, only a hug

W3 -I. O’Nika’s prompt: Echo verse

This week, let’s play with rhyme and repetition by writing an echo poem about firsts.

W3 :: resilience

awake now

because dreams kept me dreaming

chaos

delivering me news

eloquent space in between

fake or real

grateful for visiting the past

hating me for letting it go

invitation for forgiveness

juggling here and now

keep me sane or crossing the line

lying down and resting

mental breakdown

never too late to try again

otherwise

pondering will take me nowhere

questions will be unanswered

running in my mind

solitute is what I need

time comes and goes

universe doesn’t stop

validating what is impossible

without any doubt

X-ray of the soul

yielding resistance

zeroing the limits


W3

II. Christine’s prompt: Alphabetic poetry 

Write an alphabet poem using one of the following two structures:

Option 1 — 26 words, A–Z once each (Any order)

Write a poem of exactly 26 words.

  • Each word must begin with a different letter of the alphabet.
  • All 26 letters (A–Z) must be used exactly once.
  • The letters may appear in any order.
  • No repeated initial letters.

Option 2 — A–Z in order by line

Write a poem with 26 lines, where the first word of each line begins with the next letter of the alphabet in order: A, B, C … through Z.

  • Maintain thematic or narrative coherence.

W3 ::Poet of the Week!

my Valentine’s Day flowers

Hello! I’m proud to say that Svenja (thanks Sveja!) has chosen my poem Renewal for last week’s W3 challenge and I’m the poet of the week (PoW) for the W3 challenge this week! As the PoW I set the guidelines for the week’s challenge.

Since it’s February, the month of love, I thought love poems would be perfect, in particular ‘self-love’. And I chose a sonet as a poetry form for it. Click here for all the guidelines details, and join the challenge. I’d love to read your thoughts about self-love and get inspired by them. Below is my sonet loaded with self-love messages for myself, you can use them too!

love yourself today 
less than tomorrow
and more than yesterday
completely, not hollow

without fear or shame
embrace the flaws
ignite the flame
do not withdraw

you’ve permission to dream
leave the past behind
work on self-esteem
peace in your mind

know you are enough
you need to be tough

w3 :: fat

food
always
everywhere
looking for it
sugar, fat, protein, and carbohydrate
accumulating in the fat body
moderation
is the key
right now
fit

W3 – II. Svenja’s prompt: Double Tetractys

This week, write a Double Tetractys — a 10-line poem with a fixed syllable pattern.

Theme: something spicy or a little naughty. Keep it suggestive rather than explicit. Let tension, humor, and implication do the work.