This is in response to this prompt about “rear view mirrors.”
I am also sharing with DVerse open-link night.
The rear-view mirror is colored rose,
Forgotten is most trials’ sting,
Only the best is what it shows,
Is it better than now? Who knows?
Every age of life has something
Painful, causing tears or trembling.
Another house stands down the road,
Flowers and thorns fill life’s abode.
After posting the paint-chip ghazal earlier today, I remembered this one, written about a month ago, on January 16, 2021.
Forgive my folly, veritable wells of it!
Let it be written down, say not farewell to it!
Before its end, all pens would use their ink;
Were I given all time, I could not tell of it.
See how the heart makes passion come in waves —
Behold the ocean deep, the ebb and swell of it!
Even if you are not my Beatrice,
Could you not be my Virgil for the hell of it?
Now all that’s left are roses pressed in books:
One such sweet scent — this writer brings to life the smell of it.
Linda Kruschke has a wonderful poetry prompt for us this week: writing a ghazal using paint chips! I love, love, LOVE ghazals so was overjoyed to read this prompt on Friday. I not only used a paint chip for the repeating part at the end of each couplet but also used a few others interspersed among the 5 couplets. Linked also with the Writers’ Pantry at PSU.
The image for MLMM’s photo challenge #353 is below, and it reminded me of a similar photo that I had taken almost a year ago while visiting an arboretum close to where I live.
photo by Ellie Burgin on Pexels.com
Inspired by Lorraine’s poem “Be Healed,” I began this poem yesterday and finished it today. Linked with the Writers’ Pantry at PSU and with February Love Me day 7 (I skipped day 6) because it reminds me of my family’s garden, which I really enjoy.
This is for Linda G. Hill’s coloring club, with a Chaucerian stanza to go with it. Also linked to “February Love Me” because I love coloring.
An almost-late offering for Linda’s ekphrastic paint-chip poetry prompt. She provided several beautiful photos for us to choose from, and I decided to write about this one: 
(c) 2021 L. Kruschke
This is another installment of my series (see also here and here) inspired by the picture below. I’m not 100% happy with this, as it’s my first attempt at a Petrarchan sonnet in probably multiple years, but I hope you enjoy it.
In this post from last week, I shared a picture and 2 poems inspired by it, wondering if I would start a series by reusing some of the lines to write different forms of poetry. Well, here is the next installment of the series: a Shakespearean sonnet (hoping to try a Petrarchian sonnet soon)! Shared with the Writers’ Pantry at Poets and Storytellers United.
The dove of peace brings healing in its wings,
The shining sun comes not so far behind –
A confluence of pinkish hues it beings,
The easier some happiness to find.
The dove of peace reveals itself to men
Although it often seems to’ve been delayed:
It can be shy, and finds its welcome when
True prayers of trust, like little stars arrayed,
Light up the people’s dark thoughts’ sky. Those stars
Provide much comfort when they’re born and rise,
Against despair and woeful words which mar –
With peace past understanding as the prize.
Thenceforth can many faith-filled flowers grow,
No matter which direction the winds blow.
Originally, I was planning on only sharing this picture with Linda G. Hill’s coloring club for January, but the picture ended up inspiring two poems. I might even write more in this series, using the same first line as a starting point, in several different poetry forms.
