Nicks and Scratches

The First Scratch is the deepest
Renting not only paint but my heart
New paint joy pierced with pain
Nicks and scratches on the fenders
Recently repaired // repainted
Ten years old but shiny as new
Scratch just a nick
Seems like the Grand Canyon

Today at d’Verse, De Jackson asked us to write a Quadrille of 44 words using the word nick. It brought back memories of  getting my ten-year-old truck painted a couple of years ago. It was not long till a careless driver in a parking lot put the first nick, and then scratch, on the new paint. The first scratch is always the worst.  It has had a few more since then! My apologies to Sheryl Crow for the recreating the first line from her song.

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Photos: Dwight L. Roth

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Mare Tranquillitatis

Sea of Tranquility //moon destination
Ranger crashed //Surveyor landed
Making way for an eagle’s landing
During my years of innocence back in1969.
Neil Armstrong left his mark
in that tranquil surface dust;
Realtor is now selling
acreages on the moon!
Celebs are buying!!
Duh!!

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Lillian at d’Verse asked us to write a Quadrille of exactly 44 words using the word Tranquility. I had to think of the area of the moon that NASA chose for its Lunar landing.  According to Wikapedia, they crashed Ranger in the surface while sending photos back for them to study. Later Surveyor made a soft landing, sending back over 19,000 photos. When the first Astronauts landed on the moon, it was in the sea of tranquility. It got its name from the Latin: Mare Tranquillitatis

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The Loudest Voice

The loudest voice
does not depend on volume;
Rather on words being said
Rational words that speak to issues;
Intelligent words that question and challenge.
The loudest voice plants seeds of thought
Dropped in the mind, words take root…
Long after they are spoken

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Quadrille Monday at d’Verse has De Jackson asking us to consider the voice in all its forms. Then we are pick one and write a poem of exactly 44 words using the word voice!

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Steps (a Quadrille)

Guitar-fretted steps extended up beyond spacing
Climbing from the bottom sends my heart racing
These musical frets // are made for young ones chasing
Each other up and down // squealing // and with laughter piercing…
Like a violin being played sadly for the very first time

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

The word fret has several meanings. One means to fuss or complain. Another is to carve out in parallel lines, such as in architecture. Then there are the frets on a musical instrument like a guitar, which are brass strips placed at intervals and used for giving the strings varied pitches. Today at d’Verse Kim suggested we write a Quadrille, of only 44 words, using some form of fret! I have attempted to use it as an adjective describing a long set of steps at our local park. I saved this photo for the last two years trying to think of a way to use it in a poem. This was the perfect opportunity to do so.

Rich Impressions

Down the street at 1033
red hibiscus flowers grow;
Climbing up the mailbox post…
Putting out blooms for a day
before wilting away.
Rich red hues in morning sunshine…
show the world that one day of beauty
is enough to remember for a lifetime!

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Kim asked us to think about the many ways we us the word rich in our everyday life. We were to choose one of the definitions and write a Quadrille of 44 words.

What’s Up?

If, when we die,
we go up to heaven…
Do folks in the Southern Hemisphere
go down?
And when we travel
out in space…
Do we go up or down?
Up seems only valid
when there is
an Earth that grounds us…
Looking up!

Earth Rise Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Quadrille Monday…   Today, at d”Verse, De Jackson asked us to consider the word up. I decided to attempt to add a bit of humor to my Quadrille of only 44 words.

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Rise

Red Maple seed floats merrily on wings;
hoping to find a place from which to rise.
Landing between the crack of a rock;
with little soil, and almost no chance of survival;
it puts down a root;
forever changing the future of that rock!

**********

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Quadrille Monday, and Merril, at d’Verse, asked us to use some form of the word rise. I decided to put a little different Spring twist to it and came up with this Quadrille of exactly 44 words.

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“Who’s that tripping…”

This is a picture of the Little Golden Book that was read to me in the early 1950s! The story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff has stayed with me all these years. The old grouchy Troll who lived under the bridge was outsmarted by the three billy goats.

Today at d’Verse, Frank asked us to write a Quadrille of 44 words using the word Troll. I immediately thought of this story from my childhood. It is one I remember enjoying over and over again, when I was four or five years old.

“Who’s tripping over my bridge,” said the Troll.

Childhood memories conjured up with great fondness

Courage and confidence displayed by small and large

Do the trolls in your life intimidate you…

Or, do you, with others, stand your ground?

Put Trolls in their place!

Book Cover Photo: downunderstories.com

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If you would like to hear the story of the Three Billy Goats Gruff, click on the link below:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+three+billy+goats+gruff+story&view=detail&mid=B9B02772F2A1D5B80A5FB9B02772F2A1D5B80A5F&FORM=VIRE

The Golden Spike

After I retired from teaching elementary school, I spent a couple of years doing home repair. Then, I began a hands-on building construction class with our local community college. We partnered with Habitat for Humanity doing class instruction in the morning and helping build the new Habitat houses in the afternoon.
John was our site supervisor for the build. He worked well with us and encouraged the guys and girls to do their best. At the end of the eight week class, he gave each student a golden spike to help them remember what they learned in the class. I still have the spike he gave me hanging on my garage wall.

Teaching touches lives in ways we may never know
Measuring, cutting lumber, hammering nails;
Building houses, shaping lives, making memories…
John, the master builder, shared his knowledge and wisdom
At the end a golden spike for each student
Learning the importance of working together

Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Today at d’Verse De Jackson asked us to write a Quadrille of 44 words and use the word spike in any form we choose. I chose the word spike as it is used in building.
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Drink of Choice

Sip only the sweet Stuff
Why savor bitter gall;
making puckered faces…
spitting and sputtering…
when there is so much sweetness
all around?
Sipping is a choice we make.
Nourished from flower nectar;
Or
Imbibing acid laced words.
What is your drink of choice?

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Today is Quadrille (only 44 words) Monday at d’Verse Poets Pub. The prompt today is sip! Lillian asked us to take it any direction we chose. In light of all the negativity in our country today, I chose to look at it from the perspective of where we find satisfaction; from positive people or negative ones. I had a cocaine addict once tell me everyone has their drug of choice!  For some, it is listening to other people spout their gossip and negativity. What is your drug of choice??