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.

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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.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

 

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.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

“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

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

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.
Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

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??

What’s Eating You

No matter how tall you might be

No matter how strong your limbs

Or beautiful your foliage

What’s eating at your core

Can bring you down

**

Unwelcome changes come

When we internalize what’s eating us

Time for a change of attitude

Live life positively

***********

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, De Jackson asked us to consider change and write a Quadrille of 44 words.  I have a large beautiful maple in my back yard that I discovered is being eaten by termites. It won’t be very long until a big wind comes along and takes it down. The same is true with us as well. This is my Quadrille about changing our way of thinking to live longer!

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Christmas Memories

I started teaching in 69

Fourth and Fifth graders were just fine

As each Christmas rolled around

Small gifts on my desk I found

Ornaments for my tree

Saved throughout the years

Now my tree’s filled with memories

Of smiling faces and good cheer

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

A quadrille of 44 words today for the d’Verse Poetry Pub. De Jackson asked us to write using the word Cheer. The ornaments given to me by my students bring me cheer each Christmas as I put them on our tree.

Join us at d’Verse:  https://dversepoets.com

Demolition

In September of 1999 Hurricane Floyd came through

With a deluge of water flooding the land

The Tar River expanded filling every classroom

The school I had taught in swam in six feet of water

What came next was wet books, mold and YUCK!

As you can see the results of Hurricane Floyd devastated Eastern North Carolina. I retired from teaching the year before after being at this school for the past twenty years. Being only a mile away from the river, we were on the high side of the flood plane. After receiving twelve inches of rain in two days, there was nowhere for the water to go. The old school was torn down and a new two-story building was built on the site. With block, concrete, and steel, it should be able to survive another flood if needed.

This past September Hurricane Florence came and sat on Wilmington, NC for three days dumping rain all over the surrounding region. Seems like Hurricanes, flooding, yucky mold, and mildew are part of choosing to live on the East Coast of North and South Carolina.

Today for d’Verse, De Jackson asked us to write a Quadrille of 44 words using the word yuck!  Join us at:  https://dversepoets.com