The Misfit

Spike the Tomato

A photographic moment

Russian dolls sparkle

*

Spike the player smiles

Misfit big nose blends right in

A juicy moment

*

What are they hiding

deep inside those pretty shells

Stacks of surprises

*

Waiting to be revealed!

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

At d’Verse today, Ingrid asked us to write a poem using concrete nouns. We are to leave out the emotion and feeling words. Spike the tomato grew in my garden a few years ago.  My wife put the face on him and he became a children’s story about being different and accepting yourself.  You can read the whole story of Spike the Unusual Tomato on Amazon Kindle under my name or the book title. If you would like free a pdf. copy email me at dwru27@aol.com .

You can join us at: https://dversepoets.com

My New Children’s Book

The Sweetest Way to Die

By

Dwight L. Roth

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Last week I wrote a poem for d’Verse Poets Pub about the ants that invaded our pantry while we were off on our weekend trip to the beach. One of my blogger friends suggested it might make a good children’s story.  After thinking about it for a few days I decided to work one it. This is what came out.  I did my own sketches and inserted them into my original poem.  It ended up being fourteen pages.

If you would like a free pdf. file to make a copy of it, just email me at dwru27@aol.com .

Below are some sample pages from my book:

The original poem is here:

The Sweetest way to Die

Dreamer – chapter 8

Chapter 8

The engine moaned loudly as the air brakes screeched on the coal cars, keeping the train at a safe speed.

“You know Henry, if you just use the air breaks, they will burn up before you reach the bottom.” Sometimes you must trust the power in your hands.”

Purrlin sat down in his seat to rest. Simmi jumped up onto his lap and began purring loudly. Henry smiled feeling the wind blowing against his face as he leaned out the window. It seemed the trees were more colorful than ever.

“You can let the engine run on the last half mile,” Purrlin said. “She will roll back to normal when you reach the Broad River… the river… the river…”

The trees were glowing red, orange, and florescent green. Purrlin and Simmi were gone!

“Henry, time get up! You will be late for school.

~The End~

Paintings: Dwight L. Roth

Spin-off story from Monday’s d’Verse prosery prompt.

https://dversepoets.com

I have compiled all the stories into a book of 12 pages with illustrations. If you would like a pdf: copy, give me your email address and I wills end you the file to print.

dwru27@aol.com

Dreamer chapter 7

Chapter 7

Crossing the top of the mountain, the train started down the three mile run. Henry felt the loaded coal cars pushing against the heavy engine. Applying the air-brakes did not seem to slow things down and the train picked up speed as the last car crossed the summit.

“Purrlin, the brakes don’t seem to be holding!” shouted Henry. “What’ll we do?”

The train was now moving faster and faster. Henry looked out the window and could only see the tops of the trees in the ravine below.

“Don’t worry Henry, this Big Boy is made for heavy loads in the mountains! Just throttle it down and let the engine do its work.”

Henry cut the throttle back, as the steam hissed all around him. Simmi hid under the tool box. The engine roared even louder as the weight of the cars pushed forward.

Paintings: Dwight L. Roth

Spin-off story from Monday’s d’Verse Poet’s Pub prosery prompt.

https://dversepoets.com

Dreamer – chapter 6

Chapter 6

The train climbed through the mountain. Rounding a sweeping curve, Henry looked out the window and saw his engine was pulling a long line of coal cars. Purrlin told Henry they would stop at the water tower along the track ahead.

Henry was living out his dream to be the engineer of a steam train. Simmi put his paws up on the edge of the window and watched the trees as they rolled along. Pulling the rope for the whistle, he listened happily as the sound echoed from ridge to ridge and back again.

“What happens when we get to the top of the mountain?” asked Henry. He recalled an old song he had heard about the wreck of the Old 97.

“As long as we keep a good head of steam, our air breaks should hold fine.” said Purrlin.

Henry wasn’t so sure.

Paintings: Dwight L. Roth

Spin-off from the prompt Dreamer on d’Verse Poets Pub… https://dversepoets.com

Dreamer – chapter 5

Chapter 5

Suddenly everything turned dark. Night surrounded them as the train kept rolling down the track. It made Henry uneasy, but as he looked around young Purrlin was still shoveling coal into the firebox and Simmi had now crawled up on his lap for comfort!

Purrlin’s voice seemed clear above the noise of the train. Don’t let the dark night bother you. It only lasts for a short time and soon you will see the light again.”

Henry looked out the window at the full moon peaking above the clouds. He knew as long as the train stayed on the tracks he would be fine. The train’s black smoke billowed back across the engine, and blended into the night sky!

The dark got even darker as the train charged into the mountain tunnel.

At the far end, Henry saw the morning light welcoming him.

;Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Spin-off from Monday’s d’Verse prompt dreamer: https://dversepoets.com

Rocky’s Big Adventure

This is a project I have been working on for the past few weeks. It is a 23 page children’s story book coloring book about the little Saw-whet Owl found in the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I saw the story. after Thanksgiving, on the morning NBC News show. Apparently the little owl was trapped in the tree when it was cut down in upstate New York, and spent three days there while the tree was being brought to Rockefeller Center Plaza in New York City. It was found by a worker and taken to a wildlife sanctuary, where it was given food and water. The owl seemed to be fine and was released back into the wild several days later.

I thought it would make a great children’s story. So, I created the illustrations from the pictures I saw on the News Story video clips. I made up the story as I thought it might have happened, and decided to make it into a coloring book as well. I self-published it this week and had it spiral bound so the pages would lay open. I also got heavier weight paper so the colors would not blead through. Now I will pass them out to family and friends with children who will enjoy the story.

Rocky the tiny Owl

Wrapped in Spruce boughs took trip

Visits New York City

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A personal commercial shout-out:

My Granddaughter Ashley, is in a Masters of Arts program at Adler University. She does beautiful art work, making hand crafted book ear rings made of miniature books, that actually open up , as well as many other items.

Please check out her Positive Fibes, Etsy site at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PositiveFibes?ref=search_shop_redirect

Alzheimer’s Story for Children

My father-in-law began to show symptoms of Alzheimer’s back in 2009. In 2012 he had to live in a care facility. It was very sad to see someone decline into dementia and lose touch with reality.  He died in 2018 at the age of 89.

I began to look for books on line that children could relate to that talked about Alzheimer’s disease. There were very few if any and  none for younger children. I decided to write and illustrate a children’s book that would introduce children to dementia and the way it affects older people.

If you are interested please click the link and check it out on amazon.com kindle books. My granddaughter helped me with the color in the illustrations. If you have a kindle subscription you can read it for free.

Monsters Under the Bed

When I go to bed at night
And my parents get ready to turn out the light
I shudder and shake like an earthquake
As fears arise and create all these fakes
Wild and awful creatures in flight
Come floating in the dark of night
Out from under my bed they snake
Rearing ugly heads to make mine ache
But, I learned the best way to make fears flee
“I usually solve problems by letting them devour me.”
When they see how sweet to the taste, I am
Their fright disappears and I fall asleep once again

Amaya at d’Verse, came up with the idea of turning Franz Kafka quotes into children’s’ stories. She gave us a few to choose from and I chose, “I usually solve problems by letting them devour me.” The ideas is to overcome fears by embracing them as part of the fun, thus taking away their power over our mind.

Join us at: https://dversepoets.com

Clip art from: blogspot.com

 

 

 

Serafino’s Store

The ugliness of this storefront
Does not diminish the long-held memories
Of climbing those steps as an eight-year -old.
Lunch hour at our elementary school
Gave us time to cross the streetcar tracks…
To go to Serafino’s store to spend a nickle or a penny.
Inside a big case with slanted glass
Allowed us to view all the many choices
Every variety of candy tempted our tastebuds:
Fireballs, cinnamon sticks, and Sugar Daddies
Licorice tubes in a box, wax teeth, candy cigarettes
Necco Wafers, wax bottles of sugar water in a box
Good and Plenty, red licorice, and candy bars…
So many to choose from for our little minds
Yes, the store may be closed
…run down
…and boarded up
But the wonderful joy of climbing those steps
Still brings a smile to my face.
Memories see things as they were
Not as they are

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

Today on d’verse Mish asked us to look at the beauty in ugliness. We are to write a poem showing a different perspective on what most people would consider ugly. This Fall I went back to my old elementary school and saw it was now a home where someone lived. This is the store where we used to go at lunch to get candy, if we hand any money to spend. It is now boarded up and looking pretty bad. But the memories are still there.

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