The Saturday Symphony #39 May Musings

Hey everyone,
The 39th Edition of The Saturday Symphony welcomes you to May Musings.
Exams are done and I have so much fun-work to do and catch up on this summer break.

Dreaming of this.

I’ve completed the first draft of my next poetry publication on mental health. I’m so excited about this one, guys. About what it is, and what it will grow into when the editing and nuances are ironed out.

I haven’t been able to do wordpress posts because of papers but I’m now back to my favourite platform. Expect a bit more engagement from me. The poetry in this month’s symphony are short pieces I’ve written recently on my twitter. Hope you enjoy them.

We blur into the crowd
Drunk on passion
A kiss, a swivel, an unbreakable entanglement
It is a beautiful thing to belong
Even to the night life
We are seen
They wink at us
They approve
We do not need it
but how good it feels
To be accepted
And may the morning
never come

Blog reading time has been hard to come by recently but I managed to get some great pieces to feature this month:

Anamnesis by Kerfe on memedtwo is a short cathartic read that I greatly enjoyed.

Fish and Boat on Cannery Row by The Bubbly Tipsy Mermaid was such a refeshing read.

Yes, You should follow genre rules (Unless You’re Famous) by Jacqui Murray was very enriching and informative. I enjoyed diving into her linked catalogues.

The allure of dangerous obsessions
Grace plummets into an alamort existence
and enigma tones traits in forbidden hues
Blacks turn grey
and greys gloss to silver
Hope paints silenced lips with secret desires
and eyes glimpse a dream's mirage
Always out of reach

Ponderous Thought Prompt

This June, share a favourite verse from a favourite song. Feel free to incorporate it in any piece you’ll be writing. I’ll read it all.

You can use art, images and any form of writing. Pingback here by pasting this post’s link in your own post, and I’ll visit and feature your works in next month’s Symphony.

Last month’s Ponderous submissions (Apathy)

Eugi wrote in a really cool form called Hay(na)ku:

revel
in madness
inhale life’s folly
crowing
at dawn
shapes last stanzas
high
on oneself

Soul searching by Moonwashed musings

Soothing words by Where Stories can spark magic:

It takes courage to find yourself
The courage to unlocking that door and
keeping it open only happens when you
discover what had already been right in front

There’s something by WhereStoriesCanSparkMagic

A captivating and comforting story by Inkwell:

I couldn’t help but wonder if my perception of the world was unique or if this existential malaise was widespread. Was it the drudgery of daily routines that were sapping our spirits, or was there something more profound at play here, a sense of disenchantment with the world around us?

Apathy in the city by The Inkwell

Intense haiku and american sentences by Jules:

little monsters roam
don’t know or care for the rules
whisper and point; hag!

Three aspects apathy by julesinflashyfiction

Soulful Inspiration by Sadje:

We seek attention and love from others
Yet we cannot see beyond our own issues
When we put our own pain, hurt, and issues first
We don’t realize that others are suffering too

Dealing with apathy by lifeafter50forwomen

Click the citation links to read full posts.

Moulded by despair
Your skin thickens to a hide
The pits have pressed you smooth
And depression has polished you with empathy
You rise from darkness
Resilient
Lissome in the raking moonlight

Since I didn’t do any Book candy corner last month as I was promoting my new release, Broken Ties, now available on Amazon, you can expect reviews this June and July, as I begin going through my first to-read list. Most are wordpress authors I follow and interact with.

He wades a world of billions
And yet his journey is lonely
Born of sunrise, now made of dusk
Tartarus is weary of his presence
He holds vigil in its darkest abyss
Pertinacious
Tethered in the grim and gruesome
Where death laughs in the face of love

Hope you enjoyed this Symphony. Be sure to check out the links of the featured posts, and of course, have a peep at the Realms of the Mist series page.

I'm not who I once was
I cannot love as I once did
The morning breeze is not as fresh
City smells have annexed it
Pastries from the corner store
Sewage from down below
And memory from deep inside
I live a redolent existence
Yet life itself changes
It is the way
To adapt

I’m back to the working out schedule. Gotta tick the physical-health checkbox as well.

Shalom
Namaste
Namarie.

The Saturday Symphony #37 March Marvels

Ola everyone,
The 36th edition of The Saturday Symphony welcomes you to a March of marvels. This is a monthly feature that may one day become an online magazine which showcases its bit of the wordpress community magic (fingers crossed).

It's 5.am
The sweet-spot for insomniacs
A hill-top mosque moons a summons to sacred vespers
And an eager rooster ignites a cackle of crows vying for dominance
The insomniac does not hear them
This is their ONE hour
And yet they must rise.
The bedside clock shames the exuberant cockery
and jolts you from the peace that nothingness brings
To make joy from your something

Luiza Zambrotta’s tautogram prompt (P) is so fun and I recommend joining in. Here’s my bit:

Perplexing pleasantries portray ponderous parodies.

March is a month of changing seasons. The first quarter of the new year is ending.
Whether it’s Spring or the wet season, wherever you are, if you allow it, you may feel a shift in the air, the spirit, and your psyche. An opportunity to start anew or boost what’s already started.

How about this keepsake from Garima of Be Inspired blog: How To Improve Your Luck .

Can you foresee positive, lovely things occurring?

You’ll be mad not to check out Sally Cronin’s, Smorgasbord Funnies 2023. (Feel free to thank me later)

I hope Sally forgives me for sharing just one of her jokes to send you to her post:
Patient: “Doctor, I get heartburn everytime I eat birthday cake.”
Doctor: “Next time…. Find out the punchline in Sally’s link. (Sorry I didn’t want to steal the joke)

.

Shared lessons.

This section will be for one fellow blogger’s shared lesson every month. I’ll reach out to different people just for a little paragraph, not more than they are willing to share. Since this is new, I’ll say something this month.

Before I diversified from poetry and short stories to fiction novels, I learnt a vital piece of advice which makes writing really cool. ‘Let your characters guide you.’ As you try to follow this advice, you develop a new appreciation for Karma and its mysterious ways. Everyone has their own story. Nothing is black and white, I mean, even black and white are spectrums of colour. In real/tangible life, I wait and listen more often, and I’m genuinely very interested in what people are saying. This has really improved all my relationships. I find more people calling, and opening up about really personal things. I mostly just listen and once in a while, I tell them a story.

Outside life's challenges, 
waits a flamboyant beauty 
Verdancy that is a tonic for our souls
It dwells in everything
In the fine desert-sand where no two grains are alike
In the morning dew or pouring rain
The floral blooms and butterfly hues.
Or perhaps on the otherside of day
Where one may enjoy a moonlight caress
or savour a star-twinkled kiss, 
A place to cry where none can see
To let darkness reclaim your darkness.
 
So step outside

Into the wild

Trace the alignment

Of beauty to joy.

Book Candy Collage.

This year, I created corners for my wordpress posts. Visitors to my blog may have noticed the Book Candy Corner, Tall Tales Corner, and Tiny Treasure Corner. These three, cycle in turns from post to post. I’ll collage the monthly book-candy in that month’s Symphony, just in case you missed out.

Ponderous Thought Prompt

From today and through the month of April, find any three aspects in nature, relate yourself to each of them, and publish something on that. It can be dark or bright, just have at it.

You can use art, images and any form of writing. Pingback here by pasting this post’s link in your own post, and I’ll visit and feature your works in next month’s Symphony. These features, in time, will get a more creative showcasing (watch this space).

earth divinations
must one be Witch or Guru
to wake their soul

Sadly, or thankfully, we’ve come to the end of this month’s symphony.
Here’s a last recent poem from my twitter:

Echoes of a bedevilled kiss
Have you known the taste of sin
Or the hidden truths in dream-drenched deceits
Have you imagined grace in a silent expanse
Like dances in the eye of dysthymia
Fleeing gawking stares
Yet hoping-
Someone will see you…

Hope you enjoyed this. I look forward to your ponderous-prompt submissions, which should be posted before the 28th of April.

Shalom
Namaste
Namarie

The Saturday Symphony #29 Inner Child #JuneEdition

Hey everyone,
Welcome to the 29th edition of The Saturday Symphony. This is a monthly feature with its roots in giving back to the blogging community.
This June, we indulge our inner child.

We are all born as creatives, molded in the image of the Great Creator. But somewhere along the road, we abandon our inner child.

Paraphrased from The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron

Well, the good news is that everyone on my wordpress is bristling with creativity. In this June edition, may we break the mental piggy bank, buy a bunch of candy, cakes, gold and silver stars, then dust old favourite toys, and let our inner child sparkle.

Silly slimy snail
with a pretty shiny shell
how slow you move
how boring you are
So I drink my chocolate milk
and take a nice quick snooze
to wake and find you gone
to where I only imagine

However insurmountable a dream may seem
if your inner child calls to you, answer
Reach
Nurture
let joy be your soul’s toy

digital art by Aryana Golchin

This month’s five featured posts

To further spoil your inner child, this month’s features are five awesome prompts. Go ahead and open these links, feast on the amazing roundup submissions, or find them in the comment sections. You won’t be sorry and your inner child will be spoilt for choice.

#Whatdoyousee

#Writephoto

#Reena’sxplorationchallenge

#Tastetherainbow Tanka Tuesday

#Eugisweekly

Brush, skulk, hide
Fifi the fox fetters in the meadow
Brush, skulk, hide
Railey the rabbit rushes
No nose so sharp as Fifi’s
No ear so true as Railey’s
Searcher and sneaker
My two fondest loves
But when fluffy-Railey is pinned beneath Fifi’s deadly paws
Instead of fear I laugh aloud
For I raised them together
And no matter how different they may seem
My Fifi and Railey are bonded for life

Art by Julia Taillon

PONDEROUS THOUGHT Prompt

This month indulge your inner child. Be goofy, be fun, be whiny. Rhyme, share or compose a favourite bedtime story, tongue twister, song. Tell tales of pets, old toys and forgotten delights. Just be playful and have fun.

You can use art, any form of writing or media.
Pingback to this post and drop a link in the comments so I can visit, and feature you in next month’s symphony.

As a toddler I clang to my sister Anna
We sat through late nights
with a candle in between
Then with spell-binding oration
and nerve-racking enchantment
Anna told tales so wonderful I could never get enough
And my inner child remembers
And I crave
And I long to feed my soul, and others like mine

May’s Ponderous submissions “Finding”

Enjoy these beauties from last month’s ponderous prompt.

From generation to generation. Sharing love, traditions, and faith. Gifting confidence amid turmoil of the people of the land…

Inner sight by Jules

peaceful solitude// a hit-or-miss to my soul// seeking to embrace…

Foggy deliberations by Eugi

Come, my darling,
and hold my hand in yours.
Never let go of my hand,
so don’t dodge me. Come closer…

You by Jane Aguiar

I dream of me
In a place with you
I dream of laughter
And pain accepted by two
Of fears shared
And hopes reborn
I dream of dreams
Coming true

©judeitakali

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Hope you enjoy this. I’m looking forward to your thoughts.

To further indulge your inner child with something I’d like to think is riveting, then my debut novel Realms of the Mist is available here.

The Saturday Symphony #24 (Easter)

Hey everyone,
Welcome to the 24th edition of The Saturday Symphony.
March madness is ending and the Easter holidays are upon us.

A quarter of the year gone and April is perfectly positioned for a bit of rest, fun and rejuvenation,
Highlighted by the long Easter break.

Yolk of sweetest cream
The glory of a risen saviour

Albumen of deepest chocolate
The delicacy of love

Shell of iridescent beauty
A signature of happiness
To have you as one of mine
To make an Easter egg
Special for you

April
A time to say
‘Thank you’

March’s five featured posts

In too few words
you say the things that hurt the most:
‘I’m leaving’
‘It is over’
‘It was never really love.’…

In too few words by Ingrid

…Then how is it that the air carries life
Even around a lonely grave?…

Faith, hope, love by Diana

…In Gaia’s service
as rival to Pandora:
her jar is emptied.

Tsunami by Chris Hall

Snow sheets echo, escaping death down a wispy sky’s veil…

Sheer lives by Kalei Kites

…They leaned into the pale rays
Of a thin sun of diaphanous gauze
As its warming flames, auroral…

The granite walls by Visionary poems

Please follow the links below each quote to read the full post.

Easter
A time when hope is renewed
And faith is repaid
When grief and loss
Transition to fond memory

For the belief in resurrection
Soothes the souls of the living
And appeases the restless dead

PONDEROUS THOUGHT Prompt

EASTER
This month;
Share a bit of your Easter traditions,
Tell a tale of Easter fantasy, and/or Easter horror if you prefer.
Then at the end of your post, let us know what this holiday period means most to you.

Ponderous Prompt

You’re more than welcome to use art, images, and any form of writing.
Be sure to pingback to this feature; by copying its link into your post.
Do this so I can find you, and feature your post in the May edition.

Through darkness and sorrow
Struggle and exhaustion
Easter rises
To tell of One who descended into the bowels of hell
One who reached through the torment and despair

A symbol of hope
That there is no darkness
That can keep out the light

Ponderous submissions from March’s prompt.

“ADDICT“

insatiable yearning
inevitable kindling
repeated scorching
and yet we touched…

Touched by Mindfills

broken hourglass, the sand can no longer shift
from either end…
breaking it didn’t stop time…

Craving answers by Jules

a forever lullaby
from pretty little pills…

the mind slumbers
as sensations dance
til the break of dawn…

Timing by Eugi.

…Not all addictions destroy, some can save too.

There are always two side of a coin, positive and negative…

Addiction by Sadje

Reparations are too late

Addictions by artmater.

Thank you all, lots of love.

Easter bunny
What’s so funny
Why so happy
Hop hop hop
With hope, hope, hope
And hidden eggy joys
Some with toys
Some with thoughts
And All with love
So come dear one
And share;
My Easter eggs

Remember to pingback to this post, and to paste the link to your post in the comments section, just to be sure I find you.

Do this by the 23rd of April to be featured in the May edition.

Can’t wait to read your entries, and your shared tales of Easter.

Stay safe everyone, Stay loving.

This feature is © judeitakali

The Saturday Symphony #23 (Addict)

Hi everyone, I welcome you all to the 23rd edition of The Saturday Symphony.
Back from the month of romance.
Or for some, the month where loneliness is felt most keenly.

Cheers to making it here,
On the threshold of a March of possibility.

I’m lost and agitated
Incomplete
My body pines
And my mind wines
What ritual will sate my needs
Comfort my discomfort
And Soothe
My Addiction

Addiction is widely seen and understood as negative,
But is there such a thing as a good addiction?
In this Symphony, we will try to explore this notion.

But first;

February’s five featured posts

The windswept moors and uncultivated lands of Brittany, have long been linked with the ghostly activity of the dead. However…

Creatures of the Breton night by Bon Repos Gites

Just above the skyline and beyond the horizon,

there rests a wish I make during the twilight hours...

Wishes by Shreya Sharma

The three days that we spent in that city.
The evenings, intoxicated by the smell of linden trees and the intimation of grace…

The Promise of Us by Gabriella Marie Milton

On 8 February 1692, a doctor from Salem village, Massachusetts, was called to visit two young girls who showed strange symptoms…

The devil’s magic by Luisa Zambrotta

The ashtray was looking more and more like a sick hedgehog,
And her yellow fingers added one more quill to it…

Female Assassin by Bogdan Dragos

Please click the links after the quotes to read the full posts.

Addiction at its worst
Obsessive and Possessive
A desperate dependency
.
A Good addiction
A commitment
To improve
A Passion

PONDEROUS THOUGHT Prompt

ADDICT
We have all been addicted to something,

In some shape or form,
The synonyms for addiction range from dependency, to craving, to habit, to infatuation and compulsion.
.

This month of March, share a story about addiction at its worst,

And then counter it with a tale of a passion that has saved you or someone you know.

You’re more than welcome to use art, images, and any form of writing.
Be sure to pingback to this feature; by copying its link into your post.
Do this so I can find you, and feature your post in the April edition.

How did it come to this
My fingers trembling
My breath laboured
Asphyxiating with longing
Desperate for more
Withdrawn
From You
My Addiction

February’s Ponderous submissions

“FIRST KISS“

Under the covered bridge, a lover’s pathway.
Each youth thinking they are first to come this way...

Responsible responses by Jules

A kiss is a kiss
The healing of heart-wrung tears…

Muah by Eugi

He knows who he is. I don’t think he’s reading this.
Though I’m not with him today, I’ll never forget…

First kiss by Saly

And though I’m not the blushing kind, I feel heat traveling up my neck...

The first hint of romance by Punam

Oh so far away! A gush of wind gently kissing my cheek
My go-to messenger…

Messenger by Aishwarya

Thank you all,
Lots of love.

Yes I’m not a robot.
Me after putting the finishing touches on the Symphony this morning.

Show me love
And I’ll show you devotion
Give me an escape
And I’ll hold on tighter
Be good or bad
My Passion or Bane
But be there
With me
My addiction!

Remember to pingback to this post, and to paste the link to your post in the comments section, just to be sure I find you.

Do this by the 26th of March to be featured in the April edition.

Can’t wait to read your entries, and your shared thoughts on addiction.

Goofing around this morning, Noir version, lol.

Maybe a Passion is a good addiction,
Maybe ambition to some extent too.

Stay safe everyone,
Stay loving.