held breath
eyes closed
as if everything
could be held
in abeyance
if i never
breathe out
no one will
be hurt
teeter on the edge
of blackout and safe stasis
then gasp at fresh air
imagine a paused now
and all that would prevent
like tomorrow's laughter
#SmallPoems #Poetry #Writing #MastoPrompt 3 April 2025 - delay
no more chilly nights
summer heat is not delayed
spring gone in a blink!
#MastoPrompt - delay
#DailyHaikuPrompt - chilly night
#orange #art #modern #modernart #modernhome #warm #warmth #art #artwork #summer #summertime #heat #heatwave #poetry #poet #poets #poem #poems #shortpoems #shortpoem #smallpoem #smallpoems #writing #writinglife #Florida #floridalife #FloridaIsNotParadise #buyintoart by #SharonCummingsArt
"Delayed delight is worth the wait." he thought to himself, savoring the joy of the silly little rhyme.
He pulled the cookies from the oven and set them down on a trivet. Within seconds, the kitchen had filled with the most delightful smells of vanilla and citrus. Small islands of still-bubbling chocolate made the tray look like the tastiest volcano landscape on earth.
Without even looking, his hand reached for the timer. Three twists meant ten minutes. He started for the garden door, humming to the rhythm of the ticking timer; fresh mint tea would be the perfect companion.
As he passed the kitchen door, a dark shadow caught his eye, and with a flick of the wrist, he locked the door, causing cries of disappointment and great lament to erupt on the other side.
They would also learn, in time.
“Kev, we have to go. Are you ready?”
“Ready, Mum.”
“Are you kidding? You look dishevelled and you hair is unkempt. Tidy yourself up, I don’t want to be delayed.”
“No worries, I’ll go kemp my hair and make myself look shevelled. Will that re-lay us?”
“Think you’re funny, do you?”
“Well, actually... yes.”
“Hmm. I look forward to meeting your English teacher. What was it he said? ‘Kev is clever, but has an attitude problem.’”
“Mummmm!”
People do not like to be corrected or directly confronted and change their minds less in that way.
Do any of you prompters find models learnt this too?
"I might be mistaken, but how does line 3 work? how can it be compile"
"Line 3 doesn't compile"
#PromptEngineering #MastoPrompt
The #MastoPrompt for Thursday 3 April 2025 is:
The poem or story can include the prompt word or be about the prompt word.
@ me, if you like, or just include the #MastoPrompt tag (to allow people to follow or filter their feeds), or keep your work to yourself - all the options are good as long as you're writing.
If you're including an image please do include alt-text if you’re able to.
I would be the most
ultem idiot letting go
the love of my life
#MastoPrompt
#fool
#haiku
#senryu
#poetry
#SmallPoems
#writing
#music
That multi colored
flower field, nearly tricked me,
not to see their grace
#dailyhaikuprompt
#pansy
#MastoPrompt
#fool
#haiku
#senryu
#poetry
#SmallPoems
#writing
#photography
@dailyhaikuprompt
@stevencudahy
Multicolor Grace - Aobram
Naz spat out a mouthful of coffee. “Kim, did you swap the sugar and the salt?”
“April fools!” Kim laughed.
“C’mon! April Fools’ Day was yesterday. You got me with the green milk.”
“Fooled you twice. Shame on you!”
“Oh, grow up.”
“Love you too, Naz. I have to go. Did you see my— owww! Did you put marbles in my shoes?!”
“Nah. Peas. You know, give peas a chance.”
“What happened to ‘It was yesterday, grow up’?” Kim mimicked Naz's deep voice.
Naz shrugged as he washed out his mug. “’Tis the season. Love you too.”
At the end of the day, I am haunted splinters, trying to hold to the silhouette of a girl who knows how, a girl with clear aspirations and legible scars that fit neatly into all the boxes. At the end of the day, I am a fool, dressing up a raw heart in wild flowers, because bloody things are only acceptable when they're dressed. At the end of the day, I am a poet. #Mastoprompt #microprompt #WSS366
The #MastoPrompt for Wednesday 2 April 2025 is:
The poem or story can include the prompt word or be about the prompt word.
@ me, if you like, or just include the #MastoPrompt tag (to allow people to follow or filter their feeds), or keep your work to yourself - all the options are good as long as you're writing.
If you're including an image please do include alt-text if you’re able to.
She caught her hand, just in time, and stood there, frozen, right on the border. Desire and greed on one side, reason and generosity on the other.
Painfully aware of her flawed existence, she sighed.
"There's nothing left!" she called into the other room.
Then she took the last cookie.
#MastoPrompt April 1, 2025 #border
A wall was built. To keep you out.
I extend my hands as high as I can. But still, I cannot reach you. I can't climb over either.
The wall goes so high up to the sky.
I hear you yell. But I can't make out what you're saying. I stretch out my hands again.
I'm never going to reach you. I'm never going to hear you. I'm never going to touch you. I'm never going to see you.
You're beyond an impenetrable border.
#MastoPrompt April 1, 2025: #border
#MrWhiskers
The rain pelted the window as Mr. Whiskers napped in his self-heating bed. Autumn had gone off to pester Mother and the atmosphere fitted Mr. Whiskers' mood. The spring air drifted through the cracked window, heavy with petrichor. Mr. Whiskers inhaled deeply and peeked an eye open. Crocuses along the border of the fence were being beaten down by the heavy rain and the clouds darkened everything to a gloomy pallor. For him, a perfect day.
Luckily Lilith
and Eve tempted Adam past
his fear of knowledge
#MastoPrompt
#border
#haiku
#senryu
#poetry
#SmallPoems
#writing
#illustrate
Lilith and Eve (with apple) -Giorgio (and Ab)
you and i walk a fine line
barely aware of sharing space
seconds like raindrops
too light to be sure we felt
i'd let you reach inside
read the bleak marrow of my bones
like tea leaves
or obituaries of strangers
light moves where it will
but here's barbed wire
rusting and wool tufted
bloodied where we embraced
across imaginary lines
and untold ourselves
the way stories are forgotten
and the dead fade
within the frames we made
#SmallPoems #Poetry #Writing #MastoPrompt 1 Ap 25 - border
Early year showers
with warmth brought poppy wealth and
extend of freedom
#dailyhaikuprompt
#SpringRain
#MastoPrompt
#border
#haiku
#senryu
#poetry
#SmallPoems
#writing
#photography
@dailyhaikuprompt
@stevencudahy
Spring Wealth Freedom - Aobram
a border of blue
sky scraping and weathered bark
dead trees tell stories...
#mastoprompt - border
ART
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/time-machine-1-tree-photography-sharon-cummings.html
We walked through the night over dark hills. Whenever we heard noises we lay low and hid. Finally, Karl stopped me and pointed to lights in the distance.
“That’s the town where you can find friends. You’ll be safe.”
“Is that the border?” I asked, pointing to the ditch partway to the town.
“No, we crossed the border ten miles ago.”
“What?! Then why have we been sneaking and whispering?” I shouted.
“Good practice in case you want to help others get away in the future.”
“I don’t think I could go back, now that we’re safe. Come on.”
Karl didn’t move. “No, I’m going back. Other people need to get out.”
“You were never going to join me, were you?”
“No. Just get you to safety.”
I looked to the lights then back to Karl. “OK, let’s go back. We can help others to freedom. Together.”
Faerie
