Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors Writing Challenge: This pipe is meant for smokin’ #poetry

Dan is holding a writing challenge this month as part of his Thursday Doors Challenge. This is my second entry and is based on two of Resa’s gorgeous contributions which you can find here: https://nofacilities.com/thursday-doors-writing-challenge-2024/

You can link up to Resa here: https://graffitiluxandmurals.com/2024/05/12/art-remembers-us/

Picture caption: Resa’s picture of a woman with a blue face and psychedelic makeup smoking a pipe. The woman is seen through a door.

This pipe is meant for smokin’

You keep comin’ and beggin’ me to give you

Somethin’ you think you’ll really love

You’ve heard it will give you an euphoric and relaxed feelin’

The same as drink, food, and sex

***

The smoke is intended to make you high

An’ that’s just what you want

But one of these days you’ll learn just how it muddles you right up

***

You want brighter colours and louder sounds

You want to twist your experience of time and now

But it makes you uncoordinated, driving a danger

Makes you uninhibited, a hazard to your health

***

The smoke is intended to make you high

An’ that’s just what you want

But one of these days you’ll learn just how it muddles you right up

***
The younger you use it, the more permanent its effects

You don’t want to believe what I’m atellin’ you

But I swear your focus, learnin’ and memory

will take a sad knock – your brain physically changin,

connections and links slowly but surely eroding

The smoke is intended to make you high

An’ that’s just what you want

But one of these days you’ll learn just how it muddles you right up

Are you ready, kid? Start smokin’

This poem is based on Nancy Sinatra’s rendition of These Boots are Made for Walking which you can listen to here:

Two more poems for this same picture:

Blue Woman (shadorma)

Eye catching

Blue blooded woman

So relaxed

Eyelids closed

Gently puffing on a pipe

Hallucinating

Inspiration (shadorma)

I see her

Through the open door

Skin bathed in

Soft blue tones

Of exotic backstage lights

My inspiration

Another poem inspired by a different picture contributed by Resa.

The Umbrella (tanka poem)

I promise I’ll stay

Until the zepher catches

My blue umbrella

Gently whisking me away

Beyond the smoking chimneys

78 thoughts on “Roberta Writes – Thursday Doors Writing Challenge: This pipe is meant for smokin’ #poetry

    1. HI John, that first poem is a new creative exploration for me. I had a lot of fun writing new words to Masquerade last week and so I had another go at it. It takes a bit of effort to try and keep to the tune. I’m glad you enjoyed this.

      Liked by 1 person

  1. I remember when Nancy Sinatra released that song, Robbie. It was fun to think about that and read along with a mostly unheeded warning in poetic form. Well done on that and the other poems!

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Wonderful poems, Robbie. The effects of marijuana on the brain are frightening. I’ve seen the brain scan images. I had to laugh at the Nancy Sinatra video. That’s one of my husbands favorite videos ever!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hi Priscilla, I am so pleased you enjoyed this post. Drug usage is a very scary thing for me as a mother. Fortunately, my boys have avoided anything like that to date. I love These Boots are Made for Walking – it makes me giggle.

      Liked by 1 person

  3. Wonderful poems for Resa’s doors and for Dan’s challenge. What a treat. The poem based on Nancy Sinatra’s song was clever, Robbie. The shardormas did a wonderful job of capturing the mood of the artwork, but the last one for the blue umbrella was my fav. Beautiful imagery.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. HI Diana, I am so pleased you liked the song parody. I had lot of fun writing that poem. I might do another last one for another picture I like. There is nothing as much fun as a new challenge. The umbrella poem is based on Mary Poppins.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. Dear Robbie,

    I’m thrilled and honoured that you used 2 of my pics.

    I LOVE everything you wrote, and how you presented with the Boots video.

    The first one is a cool warning about taking drugs. As someone who did do drugs in their youth, I can say it’s a right on warning. Not everyone gets out in decent shape, or even alive. I think the same thing about alcohol.

    Although I’ve gained some knowledge about poetic forms, I still only know if I like a poem or not.

    My fave is Blue Woman. You created a strong mood with that poem

    I’m going to come back later and read again! I’m off to the Art Gallery for the rest of the day!

    This is a big treat!!!!

    💙❦🫶

    Liked by 3 people

      1. Ahh, Mary Poppins!
        Well, I love everything you wrote.
        This doors thing has been fun. I think I’ll submit and play again next year! 💖❦🌹

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          1. I agree! Dan came up with a cool idea with the doors.
            I’m starting working on my review of Debby’s book tonight. Once that is done in a few days, I’m excited about reading your book!

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  5. Haha. I was reading along thinking, This sounds like Nancy Sinatra. A few lines later there she was.

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  6. It seems tricky to capture the Nancy Sinatra song’s flow in a poem, but you did a great job — and a clear-headed warning about doing drugs. Also, that umbrella door is delightful, as is your poem to go along with it 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I can’t wait to read what you come up with. I’m not sure I’ll get a story done for this challenge. (Busy getting the next Amanda book out)

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  7. I liked “beyond the smoking chimneys” — a nice visual, and an interesting follow to the pipe woman. I didn’t dare click on the video because the song was stuck in my head as soon as I read your title. I’d say you rose to the challenge of re-working words to a melody.

    Like

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