Thanks for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.
This is my last post for a few days as I am going on safari 🐘🦏🐆🦁🐃

In Touch With Nature – the difference between African and Asian Elephants #Elephants #wildlife

The Haibun Monday prompt for d’Verse is hosted by Frank J. Tassone.

“Wherever you are, & however you’re inspired, savor the seasonal shift most relevant to you. Then write a haibun that alludes to seasonal shift as you see it.”

You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/26/haibun-monday-8-26-24-another-seasonal-shift/

Seemingly overnight, the garden exploded into spring. Flower shrapnel brightened every flowerbed, pot, and even hidden nooks and crannies. African bees, small and aggressive, hummed as they fed from dark purple irises, clivias, and jasmine. Gathering in clusters on the delicate white blossoms of the twin plum trees, so reminiscent of Anne’s ‘White Way of Delight’, the bees pollinated with loud enthusiasm.

African bees buzz

Ferocious pollinators

Fearsome but needed

Sunday Stills: Before and After

Terri’s prompt for Sunday Stills is Before and After. I am showing pictures of my spring garden with the buds transitioning into flowers. I also have a picture of Michael and my mom on the day he was born and now.

You can join in Sunday Stills here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2024/08/25/sunday-stills-been-here-before-and-after/

What Amazon says

This Collection of Poetry is entirely about love.
I hope you enjoy reading the contents herein.
What does the word “love” conjure up to you?
Everyone has a different take on it.
I have even heard it described as a mental illness!
I would not know in that respect, but I will leave you with this thought.
“The armour we wear is designed to see who cares. Love is a battlefield.
We should choose our wars carefully”.

My review

Ephemeral Encounters is a delightful collection of love poems. I am always fascinated by poets descriptions and interpretations of this particular human emotion. It has been, and continues to be, responsible for so much woe among people and has even been responsible for the fall of nations and the starting of wars. I am a very practical person so the turbulent and intense aspects of romantic love have passed me by, but I endlessly try to understand it and this compelling collection certainly helped.

The poet has examined romantic love in all its permutations, writing about the good, the bad and the ugly of the experience. The poems are personal, entwining imagery from day-to-day life which is very relatable. The poems are also beautifully written.

One of my favourite poems from this collection, which demonstrates what I have said above, is Threads:
“We are all pieces of threads
each one of us as fragile as the rest.
Waiting for someone to
sew us to their hearts
and keep us there no matter what.
Many of us will end up
in a box with all the
other loose threads no one wanted.
At some juncture in
the future, discarded.
We are the loose ends of life
never intended to be someone’s lover or wife.
Just a piece of threat that
could not find a needle
in the sewing box of life.

The emotion in this poem is so raw and it is so very heart rending.

If you have ever been in love, or would like to be, this book of passionate poems will resonate with you. Highly recommended.

Purchase Ephemeral Encounters from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Ephemeral-Encounters-Her-Book-Words-ebook/dp/B0CH44FLZ3

Merril’s prompt is to write a Triversen poem, following the rules provided. The poem should comprise of unrhymed tercets with each stanza making a sentence. Merril suggested the use of a prompt picture for the poem.

You can read Merril’s delightful contribution here: https://merrildsmith.org/2024/08/22/triversen-radiating-light/

You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/22/meeting-the-bar-triversen/

Light and dark

Sun reaches out

bright rays embracing

nocturnal creature

***

Shimmering white halo

warm gesture of appreciation

of fearsome predator

***

A brief encounter

dawn’s light fresh and clear

night animal ready for sleep

***

Favourite tree close

animal stops, stretches

slinks towards the shade

***

The photographer

captures the moment

with one fast click

***

Tender interaction

between night and day

immortalised forever

Thursday Doors

Today, for Thursday Doors, I am sharing some pictures from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.

You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/08/22/still-more-from-iowa/

Picture captions: Inside doors at the van Gogh Museum with interactive light show paintings

A few of my favourite van Gogh paintings at the museum:

These are my shorts of the light projections at the van Gogh museum. You will notice how noisy it was in the museum.

Ostrich Girl (shadorma prose)

When I was ten years old, my family relocated from Cape Town back to the small town of George in the Western Cape. I attended a convent with a limited number of children. Despite our small numbers, the nuns cajoled all of us into participate in sporting activities, including swimming and athletics. Our headmistress also entered teams into local sporting competitions.

I was two years younger than the majority of my classmates, so I had to participate in athletics with a class two grades below my own. At the running trials, Sister Agatha discovered that I was the fastest runner in my school, and she put me on the team. I didn’t want to run with a class other than my own, but there was no denying Sister Agatha.

It was at my first athletics meeting that I discovered I had a most peculiar style of running. I competed in several races and won them all but afterwards the other kids teased me. “Ostrich Girl,” they called, hooting with laughter. One boy demonstrated my odd running style, stretching his neck forward as far as possible and racing across the field.

I was so embarrassed I never competed in athletics again.

Ostrich girl

Head thrust far forwards

Legs pumping

Dust flying

Unkind moniker destroyed

Sporting confidence

You can read other entries for this challenge here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2024/08/21/writing-prompts-28/

Lillian is hosting Open Link Night and dVerse LIVE today, Saturday!

SATURDAY
Join us on Saturday, August 17^th from 10 to 11 AM, New York time. Click on the link below to join us LIVE, with audio and video! Share a poem aloud, or sit in just to listen. Either way, it’s fun to see folks from around the globe who all enjoy the power of words and the enjoyment of poetry. The more the merrier!

https://meet.google.com/yik-pjtc-hgt

Lillian gave this lovely ekphrastic prompt.

Do not ask why my mind went were it did. I have no explanation other than I’m getting ready for another trip into the bush at the end of the month.

You can join in Lillian’s prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/15/open-link-night-today-with-option-to-join-us-live-on-saturday/

You can read Lillian’s beautiful poem here: https://lillianthehomepoet.com/2024/08/15/meandering/

Elephant Scare – A song parody

Elephant scare

Life plays tricks; it’s so very unfair

The picture was gorgeous

No-one said you must be cautious

The bush is wild

And humans have the natural world defiled

Oh dear, elephant scare

Nothing for this outcome could you prepare

***

Among the trees

The elephants cower, filled with unease

The matriarch you didn’t even see

Her alarm the outcome did guarantee

***

Elephant scare

Why weren’t you warned? How were you so unaware?

She charged, the car rolled

She trampled, actions uncontrolled

***

Elephant scare

The carnage a scene of total despair

Elephant scare

Nothing sudden death can repair

***

Among the trees

The elephants cower, filled with unease

The matriarch you didn’t even see

Her alarm the outcome did guarantee

***

Elephant scare

Why weren’t you warned? How were you so unaware?

She charged, the car rolled

She trampled, actions uncontrolled

This is a parody of Enola Gay which you can listen to here:

My song parody is based on an incident earlier this year when an elephant attacked a vehicle full of tourists. Just to be clear, the guide in this case was attempting to protect the boma (building with a roof and open sides) at the look out point which was full of people. Elephants are not sweet and gentle. Elephants are powerful wild animals that must be treated with respect and caution.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=919182086611654

Okay, now that I’ve scared you to death about elephants, we can have a virtual elephant tour.

This is one of my favourite YT shorts featuring elephants:

I also like this video. It’s a bit wobbly because it was my first time filming with my new camera, but I love the colours of autumn:

Michael’s art

I have two book reviews for your today and they are very different. As I was preparing this post, I thought that they are almost opposite each other with regards to their content and focal points. That being said, variety is the spice of life, and both are great reads.

Silver Fire (The Kaerling Book 1) by Freya Pickard

What Amazon says

What starts as an innocent quest to follow the unicorn’s trail, turns into a sinister nightmare.

“I was so happy to find a book that truly captivated my imagination from beginning to end.” K Johnstone

Banished from their village, Otta, and her twin brother Erl, (who has lost his memory), must stay ahead of those who seek to kill them.

Learning how to follow the unicorn’s trail and deal with her brother’s dark side, Otta must keep them both safe as she attempts to follow the commands of a shrineless god.

This epic fantasy tale begins the saga of The Kaerling.

The Kaerling is a series of linked novellas that can be read individually as well as in chronological order.

Warning: contains scenes of a sexual nature and some violence which some readers may find upsetting.

My review

I quickly became engrossed in this first Kaerling book and intend to read more books in this series. That being said, I must warn potential readers up front that this book does touch on the disturbing topics of rape and incest.

Otta and Erl are the oldest twins in their family. From a young age, they know their family is different from the families who occupy the nearby village and they quickly understand that certain viewpoints held by their parents, and talents they possess, would be frowned upon by their neighbours. As they grow up, they keep these secrets until one fateful day when circumstances put them in a position where they chose to live their truth.

Unfortunately, during this process, Erl is badly injured and loses his memory and understanding of right and wrong. At the same time Otta interacts with a god and is told she must follow the unicorn trail to unravel her destiny. When Otta discovers the injured Erl, she takes him back to the family homestead but it soon becomes clear that their transgressions have earned them the wrath of the village elders and they have been banned from the village and its vicinity on pain of death should they be found within a ten mile border.

Otta is forced into taking Erl with her to traverse the unicorn trail. As they set off they come across groups of people, both good and bad. Otta discovers further unsuspected powers and Erl recovers physically but is no closer to remembering the details of his life although he does learn some hard cultural lessons.

Otta is a strong willed and determined woman and it is unusual to find a female character taking the lead in a twin sibling setting. In many ways she is lacking in understanding with regards to her brother and a bit of insight would have helped avoid difficult situations. The twins are, however, young, so Otta’s behaviour is realistic and plausible.

A well written and interesting fantasy book.

You can purchase Silver Fire (The Kaerling Book 1) from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Silver-Fire-Kaerling-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07BQ1D9DN/

My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir by Marian Beaman

What Amazon says

Take an intimate look into one couple’s fifty-plus-year marriage in author Marian Beaman’s My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir. Using a quilt motif, the author stitches together stories that make up the fabric of their daily lives including the clash of cultures, crisis in a travel trailer, surviving a robbery, and enduring financial hardship.

Discover how the author and her husband learn the art of the argument with explosions both literal and metaphorical. Observe how they find common ground through their shared faith and commitment.

This volume contains excerpts from autograph books and diaries of the early 1900s, treasured family recipes, original artwork, and restored photographs―the legacy of multiple generations as two American families merge, one from the East, the other from the West. The author connects the dots of her life backwards, with detailed reverse engineering of events to discover meaning in her life as a wife.

Readers of Marian’s first memoir, Mennonite Daughter: The Story of a Plain Girl can especially relate to her insider narrative, a closeup of one couple’s companionable union.

My review

My Checkered Life is an entertaining follow on from the author’s initial memoire about her life growing up within the Mennonite community. Marian’s background is important to this second memoire which describes the tribulations and joys of weaving together the lives of two people from vastly different backgrounds. Marian and Cliff did this well and also overcame misunderstandings, financial trials, small children, and a nomadic life on the road. The difficulties of caring for a young family from the confines of a camper were detailed with emotion and candor and I lived the hardship of this time alongside Marian.

I enjoyed learning more about Cliff and his transition from a teacher to a creative albeit still in the teaching world. He certainly comes across as a good man with a great deal of determination and also an excellent sense of humour.

This memoire is almost a coming of age story for a young couple. I couldn’t help thinking how much harder this couple worked at making a success of their relationship and marriage than a lot of young newly weds now. Divorce has become the seemingly easy answer but there are no quick fixes in life. There is a lot to be said for having the right attitude to marriage and the ability to compromise.

No matter your stage of life, you can learn a lot about living a successful life through reading this book.

In closing, I must mention that I think the title and cover are perfect for this book. A checkered or patchwork quilt is synonymous in my mind with hard work, strong values, and a stable and good quality family life. This is what Marian and Cliff have achieved and it is to be highly commended.

Purchase My Checkered Life: A Marriage Memoir from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/My-Checkered-Life-Marriage-Memoir-ebook/dp/B0BXQ3JZVK

Frozen in Time

The hands of the clock and the sun in the sky moved slowly during those long, warm days of summer holidays. Other than limited household chores, Cath and I had little to do other than visit the nearby beach, splashing about in the waves and getting sunburned. All summer long our noses and shoulders blistered and peeled. There was no respect for the might of the sun in those days and sun screens were still a twinkle in the inventors eyes. I remember the stinging pain.

Our skin itched from the salt and our feet and toes roughened and sometimes bled from the abrasive sand. As we jumped over, and dived through, the frothy seahorses, the sand collected in the gussets of our swimming costumes. We would leave the water with our costumes hanging down to our mid thighs from the weight of the sandy collection.

We had no thoughts of the future or of the past. We lived in the moment. Sea shells were gathered in plastic buckets and carted home. I would scrambled up onto the roof of the garden shed, dragging Cath behind me. We would sit together with our buckets of shells and home made glue, creating shell people. Hours were passed in this pleasant task with the gentle wind ruffling our hair and the floury smell of the glue in the air. Our childish eyes saw these artworks as masterpieces. They remained on the roof until the rain dissolved the glue. Then, we started again.

Burning sun

Blisters exposed flesh

Reddens skin

Prevention

A concept of the future

Now, I pay the price

This Shadorma prose piece is written in response to Esther Chilton’s writing prompt word, Future. You can join in Esther’s challenge here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2024/08/07/writing-prompts-26/

It is also a response to Melissa‘s d’Verse prompt as follows:

Today’s Poetics prompt, if you choose to accept it, is to write a poem including one example of zeugma. You may come up with more if the muse strikes, but only one is required. My seugma is included in the first line of my prose piece.

You can join in the d’Verse prompt here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/13/zeugmatically-speaking/

Laura is the host of the Friday d’Verse prompt, Write an Actameter for August (no theme required) as follows:

“And for today’s MTB prompt we are going to write an Octameter – designed by Shelley A. Cephas in 2007

Poetry Style:

• 16 lines
• 2 stanzas of 8 lines each
• 5 syllables per line
• rhyme scheme a/b/c/d/e/d/f/d; g/h/c/g/i/g/d/d.
  (N.B. watch out for those repeat rhymes and where they fall; 2 in the first stanza and 3 in the second stanza)”

You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/08/mtb-an-octameter-for-august-and-sara-teasdale/

You can read Laura’s excellent poem here: https://poetrypix.com/2024/08/08/metaphor/

Kudu Calf

Large, rounded ears twitch

Bright, glowing eyes stare

Creamy milk moustache

Lining upper lip

Bounding through bushes

With a hop and skip

Ready to vanish

And behind trees slip

***

It could be a male

With large, twisting horns

His life will be harsh

Strongest will prevail

Perhaps its a cow

With white stripes detail

Company preferred

She’ll live in a herd

Monday’s d’Verse challenge is hosted by De Jackson here, aka WhimsyGizmo

Let your muse out of the jar, and scribble us a poem of precisely 44 words, not counting the title, and using some form of the word jar. Then head out into the blogosphere to visit some of the finest poets on the ’net. And don’t forget: the Quadrille door is ajar all week, and multiple poems are welcome! 

You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2024/08/05/quadrille-205-a-jar-full-of-poems/

The Great Escape

I only found the jar later

Tipped over, it’s top lay asunder

How did it happen? I wondered

What strange intervention

Facilitated the great escape

Of a dozen cheerful crickets

They found the bathroom cupboard

Entirely to their liking

And formed a jolly choir

Just in case you aren’t familiar with the delightful sound of crickets, you can listen to this video. Crickets are nocturnal.