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The sweating for opposition--Image Openverse.

Verbing for The W3 Prompt, Rhyming for the Tanka Tuesday Brew, and A Quote for the WDYS Prompt 260

🧙‍♀️ The act of nicing and yes-manning 🧙

🎃 🧛 👻

Debuting an abstract poem*, a term coined
by Edith Sitwell to describe a poem in which
the words are chosen for their
aural quality
rather than specifically for their sense
or meaning. 
((*Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica ))

👻words chosen for their aural quality👻
👂I’d like you to “hear” the poem👂

From PoW Melissa’s list of words, here are,
in Taylor Coleridge’s definition of poetry,
“the best words in the best order.”

Verbing It: An Abstract Poem 

The act of nicing his
tone for the books
And yes-manning
whatever they becaused
Was his ace for camera-
whizzed bunnies
Who mistake all thinks
for good ferreting

But when their
horsing-around-faces southed
And crashed their pigging
in pubs' happy hour
And he sevened, stuck
on the peacing floor
For mismanaging
the yak of who's who

Now none would camera his ferreting
None hearts the hogwash of his sciencing
None seek him out for
all his yes-manning
None even thank him
for footing the bill

Folks, it’s like flipping
a coin in the air
Fifty-fifty the
odds are on your side
But when you depend
on manning from fools
Famed for their hymnbook
HokeyPokey-ing
You’re bound to have a
rude awakening

Copyright ©️ selmamartin Oct. 2024
I played with words in a childish way
and I liked it…
Disclaimer:
This poem has no head and no tail.
It just Is.

I hope this made you smile and if somehow something made sense, you share it
with me because I’m clueless 🤷🏽‍♀️

Happy Halloweening

Written for W3 Prompt 131 at link below. Submissions are open for 5 days, until
Monday, Nov. 4, 10:00 AM (GMT+2)

With this post, I also wish to pay homage to the fun work they do at Colleen’s
Website.

And without straying too far from the TankaTuesday prompt, I want to assure
you that my witch had so much fun concocting that abstract poem (not a sonnet)
that doubles for the 10/29/24 TankaTuesday Challenge (not a roundabout).

As for the forms of these poems, it requires you to listen as you tap-tap your pretty
fingers to the count of 10 for the first poem. The first poem is non-rhymed;
the second has internal rhymes. Do tap your fingers with the second too.

Here’s the syllabic portion to complement the occasion that marks the end of
summer, the harvest, and the beginning of the dark time of the year.

At 9 o'clock we planned to meet
at Jack O'Lantern Lane
there'd be no one
to get undone
at Jack O'Lantern Lane

--or so we thought. To our surprise
the lane was packed with ghosts
chatty ghost clowns
rowdy ghost town:
the lane was packed with ghosts

stirring the cauldron, the witches
added to the bedlam
incantation
no cessation
added to the bedlam

spooked out of wits and sanity
we rebuked each other
stampede of feet
ran down the street
we rebuked each other

the witching hour came to a halt
our eyes look--petrified
the ghosts in guise,
revel with cries
our eyes look--petrified

on the table in the middle of night:

Bloodshot eyeballs with tics
In skeleton tazzas
Meringue ghosts with moving lips
And bubbly blood vials
Poised in the fish and chips
Spiders with beady eyes that leer me
And the monster munch bowl is slimy

May the nightmare be over and done with.

Copyright © 2024 selmamartin
First published at Sammi's
The Thinning of The Veil prompts.
Edited for TankaTuesday this week.

Form: a sad take off of the Roundabout Form.

(it’s not a Roundabout!) But the last stanza is an Experimental Gogyohka

Thanks for reading, everyone. Happy Samhain. Happy new month/new year.

And 🔥 🔥 🔥 last but not least

WDYS Prompt 260 

🪔 Happy 🪔 Diwali 🪔

I’ll keep this one brief:

Helen Keller said, “Joy is the holy fire that keeps our purpose warm and our intelligence aglow.

Robert J. Morgan added, “Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulty.”

Robert J. Morgan, Mastering Life Before It’s Too Late: 10 Biblical Strategies for a Lifetime of Purpose

Selma says, “Let’s keep the fire of hope alive for if that dies there’s no way out of the mess.”

Thanks so much for the warm presence you provide to my world. I bless you.

Selma Martin
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This Post Has 64 Comments

  1. VJ

    Oh my, you had fun writing these pieces, I think.

    1. Selma Martin

      You think right, dear VJ. I had fun writing these.
      I appreciate you reading and commenting.
      Do You Halloween!? If so, BOO 👻 enjoy a safe one. Bless you dear friend. 🤗

      1. VJ

        My pleasure, Selma, and yes, we Halloween – mostly handing out candy to the young goblins and princesses

  2. D. Avery @shiftnshake

    That they were fun to write lands right fun on the ear! I also enjoyed seeing animals among the manning in the first; horsing, pigging, yakking…

    1. Selma Martin

      When we say that humans are behaving like animals it’s a disservice to animals. But we get the picture more readily, right? Happy you saw that, D.
      It was fun to write.
      I loved how yours has a precise moral we all need to uphold. I really liked you referencing the ussing and themming and othering. How ugly we are when we do that. Bless you. Hugs

  3. Sadje

    Oh all these are excellent Selma. Your take on all three challenges is exciting and fun. Love the quotes you’ve shared for WDYS. Thanks for joining in.

    1. Selma Martin

      Aww Sadje. My pleasure. Glad you liked the post and the quote for WDYS. (I decided to leave the Diwali 🪔 line for those who celebrate) Bless you my friend. Hugs

      1. Sadje

        I appreciate your constant support dear friend.

  4. memadtwo

    “manning from fools”–such a great line.
    And yes, we must keep that fire of hope alive. (K)

    1. Selma Martin

      Thanks dearly, Kerfe. Let’s do what we can to mind that fire for all. Bless you.

      Btw, your NYC photos are awesome. As is your mondo. 🤗
      I had to show to my family. Yay, New York. Xo

      1. memadtwo

        Thanks Selma. I know cities aren’t for everyone, but I appreciate New York.

  5. rajkkhoja

    Love the quote 😀!

  6. Melissa Lemay

    It makes perfect sense to me. Somewhat of a warning to those hymn book HokeyPokey-ers!

    1. Selma Martin

      Yeah, that comes through right. Glad you could discern a positive from this, dear Melissa. Bless you.

  7. murisopsis

    Selma this one was so fun to read! I can’t pick out a favorite line as I’d have to put the poem entire in the comment! Wow! So so good!

      1. murisopsis

        I’m kind but also truthful. Your poem was a giggle and a lot of grinning!

  8. lesleyscoble

     I’d love to know what’s in your brew! I want some! Bravo, Selma, on your entertaining and magical concoction! 👏

    1. Selma Martin

      👻 something scary on the table of night Lesley. Stay away from the table.
      Hope you had a safe Halloween. Bless you

      1. lesleyscoble

        I’m still tired from flying on my broomstick all night 🧙

        1. Selma Martin

          Oh, that was you I passed on my broomstick? Golly,
          you were fast! 💨

          1. lesleyscoble

            I’m sorry I missed you. We could’ve had a good cackle together.

            1. Selma Martin

              Yes we could ‘av. Let’s plan better next year 🧙‍♀️ 🧹 🧙

  9. Elizabeth

    The poems are lovely, the freedom of words and feelings made me smile!

    1. Selma Martin

      Happy about the smile that bloomed. Thanks for visiting. Blessings

    1. willowdot21

      Not sure where my comment went so I shall repeat it because I really needed to love this post not just like it.
      Both poems were amazing I loved them both and couldn’t choose a favourite. Very well done you 💜💜✨

      1. Selma Martin

        Bless you. I’m so sorry you’re left with the feeling that the comment didn’t make it through, Willow. But so grateful you keep at it. Your words are the encouragement I love to receive. Wouldn’t want to miss them. I so appreciate you. Bless you.

    2. Selma Martin

      Play and fun. No overthinking with this one. Was so much fun (as you already know)
      Thanks for reading dear Heather. 🤗

    1. Selma Martin

      Thanks most dearly for reading dearest friend. Hope all is well. Bless you.

  10. wordsandcoffee1

    Sometimes focusing on the sounds of the words works best. Love it!

  11. msjadeli

    Selma, you took wordplay to the next level here. Bravo!

  12. willowdot21

    Oh! Selma I needed to love this post not just like it! It was so much fun. I loved both poems and really I can choose a favourite. Well done you 😍💜😍

    1. Selma Martin

      Willow, bless your heart my dear. You’re so precious to me. I bless you, doubly. 🤗

  13. Maria Michaela

    Love both poems, Selma. That abstract poem was loads of fun! I came across this form while looking for another form to try. So glad you did this.

    1. Selma Martin

      Appreciate the comment sweet Maria. Writing the abstract was fun. 🤩 bless you

  14. Gwen

    Wow, Selma. This was an experiential read. Bravo! I liked them both. 🌞

    1. Selma Martin

      Aww, thanks so very much, Gwen, sweet one. Bless you 🤗

  15. Colleen Chesebro

    Selma, I loved both poems! What fun! I should call these potion poems: you add in everything to make it sing! 👏

    1. Selma Martin

      Thanks for the lovely encouragement, dear Colleen. Happy you enjoyed the post. Bless you. Always.

  16. ben Alexander

    Selma, I love how you embrace the sounds and rhythms of words, making it a delightful read. Your unique style really shines through, and I appreciate the joy and humor you bring to your writing!

    ~David

    1. Selma Martin

      Thanks so much dear David. Catch you up on the other side. Bless you for all you do. Xo 🤗

    1. Selma Martin

      🙃 you’re precious. Thanks for reading and commenting my friend. Bless you.

    1. Selma Martin

      You’re precious. Thanks for reading and sharing that link. 🙌🏽

    1. Selma Martin

      Oh, that’s just wonderful. Love it. Thanks David

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