Colleen’s 2019 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 146 #SynonymsOnly

Published on September 24, 2019September 23, 2019 by Colleen M. Chesebro48 Comments

WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

**HAPPY AUTUMN!** Image by Rebekka D from Pixabay

Hi! I’m glad to see you here. Are you ready to write some syllabic poetry?

Here are your two words for this week:

FALL & GIVE

HERE’S THE CATCH: You can’t use the prompt words! SYNONYMS ONLY!

Check the thesaurus for different meanings of these words. The word fall is a homonym.

PLEASE support the other poets by visiting their blogs and leaving comments. Sharing each other’s work on social media is always nice too.

This challenge is for Haiku, Senryu, Haiga, Tanka, Haibun, Etheree, Nonet, Shadorma, and Cinquain poetry forms. Freestyle rhyming poetry is not part of this challenge. Thank you. ❤

For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the links to learn about each form:

CINQUAIN & the variations on Cinquain-Wikipedia

ETHEREE

NONET

SHADORMA

Here are some great sites that will help you write your poetry and count syllables

synonyms.com

This site even has a link so you can install the extension on Google Chrome.

thesaurus.com

For Synonyms and Antonyms. When your word has too many syllables, find one that works.

howmanysyllables.com

Find out how many syllables each word has. I use this site to compose my poems. Click on the “Workshop” tab, then cut and paste your poetry into the box. Click the Count Syllables button on the button. This site does the hard work for you.

THE RULES

I will publish the Tuesday prompt post at 12: 03 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Phoenix, AZ). That should give everyone time to see the prompt from around the world. I publish the RECAP on Monday and it will contain the poetry from the Poet of the Month and any Honorable Mentions.

You have one week to complete the Challenge with a deadline of Sunday, at 12:00 P.M. (Noon) Phoenix, AZ, U. S. A.

The rules are simple

Follow the schedule listed below:

Please do a LINK-BACK to this challenge by copying the https:// address of this post into your own.

As time allows, I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY. I have also been sharing some of your poetry on Facebook.

If you add these hashtags to your post TITLE on your blog (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often:

#Haiku, #Senryu, #Haiga, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose, #CinquainPoetry, #Etheree, #Nonet, #Shadorma

You may copy the badge I have created to go with the Weekly Poetry Challenge Post and place it in your post. It’s not mandatory:

Have fun and write some poetry!

Colleen’s Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 103, “Fall & Try,” #SynonymsOnly

Published on September 25, 2018September 24, 2018 by Colleen M. Chesebro71 Comments

WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

Hi! I’m glad to see you here. Are you ready to write some syllabic poetry?

HERE’S THE CATCH: You can’t use the prompt words! SYNONYMS ONLY!

I hope you will support the other poets with visits to blogs and leaving comments. Sharing each other’s work on social media is always nice too.

PLEASE NOTE: This challenge is for Tanka, Haiku, Senryu, Haibun, and Cinquain poetry forms. Freestyle rhyming poetry is not part of this challenge. Thank you. ❤

Please note: We are all students of poetry. I have given you the instructions on how to write the different forms. Try your best to be as exact as you can. There are no tests, and I don’t grade your work. LOL!

The most meaningful change you will learn about is in writing a Haiku vs. a Senryu. Also, remember, pronunciation in various parts of the world will affect your syllable count. Go with your gut on deciding the syllable count. You are the poet and the creator of your work.

I sponsor this challenge to help poets learn how to write various forms of poetry. Remember, if you are sending your poetry for publication in literary journals, contests, or self-publishing, you should know the correct forms and use them.

For Colleen’s Weekly Poetry Challenge, you can write your poem in one of the forms defined below. Click on the links to learn about each form:

HAIKU IN ENGLISH 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Haiku is written about seasonal changes, nature, and change in general.

TANKA IN ENGLISH 5/7/5/7/7 syllable structure. Your Tanka will consist of five lines written in the first-person point of view. This is important because the poem should be written from the perspective of the poet.

HAIBUN IN ENGLISH Every Haibun must begin with a title. Haibun prose is composed of short, descriptive paragraphs, written in the first-person singular.

The text unfolds in the present moment, as though the experience is occurring now rather than yesterday or some time ago. In keeping with the simplicity of the accompanying haiku or tanka poem, all unnecessary words should be pared down or removed. Nothing must ever be overstated.

The poetry never tries to repeat, quote, or explain the prose. Instead, the poetry reflects some aspect of the prose by introducing a different step in the narrative through a microburst of detail. Thus, the poetry is a sort of juxtaposition – different yet somehow connected.

Cinquain ALSO: Check out the Cinquain variations listed here: Cinquain-Wikipedia These are acceptable methods to use. Please list the form you use so we can learn from you.

Senryu in English 5/7/5 syllable structure. A Senryu is written about love, a personal event, and have IRONY present. Click the link to learn the meaning of irony.

Image credit: Pinterest.com

(Currently, free-verse prose poems are NOT part of this challenge)

Here are some great sites that will help you write your poetry and count syllables

synonyms.com

This site even has a link so you install the extension on Google Chrome.

thesaurus.com

For Synonyms and Antonyms. When your word has too many syllables, find one that works.

howmanysyllables.com

Find out how many syllables each word has. I use this site for all my Haiku and Tanka poems. Click on the “Workshop” tab to create your Haiku or Tanka.

THE RULES

I will publish the Tuesday prompt post at 12: 03 A.M. Mountain Standard Time (Denver Time). That should give everyone time to see the prompt from around the world. The RECAP is published on Monday and will contain links to the participants.

WRITE YOUR POEM ON YOUR BLOG as a post.

You have one week to complete the Challenge with a deadline of Sunday, at 12:00 P.M. (Noon) Denver time, U. S. A.

This will give me a chance to add the links from everyone’s poem post from the previous week, on the Recap I publish on Monday. I urge everyone to visit the blogs and comment on everyone’s poem.

The rules are simple.

I will give you two words. Choose synonyms from those words for your poetry. You, the poet, now have more control over the direction of your writing. Follow the rules carefully. Don’t use the prompt words.

LINK YOUR BLOG POST TO MINE WITH A PINGBACK. To do a Pingback: Copy the URL (the HTTPS:// address of my post) for the current week’s Challenge and paste it into your post. You may also place a copy of your URL of your post in the comments of the current week’s Challenge post.

Because of the time difference between where you are, and I am, you might not think your link is there. I manually approve all links. People taking part in the challenge may visit you and comment or “like” your post. I also need at least a Pingback or a link in the comments section to know you took part and to include you in the Weekly Recap published each Monday.

BE CREATIVE. Use your photos and create “Visual POETRY” if you wish, although it is not necessary. Use whatever program you want to make your images.

As time allows, I will visit your blog, comment, and TWEET your POETRY

If you add these hashtags to your post TITLE (depending on which poetry form you use) your poetry may be viewed more often:

#Haiku, #Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines, #Haibun, #Prose #Senryu, #CinquainPoetry

I have also been sharing your poetry on my Facebook Page here: https://www.facebook.com/CMChesebro/. Please follow me so that I can tag you in my posts. FOLLOW, LIKE, & SHARE from my page. ❤

You may copy the badge I have created to go with the Weekly Poetry Challenge Post and place it in your post. It’s not mandatory:

Here are the TWO prompt words for this week’s challenge: “Fall & Try,” #SynonymsOnly

Have fun and write some poetry!

The Seasons – Hugh’s Photo Challenge

Published on April 29, 2016April 29, 2016 by Colleen M. Chesebro15 Comments

For this week’s photo challenge from Hugh’s Views and News, who is being hosted by the ever fabulous, Ronovan, of Ronovan Writes, we are to show what “Season” means to us.

Want to join the fun? Here’s what you need to do.

Take or choose a photo that you’ve taken which, for you, depicts Group.
2. Create a new post on your blog entitled “Hugh’s Weekly Photo Challenge: Week 22 – “Group”
3. Add the photo(s) you have taken to the post and tell us a little about what you are showing.
4. Create a *pingback to this post or leave a link to your post in the comments section below so that other participants can view the post.

Not sure how to create a pingback? Click here for a step by step guide on how to create one.

*As Pingbacks have not been working on WordPress over the last few weeks, Hugh asks that we please leave a link to our post in the comments section so he and other participants can view the post.

I love the four seasons and that is one of the reasons we moved from Florida to Colorado… I know one extreme to another. It does make for some interesting weather, though! Here is a quick pick of the seasons as I have know them the last couple of years!

Winter

This is a photo of our oak tree last November. It was our first Colorado blizzard. (This tree has no signs of growth this spring. I believe it has passed on to the great tree heaven up above)

My granddaughter’s Azalea – first spring bloom in Florida

Summer in Montana – a gently rolling stream back in the woods

Fall in Colorado – Better pictures coming this year!

Here’s to hoping for a fabulous day where ever you are! TGIF!

An Essay on the Importance of Halloween in American Society

Published on October 27, 2014March 21, 2015 by Colleen M. Chesebro37 Comments

Halloween has become one of the most celebrated retail holidays in our American culture although the roots of the holiday are shrouded in religious beliefs that have survived from the beginning of time. Think of Halloween and visions of costumes, jack-o-lanterns and candy appear. Lots of candy! But the earliest celebrations of Halloween symbolize the eternal struggle between good vs. evil which is still representative in our society today.

According to Maggie Black, Halloween, All Hallows Eve or Hallowtide includes Halloween evening and the feast of All Saints followed by All Souls’ Day (October 31^st to November 2^nd) and has a history rich in religious traditions that originated with the Celtic feast of Samhain which celebrated the end of summer and the harvest. (60) The Celts believed that on Halloween the dead walked the earth again and this brought much fear to the people. (60) Early agricultural societies revolved around the seasons and as summer traveled into fall and the warming influence of the sun waned, they began preparations for the long hard winters. The bounty that was evident from the summer harvest provided the perfect backdrop for a celebration. The Celts looked to the seasons to answer questions they had about their own existence and I believe this natural progression of the seasons caused them to try to explain how they thought their world operated back then.

During the harvest celebration, the Celts also celebrated their dead which is also explained by the season of fall and associated with death. Bonfires were lit to drive the evil demons away and protect the souls that were still earthbound. Great feasts were held to celebrate the bounty of the harvest and religious rites were performed to purify the people for another year so they could produce another bountiful harvest the following year. As Christianity developed throughout the world, some of the more basic traditions from the Celts followed with the Halloween holiday. Gradually, demons became witches and Halloween in America settled into a celebration of the harvest and the bounty that the summer produced.

I recall as a child attending Halloween parties that were focused on the harvest of fall. Apples, nuts, pumpkins and gourds were readily found in the fall. Pumpkins were carved to symbolize laughing or crazy faces as if to mock the evil spirits from long ago. Costumes were worn as a disguise and I wondered if that was so the evil would not recognize my true form and find me. These Halloween traditions have followed us into the Twenty First Century.

Halloween has become one of the most important retail holidays celebrated in America today. At its humble beginnings, Halloween consisted of carved pumpkins and homemade costumes and Trick-or-Treat. I remember the thrill when I tromped up to a neighbor’s house all dressed up in a disguise and shouted out, “Trick or Treat!” It was equally thrilling when a full size Milky Way bar or some other precious sweet that I loved was deposited into my treat bag.

The retail phenomenon began about fifteen years ago. Suddenly, everyone had a lawn display that consisted of ghoulish graveyards, huge blowup Frankenstein monsters or black cauldrons boiling some smelly concoction. Hidden stereos spewed forth scary sounds in decibels high enough to make your toes curl! Neighborhoods had contests with one another and their neighbor’s yards were crammed with every imaginable Halloween decoration that is available for sale today.

(Image credit: Outdoor Halloween Decorations)

“Halloween is becoming more sophisticated as people start taking their celebrating seriously,” says Kathy Grannis, a spokesperson for the National Retail Federation. “It’s a fun, stress-free holiday that allows you to be as creative as you want to be.” (Herbst 1) Coupled with that, the retailers want you to spend your money on their Halloween themed items. Halloween displays typically show up in stores across America before the kids have gone back to school in many cities! Halloween is big money in the retail world and we Americans have created a monster in sales.

“The average American will spend nearly $60 to celebrate Halloween this year. Consumers spend the most on costumes, averaging about $22 a person, followed by decorations, candy, and greeting cards.” (Herbst 1) Decorations are fueling the retail industry. Everyone wants to recreate their favorite horror movie scene or have the best graveyard on the block. No Halloween party in America is complete without cobwebs and giant spiders stretched across your ceiling! Besides that, the retailers remind us with every advertising venue possible that it is not fun to Trick or Treat at a house with no decorations!

Halloween is fun because it allows everybody to let loose and be something they are not. When you buy into Halloween, you buy into the fantasy of Halloween. Because our unemployment percentages are at the highest levels in years and so many people are out of work, Halloween has become the ultimate way to pretend that your life is better. As Americans, we need diversions that give us cause for celebration. Halloween does that. It’s the one night a year to live in a fantasy and then return to the reality of your life the next day.

Halloween is still about the fall season and signifies the first holiday of the traditional American holiday season. Just like the Celts long ago celebrated the harvest and the end of the summer, today we share the same thirst for the fall celebration. The religious overtones of the holiday have been replaced with a more commercial view of Halloween that is like an offering and a hope to keep all that is evil at bay. I think the Celts would understand.

Works Cited

Black, Maggie. “Saints and Soul-caking.” History Today 31.11 (1981): 60. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

Herbst, Moira. “The Booming Business of Halloween.” BusinessWeek Online (2006): 1. Academic SearchComplete. EBSCO. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I am up to. It is Halloween Week and I look forward to seeing you again!

Silver Threading

Gratitude Sunday–Holidays

Published on October 26, 2014October 26, 2014 by Colleen M. Chesebro21 Comments

As part of Colline’s Gratitude Project, I would like to say how thankful I am for holidays. Halloween is just around the corner and I dearly miss the days when my children were still home getting ready for Trick-or-Treat. I loved carving pumpkins and all the fuss that came at that time of the year.

Everything about the holiday in our home, had to do with family. With five kids it was always fun to dream up costumes that we could do ourselves. It took many days of planning and brain storming to come up with ideas that the kids really loved.

We always had someone who wanted to be a vampire (Tabitha), or the walking dead (Amy). Billy lucked out that year and got to dress up like the Cracker Jack guy.

Even our all black Pomeranian, Pu-Chai, got into the holiday. One year, Tabitha made bat wings we attached to the dog. He proudly went Trick-or-Treating with the kids showing off his wings. No matter what, we always had fun.

Even today, my artistic daughter Tabitha still loves to dress up and attend Halloween parties. Her Mexican Day of the Dead costume is dead-on! (No pun intended). Smile I plan on giving out candy on Halloween night. What do you do to celebrate the holiday?

Thanks for creeping by to see what scary things I am up to. I’ll see you again,

Silver Threading

Gratitude Sunday

Published on September 28, 2014September 28, 2014 by Colleen M. Chesebro15 Comments

Colline, of Colline’s Blog, sponsors a weekly Gratitude Project where she encourages us to be mindful of what we are thankful for each week.

This week I am thankful for the cool breezes blowing into our little part of the world – Pensacola, Florida. It has been an excruciatingly hot summer here in the northwestern panhandle of Florida. Last week, our temperatures dipped into the high 60’s F. in the mornings and the low 80’s F. during the day. It has been sheer bliss.

Finally, it is beginning to feel like autumn. I am looking forward to steamy cups of hot chocolate enjoyed outside while we are barbecuing, enjoying my hot tub/spa with a glass of Moscato wine, and cool misty morning walks with Sugar and Spice, my Pomeranians. I am ready for some fall like weather!

Autumn always makes me think of family. The grandkids go back to school, the days get shorter, the nights get longer. Halloween is just around the corner! Fall is the prelude to the holiday season which for many is a stressful time of year. I keep things simple and like to spend time with loved ones. What do you do for the holidays?

These cooler temperatures have made me nostalgic for times long ago when my children were young and still living at home. We always had myriads of activities to keep us busy, what with school, dances, homework, crafts, etc. Thankfully my oldest daughter, Tabitha is coming for a visit from California in a week or so. I am so excited!

(Image credit: Pinterest, 9/28/2014)

Yes, I am truly thankful for the cool sea breezes bring autumn along on their headwinds. What are you thankful for this week?

Thanks for visiting and spending some time with me. I will see you again,

Silver Threading

Pixel Prose Challenge–Montana Autumn

Published on September 21, 2014September 21, 2014 by Colleen M. Chesebro18 Comments

Fall stealthily creeps from the base of the mountains

to the tips of the trees with a frosty morning greeting.

The air, crisper now, sparkles in the dew as

fluffy clouds stretch thinly over the blue.

Deepening shadows broaden and

distend, lengthening into

Autumnal snows.

Montana Autumn is my contribution to Amanda’s Unique Art Chic’s Weekly Challenge:

Amanda says,

“A unique weekly challenge designed to inspire creativity from both photographers and writers. Everyone is welcome.”

“The concept is very simple: Use the photograph that most inspires you – then add your prose. This can consist of any form of text. Word art, quotes, poetry, haiku, rhyme, short fiction etc.

Choose your own theme – this will free you up to use your creativity to its fullest – with the photograph you feel most inspired by. Create with your photography, edit your photographs as much or as little as you want – you decide!

Providing you have added words to your image, there is no reason why you can’t enter the challenge from other forms of social media such as Instagram, Facebook, Flickr etc. Note: You will need the URL of the actual image and not your account.

The challenge will run Sunday to Sunday approx 12 pm GMT. Entries can be posted anytime during the week.

A really great feature with the challenge is that viewers can see all the feature images side by side. Clicking the blue frog allows you to both view and add your own entry

It gets better…
When you include the inLinkz code in your own post, you will get the frog too! This means your readers can also see all the feature images and join in.

If you’ve never used InLinkz before feel free to ask questions, see the written guide or watch the video help guide.”

In the interest of promoting the challenge, and to ensure viewers can see the other entries, please follow all the steps given.

STEPS TO ENTER

Create a new post and title it Pixel Prose Challenge + your post title
Tag your post Pixel Prose Challenge
If you create your entry on other social media sites, (or share your post to them) the hash tag is #pixelprosechallenge
Link your post URL to the inLinkz grid, selecting your inspired photo/feature image.
Copy and paste the inlinkz code in your own post
Display the Pixel Prose logo on your post or sidebar

Thanks for visiting with me this Sunday. I enjoy seeing you!

Silver Threading

Pixel Prose Challenge–Montana Autumn

Published on September 21, 2014 by Colleen M. Chesebro18 Comments

Fall stealthily creeps from the base of the mountains

to the tips of the trees with a frosty morning greeting.

The air, crisper now, sparkles in the dew as

fluffy clouds stretch thinly over the blue.

Deepening shadows broaden and

distend, lengthening into

Autumnal snows.

Montana Autumn is my contribution to Amanda’s Unique Art Chic’s Weekly Challenge:

Amanda says,

“A unique weekly challenge designed to inspire creativity from both photographers and writers. Everyone is welcome.”

“The concept is very simple: Use the photograph that most inspires you – then add your prose. This can consist of any form of text. Word art, quotes, poetry, haiku, rhyme, short fiction etc.

The challenge will run Sunday to Sunday approx 12 pm GMT. Entries can be posted anytime during the week.

A really great feature with the challenge is that viewers can see all the feature images side by side. Clicking the blue frog allows you to both view and add your own entry

It gets better…
When you include the inLinkz code in your own post, you will get the frog too! This means your readers can also see all the feature images and join in.

If you’ve never used InLinkz before feel free to ask questions, see the written guide or watch the video help guide.”

In the interest of promoting the challenge, and to ensure viewers can see the other entries, please follow all the steps given.

STEPS TO ENTER

Create a new post and title it Pixel Prose Challenge + your post title
Tag your post Pixel Prose Challenge
If you create your entry on other social media sites, (or share your post to them) the hash tag is #pixelprosechallenge
Link your post URL to the inLinkz grid, selecting your inspired photo/feature image.
Copy and paste the inlinkz code in your own post
Display the Pixel Prose logo on your post or sidebar

Thanks for visiting with me this Sunday. I enjoy seeing you!

Silver Threading