My grandchild and a friend
Were making posters in her room,
With tape and markers, for a project,
As you might presume.
From time to time, somebody asked
The spelling of a word,
And I should not have been surprised
At all by what I heard.
“Alexa, how do you spell this?”
Or “How do you spell that?”
It’s good to have an answer ready
In your habitat.
When I was young, our choices were
A dictionary or
A shout-out to whatever mom
Was near to call out for.
I guess there was another choice,
Which would work then or now -
To sound it out and take a chance
You spelled it right somehow.
Silken hand and tone,
weaves wistful tale as route map,
“angel” guide’s end plot!!
TO SEEKING, KNOCKING, ASKING, AND GIVEN
Sometimes things can be so simple,
When you just sit and seek guidance
From the holy cistern of wisdom:-
Trying to please you has been
A challenging endeavor
For me to accomplish:-
But now, I’m in the awareness
That my focus simply needs to be,
Taking care of you in labours of love:-
“How much greater value,
Is wisdom than gold…and likewise,
Understanding, more valuable than silver?”
No, nothing can match
God’s divine navigation,
And His Son’s footprinting:-
Praise be to the Trinity,
For body and soul healing:
Indeed, just seek, knock, and ask;
And in due time, all needs will be given:-
12 Snoopy scultures scattered around the city centre
to find in the sun
someone on facebook has spilled the beans
and revealed the location of 3 of them -
she has received an absolute backlash
some bloke wants to take part and drive up from kent
but we can't find the one and ask the young, bearded man in the hi-vis
he sends us over to the young, cologned-up man in the blue suit
he sends us down the escalator to the Paddington Bear bench
and we get there and leave a copy of Robert Burton's
The Anatomy of Melancholy next to Paddington,
eating his marmalade sandwich.
i whisper in his ear, 'good luck to you.'
the security guard and the blue-suited man begin to approach
we leave immediately.
SEEING AND ASKING:
A TANKA-SENRYU FREEFLOW
Pandemonium,
Has become common today.
What a confused life:
Warrior mindsets halting
Thoughts of peaceful sojourning:-
Negativity
Has blackened enlightenment:
Blocking out guidance:-
Time to set our minds on fire
With biblical memoirs:-
Let us remember
Both Sodom and Gomorrah:
Saving our nation:-
Today, things are really bad;
We must not let them get worse:-
Always remember,
God will help out all those who
Seek out His help:-
Let’s get to asking,
Knocking reparation’s door:
Deliverance opening:-
You can’t have character and an easy life
Despite the effort to avoid pain and strife
It can hollow you out seeking paradise
Irrevocable setbacks are the asking price
Lights within the mind occur when the question is asked a second time.
I loved you as a person but that can only go as the fleeting wind!
Your time to make my heart change became the pinnacle of your prime.
The words of God came in like the changing wind!
What I heard would make you question your time with me or your path.
I had the revelation and it was deeper than the last!
Here is my new path.
It is much stronger than the revelation I had during my first fast!
The words were that your path was not right for me as it was built upon deception.
If you decide to become a seeker of the truth than call me!
I knew you meant well even if you were misguided by a believed inception.
You were there when I needed you, now let my heart pay the fee!
Become part of me my red!
Be the rib on my side, and not the thought in my head!
The Owl-Father was asked many questions that year
Others did not make a move unless he gave the all-clear
Which one is he? The little yellow chick asked me.
He’s the pompous one standing straight up in that tree.
She flew up and waited for her turn to ask a favor of him.
He blustered and blathered, and turned his pocket watch in.
Staring at her through his monocle, he threw his weight around.
To her credit, she waited for a yes, before flying back down.
Mom, he needs a home.
Are you sure we can't keep him?
I'll take care of him.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 2nd place 2026
In shadows deep
my feelings lie
hidden from sight
long cuts on my arms
I let you in,
but you ran in fright
I've got the post-Christmas blahs
January is cold and dull
Give me a pop of colour !
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
unethical grin
your barstool weeps at closing—
sins rhyme with thin wine
Are you “Enough” for them?
Are you sure they “love” you? Are you “perfect”
for them?
Do they really
“Need”
You?
The “silence” gets louder at each question.
Are. you. Even. “you” Anymore?
“no”
The ”silence” was quiet for once.
It asks one more question
Are.
You.
“Okay”?
“No”
I'm “sorry.”
the “silence” would answer for the“last time”
As a small boy
That steam locomotive
Long, black and
Right in my face
As a small boy
That red diesel locomotive
Moving from idle humming to a roar
Louder, louder than any lion
As a larger boy
The view outside
Ever chancing
Yet the same
As a larger boy
The view inside
Someone to
Fantasize about
As an older boy
Realizing that
Grandparents
Don’t live forever
As an older boy
Experiencing that
Ist dieser Sitz frei?
Can get off to a good start
As a young draftee
Reading names
Inscribed on a brass plaque
In a silent corner of the station
As a young working man
That horseshoe curve in the mountain
Must have been hard work
Harder than my imagination
Today the train was due
And overdue
When I asked: Is this taken
Not a seat was free
And this old man
Wrote this poem
Still fascinated
And feeling older
Fill me with your healing light, Lord Vishnu,
Please heal my dearly precious beloved too
Of all his insecurities, worries, and doubt,
Prove to him it is him I cannot live without.
Fill me with an inner knowing, my Lord,
Let my knowledge be a metaphorical sword
Protecting the love I long ago had sworn
To be my path in which I am never forlorn.
Fill me with your eternal grace, Madhava,
So I may live accordingly to your divine law
As well as learn to love my dear more,
While our souls meet in every lifelong lore.
Fill me with divine love, oh Supreme One,
Help us love even after our lives are done.
Bless me with your eternally divine presence,
As I ascend and learn of your true essence.
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