War over, the dust settled.
They thought they annihilated all the beauty.
Lone rose stood its ground.
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: 2nd place 2026
Rain strikes her bare face
She plants both feet in the mud
She faces the storm
Nims
No one believed — "not in your blood"
Never did ice stop his fire
Nearing 14 peaks in 6 months, 6 days
No death could break his steel courage
Navy heart, lightning in blizzards
Nearing the impossible, he conquered
Nirmal proved ordinary can be extraordinary
Dainty and seasick,
she is renewing
fanatical meditation
through increasing
tenaciousness.
He wandered away from troubles
but he never gets tired of solving
whatever he does…
always with heart and soul.
He stayed strong through many hardships.
Whoever tries to strike him down,
he still rises without holding back.
He keeps walking--
even when the road is not easy today too.
This Week's Poetry Challenge: Exactly 50 Words
Write a poem using exactly 50 words.
Challenge Dates: July 27, 2026 - August 2, 2026.
Break the wall -
question all,
resist fear,
but be clear.
Watch a wild flower -
with little power,
blooms all day,
making its way,
with its little big might,
it puts up a good fight
casting every doubt
out!
forging on.
The sun it gazes upon -
without a helping hand
it emerges so grand
beyond the wall,
abiding by its call
pursuing its vision
finishing its mission!
Copyright © 2020 by Crystal David John
Published in my book titled 'Trails of Thought,' which is available on Amazon
I try to move on my free will I have prime aim to attain my goal
not allowing any interference. I'm always decisive
I believe, my life is mine. I choose own path to proceed.
Free Will’ is my priority. Any way I won't support any whims.
Each adverse comment I can ignore. I won't deviate from my motto of life.
My ‘Free Will ‘may be purposeless I stick to my decision .
I won't bother whether ‘Free Will’ harms others My steps to honour my determination.
‘ Free Will ‘ tries to dominate. ‘Determination ‘stands above ‘ Free Will.’
‘ Free Will’ fails to overcome ‘Determination’ Self confidence is focused on Determination’ I wish to live under shadow of ‘Free Will’ . Life is based on Determination’.Next comes ‘Fee Will’
The magic lantern, like Plato's cave
Should comfort us from here to grave
Illusions tempt but serve to save
Us all from small tedium
The little deaths that make up life
'tween buoyancy and mindless strife
Let balance there be our midwife
And rescue lies aborning
Breathe deeply in, the chance of mirth
At ev'ry chance from here to birth
The only measure of life's worth
Is pleasure gained from honest laughter dawning
For life's a heavy weight to bear
And we should not the mantle wear
Like it's a cloak of camel's hair
Thru the desert of life's making
When oasis waits upon the verge
If we but let our senses merge
Resisting mightily the urge
To wallow there in grieving
When courage is what takes the day
While life's embattled forces play
The lightness out in bitter fray
Shall not the victor be upon death's requiem
I have a thousand reasons not to work,
but I have only one reason to work, and that is my dream.
I have no motivation, no discipline anymore,
I only have a dream. I worked yesterday, I work today, and I will work tomorrow.
A thousand failures stand in my way,
yet for the sake of one victory, I refuse to give up.
I am enduring every defeat, every insult, every humiliation,
because one day, my time will come.
I am breathing for one reason alone,
because one day, this dream will come true.
I have no reason to live,
yet I am still here because I have a dream.
Inspirational Quotes
"NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE, THE WORD ITSELF SAYS, 'I'M POSSIBLE!'" ~ Audrey Hepburn
I saw Mount Everest touch the sky,
and felt my feet had conquered high.
Demons of sadness, grief and sorrow,
whispered deep: "No hope for tomorrow."
People stared like I was ghost and gloom,
my limbs were lost upon a battlefield tomb.
Each door was closed, each path with thorn,
everything seemed lost, the spirit worn.
But in my chest a fire did stay,
with courage, will, I found the way.
For "NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE" rings true,
the word itself cries "I'M POSSIBLE" to you.
So why should I hear echoes of "you can't"?
When dreams were sewn within my pants.
Storms came sneaking, stole my breath,
death zone winds called out to death.
Yet step by step, through pain and ice,
I climbed that world’s most cruel device.
And now I sit atop the crown,
feet on Everest, and won’t back down.
My heart beats loud and makes this decree:
"A MAN MAY BREAK, BUT HE WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED."
None of us are worthy of who we think we need to be, in that daunting moment
But all of us are capable of what we need to be, if we but rise to the occasion
When we first confront that rise which cowers inside us is when we rise to overcome
And, only when we overcome the temptation to hide behind that rising mountain of concern
Can we see beyond the crest of our uncertainty, and see ourselves on the other side
Safely or not, but having taken the side of what we can do, what we should do, and what will will do
Life comes at you fast.
Take the helm and ride the storm.
AP: 1st place 2026
The prison of my mind
got me locked in insanity,
Solitary thoughts
carving scars in my sanity.
A sick symmetry of misery
mixed with glee,
I grin through the chaos
while it chews through me.
I can’t break free
chains fused into bone,
Demons on a leash,
but I still sleep alone.
They whisper like prophets,
preach death as the truth,
I bite back the urge
just to prove I’m not loose.
I don’t want to lose,
but I’m tired of war,
Every breath feels like
I’ve fought it before.
Hope tastes like blood
when it slips through my teeth,
I bury my prayers
where the light won’t reach.
I walk through hell
with my head held straight,
Spite in my veins,
I refuse to break.
If I’m damned either way,
I’ll claw, I’ll stay,
I’ll tear through the dark
just to find my way.
I warned him a hundred times
I just can't take it anymore
I cry both day and night
Today's the day it's got to stop
I've got my one-way ticket out of here
I'm boarding a train that's westward bound
Don't know where I'll land and I don't care
I've got miles to go to hatch my plan
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
The way he’s come seems now so long and winding
Tramping through the rugged hills of time
His footfalls, once so full of purpose, begin to falter
As if the destination is now further off
And the path no longer for the finding.
His will to walk is undiminished
(Please God let that be true)
The will to strive, to climb, to go the umpteenth second mile
The will to gather other pilgrims too.
But this dark place is littered with conflicting signposts
With other walkers passing by too sure
“This is the path and this the way to walk”
“This is the marching song to sing and this the way to talk”
As striding by on different paths they leave his questioning unfinished.
The questions dance inside his head, whilst answers walk with leaden feet
That stumble slowly to the place where ask and answer meet.
Then meeting, change to swifter,
Spin-blurred dancing feet
That turn and mock his efforts to be sure
And shriek instead to trust
And thus to know far more.
Yet in it all he knows
Beyond the fog
The sun still shines
The Son still reigns
As
Head down
Stumbling
Sometimes falling
Wondering
Step-by-step
By step
He makes his way to higher ground.
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