Tag: Creative Writing

Loose peoples, or: One tightly knit?

ben Alexander20 Comments

My 1st ‘blues stanza’

Oh, Hebrew has long been our people's tongue
Holy tongue, it's always been our ancient tongue
That few know today for we're so far-flung

Most Jews have seen it only in prayer books
Though most don't ever open up prayer books
How many give the Torah even single looks?

Diaspora Jews from Israel live split
Peoples since Babel times are always split
Are Jews loose peoples or one tightly knit?

Foods, customs, history also cultures define
But more so our shared languages cultures define
We Jews fast unraveling, no longer entwined

We're scattered across shores of oceans blue
Words foreign float across those oceans blue
Oh, what unites us? Perhaps I never knew...

d’Verse prompt:

Blue Tuesday

At d’Verse, we were prompted to “write blue” ~ a splash of blue, an ocean of blue, a shimmer of blue. Gaze into the distance, or look down at the sapphire on your finger. Take us to the Blue Ridge Mountains or the Blue Lagoon. Pour a Blue Monday cocktail, slap some blues on the juke box and let’s poem.

Bonus:

Threat, or: Promise

ben Alexander15 Comments

My 1st Tawddgyrch Cadwynog

Based on a true story

"If you don't play, I'm gonna die!"
Her end was nigh; What could I say?
So? Yay or nay? My child's not shy...
Should I comply? I sighed. "Okay."

Some later day, she threatened me -
"I'll die! You'll see!" sulked little fae.
Patience did fray; I sipped my tea,
Counted to three and frowned her way.

But then I smirked at funny thought.
My wink she caught; had her ploy worked?
I acted irked, though smile I fought;
Small shoulders caught; away she jerked.

I tickled her to save the dear;
She, in fifth gear, her arms a blur;
To tricks deter one must be clear...
Instill some fear... teach, as it were.

Dungeons, or: Dragons

ben Alexander19 Comments

A ‘Magnetic Poem’ tanka

Wanna try? Click here.

Dungeons & Dragons ~
I always liked that geek game
which played in my head
we interfaced with our brains
war with evil never crashed

Notes

  • For this poem, I decided to make use of the ‘Geek Set’ on the Magnetic Poetry website;
    • I am, after all, a geek 🤓
    • This particular poem was inspired upon my childhood experience of playing Dungeons & Dragons a LOT;
  • I once again opted for a tanka, rather than a haiku;
    • The extra two lines (14 syllables) provide a greater challenge, as well as a larger canvas;
  • I had to “cheat” a little for this poem because I didn’t have enough s’s or ed’s;
    • Specifically, I had to copy and paste the words ‘played’ and ‘brains’ into the poem, after putting those magnets together separately from the body of the poem;
  • I searched for and found the featured image only after I had written the entire tanka;
    • This is a free stock photo