Prompt 144: Meld

Thanks to Patti of Creative Cottage Dreamer for this week's prompt, meld, and her own wonderful contributions, below.


If I were a book....
My cover
would be eye catching-
decorated
with colorful words,
fabric and lace
and vintage images...

My binding
would be
tough,
but well- worn
and well- read
lasting the test of time...
(starting to fray maybe just a little)


My pages~
like the years-
melded together -
woven
with special memories
and experiences...
snapshots
of the people
and places and times
that make my life my own
filled with
the poetry of my life.

There would be pockets
and little niches
that would house
the special tokens
of my life
important icons
important to only me.

Hopefully this book
would be handed down
from generation to generation
and read often

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Prompt 143: Apprentice

Thanks to Irene of Lost in Translation for this week's prompt, apprentice. Here is her poem:

Oh my toe!

Stubbed by a shard, a recurring
punishment, a breaking sound
surprising eardrums as something
fell when you swivel, you clown!

Yours is a story of blundering,
a prophesy of Murphy’s Law,
a repetition of past mistakes
nailing you to imperfection.

It’s not so much that you’re spastic,
though that too, but life is,
you found out the hard way,
as treacherous as a monkey bar.

Always the eager apprentice,
you swagger past a swing door,
like a cowboy, managing to dodge
scrapes like a stray gun shot.

You swivelled at the bar counter,
ordered a frothy beer, you heard
your name called, you turned around
expectantly, and that’s when

your avalanche of hands sent
the glass skeetering to the hard floor
and due to lack of proper footwear,
you stubbed your toe on a shard.

Which only goes to show,
you need primping, cowboy boots
or whatever, and you need to claim
grandly, you missed a gun shot

which, when you think about it,
is no small victory, for all the crap
you take, while you go about
your skillful apprenticeship.

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Prompt 142: Echoes

Moe Lauher of --Hmm, I don't know what to tell ya! brings us this week's prompt, echoes. Here is his poem:

Echoes - return from across the field above the ravine - hello, hello, hello.

Reflections - a mirror, facing a mirror facing a mirror – echoes.

My Shadow - dark and long, connected to me, following me, but not me – an echo?

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Prompt 141: Pause

This week's prompt is pause, thanks to Pam Olsen of Amputated Moon. Thanks for this, Pam. And thanks for this poem:


Saturday Night Jazz

in a corner of a dim-lit room
the poet sits--- pen to paper
squinting to see the words
while the sax wails and sings


the words swirl around
high on the caffeine rush
of dark espresso
and jazz


the player sounds a low note
then comes the pause
the moment after and before
the note fades into the air


fingers stop their reaching
for yet another pitch
her hand stops its writing
for yet another line


the neon clock on the wall waits
one second gone
another not yet arriving
the hands freeze


in the stretch and pull of time
the poet and the player
wait . . .
pause—


then a whispered moan
rises from the sax
and the poet bows her head
and writes

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Prompt 140: Fancy

Thanks to Brian, who brings us this week's prompt, fancy.

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Prompt 139: Grace

Thanks to Brandi of Recklessly Me for this week's prompt, grace. Here are her poem and image:

Grace is Always giving more and Receiving a little less. Grace is No better than the pauper on the street, and No less than than the débutante. Grace is Understanding Even when you don't agree. Grace is Loving with all of yourself and Expecting nothing in return. Grace is Supplying the needs of others With a pure heart. Grace is the sun in all its splendor Shining brilliantly on the world. Grace is You and Grace is Me When we are just as we were intended to be.

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An Invitation from Leo

Leo of  I Rhyme Without Reason e-mailed an invitation to all OSI participants. He is having a writing challenge, no genre required. It sounds very interesting. It begins November 1 and continues every day of November except Sundays (thank you, Leo! That’s OSI Day!).

The theme for each day is the letter of the alphabet. Backwards. So on November 1, write in any genre about a topic that begins with Z. On November 2 do the same with a topic for the letter Y, etc.

This is a great idea, Leo. I want and need to write. But as you can tell by my non-existent haiku, I’m not writing. Thank you for this cool challenge!

The New Look of One Single Impression

Before the prompt is posted in just over one hour, I wanted to tell you about our new look. I've been thinking that the old OSI is dated. Blogger has new, versatile templates and they are fun to work with.

I need your feedback. What needs improvement? If you can't read something, it has to be fixed. So please let me know. All comments are e-mailed to me, so I'll be reading them and I will be paying attention to what you need.

My first question to be answered is the text on the banner — I think it is superfluous and redundant. Does anything besides "One Single Impression" have to be there? If so, what should it be?

I don't know if I'll be keeping the hydrangea banner or not. You may have suggestions for banners. They have to be 980x215 pixels. The banner text is not on the banner — it's from an element in Google. We could have seasonal banners or collages . . . just about anything that reflects the phrase "One Single Impression."

Let me know! Don't be shy. Just be gentle!

— Andree

Prompt 138: Champion

Thanks to Rob Kistner of Image & Verse for this week's prompt, champion. Here are his poem and image:

Champion

search not in the bright lights

that illuminate the field of glory

nor midst the din of exaltation

if you seek a hero’s story

look instead outside the glare

in the quiet place beyond

where no accolades are strewn

and no ivy laurels donned

where daily life is hard

and the living less than grand

where the strength to persevere

depends on the extended hand

where the poor struggle without

the weak endeavor day to day

it’s here by selfless sweat of brow

the brave endure to find a way

willing to give all they’ve got

to daily do what must be done

to share when even they have not

to face their fear not turn and run

to reach and help the one’s in need

to fight the fight that must be fought

more than the words -- to do the deed

to stand and smile not shrink distraught

it’s among these who seldom win

yet rise each day and strive again

it’s here your search should begin

it’s here you’ll find your champion

• • •

rob kistner © 2010

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Prompt 137: Lonely

Today's prompt is lonely.

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Prompt 136: Try

Thanks for this week's prompt, try, from Snow White.

When we are unaware
We try to learn
When we lose hopes
We try to regain
When we gift some pain
We try to console
When we are happy
We express it whole

We try to smoothen
When life turns rough
We try and try more
We can't try enough
Life is long journey
It never stops moving
But it ceases to grow
When we stop trying

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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Prompt 135: Monument

Ramesh Sood of A Little More Than Ordinary brings us this week's prompt, monument. Here is his poem:

A Monument of Broken Dreams

Now that I turn in to
A monument of broken dreams
Stand beside me & smile
As you will get clicked
To become a raving news
Overnight, let people find us
Smiling together at least once,
You for obvious reason
Of standing in front of camera
As the architect of the monument
And I for having
Finally become something
Of note, to be written about...

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Prompt 134: Joie de vivre

Joie de vivre is this week's prompt, thanks to Leo! Here's his poem:

Each moment

Bliss; tear, a smile wasted

Joie de vivre

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One Single Impression Is On Facebook

One Single Impression

 On the side bar (and right here!), you'll find our Facebook Page. If you click on it, it will take you to the One Single Impression page. We already have one (besides me) who has liked it — thank you, Robert!

We need 25 Likes from all of you and then we can have a permanent URL, so click away, folks! And please join the discussion about OSI blog design changes. Please post photos, videos, add your poetry in Notes. Make comments on the wall!

 Oh, and I will friend any of you who like the page. I hope that isn't a put-off for you! Take care and have a wonderful week!

—  Andrée
PS: Don't miss the new prompt list! It is just below this week's prompt (or click here)!Also, please follow OSI on Networked Blogs (on the sidebar here).!

Prompt 133: The Passing

Thanks to The Dark Lord for this week's prompt, the passing. Here is his poem:

The day was finally over

And the sun was setting,

Casting its tired glow over the darkening sky

As the dwindling rays got numbered...

It had been a long day

A colossal journey, come to an end

And night had come

Sweeping away the last strains of the golden light

O, so sweet, with the cool whisps

Of the earth’s smoke, bearing that soulful fragrance

And the silent sounds

Promising blissful slumber

In a dreamless wonderland.
Ah! But the memories do remain

Of the bygone day

And the events, and the promises

Of the deeds, fulfilled and unfulfilled

Of the playful banterings and relationships

So significant and intense

Yet, blurred with the passing evening

Silhouetted images, pushed further away

Now, mere fleeting instances

Of the sounds, and the smells

And the tender touches

Feelings which could still warm amidst the setting chill

Tugging resolutely, until finally

The day gives way to the glorified night

Leaving, but mere memories, at its wake…

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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New Season, New Prompts

Date	Prompt	Contributor
September 19 - 25, 2010	Joie de vivre	Leo at I Rhyme Without Reason
September 26 - October 2, 2010	Monument	Ramesh Sood
October 3 - 9, 2010	Try	Snow White
October 10 - 16, 2010	Lonely	Harshad Mehta
October 17 - 23, 2010	Champion	Rob Kistner
October 24 - 30, 2010	Grace	Irendi
October 31 - November 6, 2010	Fancy	Brian
November 7 - 13, 2010	Pause	Pam
November 14 - 20, 2010	Echoes	Moe Lauher
November 21 - 27, 2010	Apprentice	Irene
November 28 - December 4, 2010	Meld	Patti
December 5 - 11, 2010	Free(dom)	Ms. Meduri
December 12 - 18, 2010	Win	Married to Singaporean
December 19 - 25, 2010	Stillness	Felicity
December 26, 2010 - January 1, 2011	Comb	Gautami Tripathy
January 2 - 8, 2011	Calmed	Jim
January 9 - 15, 2011	Abundance	My Poetic Path
January 16 - 22, 2011	Carnival	Rigel
January 23 - 29, 2011	Quagmire	Amity
January 30 - February 5, 2011	Evening	Word Actress
February 6 - 12, 2011	Humility	ρομπερτ
February 13 - 19, 2011	Incandescent	Tammie Lee
February 20 - 26, 2011	Top	Sandra.if
February 27 - March 5, 2011	Vellicate*	The Odd Inkwell

* Vellicate:

• tickle: touch (a body part) lightly so as to excite the surface nerves and cause uneasiness, laughter, or spasmodic movements
• pinch: irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear; "smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth"; "the pain is as if sharp points pinch your back"
  wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

Be sure to drop a line to Andrée if you find any errors or if you think the dates should be rearranged. The calendar and sidebar links will be are updated now within a day or two. Don't forget to subscribe to the OSI Calendar below:

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The calendar now has links to all of the contributors.
However, the links are not clickable. Google has yet to implement this capability.

♥ Thank you all so much!

Prompt 132: Choices

Thanks to Joseph of Naming Constellations for this week's prompt, choices. Here is his poem, which he calls an homage to Robert Frost.

Pathfinder

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
and yet they seemed unkind to me:
it does a traveler no good
to see the possum meat and blood
that stain their black periphery.

These asphalt snakes that loop the field
with broken spines in pallid paint,
they fester like a wound unhealed.
The deer and fox are well-concealed:
their shadows grey, their outlines faint.

No more they dare themselves to stray
across that tarry river in the trees:
nor did I wish more to go that way.
I cleared the brush like August hay,
to see the paths the clever fox sees.

Cars pass in the corner of my eye:
I creep alongside them, heel to toe.
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I wanted neither to travel by,
and thus made my own way to go.

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Prompt 131: Empty

Thanks to Snow White for this week's prompt, empty. And thanks for the poem and image.

You Silver lining In my cloud of life.. You Ray of hope In my gloomy days.. You The rainbow In my colorless life.. You My teacher Of life's many hues.. You Who taught me Affection, care, happiness.. Fights, sadness, disappointment.. You Left me one day.. I realised that you taught me About all colors of life. You forgot just one color.. Emptiness

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Call for Prompts

It's time again to solicit poetry prompts from our regular participants. Please offer your prompt in the comments box. Just one prompt per person, please!

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Prompt 130: Pensive

The prompt pensive comes to us from Stacy Wilson of Inkwell Whispers. Here are her wonderful words and image.

quieter thoughts stones smoothed by the river

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How to Participate in One Single Impression

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