Thanks a lot, William Shakespeare! — I’ve not been one who’s musically inclined My head’s a sieve that cannot hold a tune Odd songs and melodies drift and combine I wonder if I belong on the moon! But then to my rescue came poetry The musicality of Dr Seuss A bridge to William Shakespeare’s comedies His sonnets came next…

A protest sonnet — Espousing unpopular opinions, attacked and mocked by those who said she’d sinned, no tolerance for her provocations, they’d snuff her out, a candle in the wind. “Julian Assange has done nothing wrong!” “The US extradition is bogus!” …

Tuning up our poetic brilliance — Hello to our dear Paper Poetry friends, Are you getting into the swing of the rhyme? Do you hear the beat of the tempo? Are the lyrics jiving to the tune of your melody? Yes, I’ve gone a bit nutty! 😆 But, hey, we’re all allowed to let ourselves off…

GiaB prompt #2–21: happy place — “Where’s your brother?” “How would I know,” came the surly reply from the dark-haired girl seated at the end of the kitchen’s seen-better-days table. Without raising her head from the schoolbooks set before her, she continued in the same vein. “Which one? I’ve got five, remember.” The woman kept stirring…

Yow-wow-eee-yow-eee-wow — Felines mew in unison A crying crescendo yow-wow-eee-yow-eee-wow Rasp of canine pulled chords rrrr-rruh-rruh-rrrruh Nocturnal, musical masterpiece! © Carolyn Hastings 2022 A nocturnal, musical masterpiece?!! Felix and Fido might think so, but — ‘Hang on, guys, please spare a thought for us humans in our beds trying to sleep through…

Anything’s better than fatal — Life has taken a seismic jolt Everything’s out of whack Erratic arrhythmia’s now the norm Hope it isn’t a fatal heart attack © Carolyn Hastings 2022 The world is in a constant state of upheaval, and we’re all affected by it one way or another. Not a day goes by…

An ekphrastic sonnet — The lines wobble in their imperfection It’s part of what makes them cute and unique Wesley’s hand is new to illustration He does find it much easier to speak. “How do I draw a sunflower, Mummy? I want to make it look happy and real.” “I’ll draw one right here so you…

A free verse poem about self with help from Virginia Woolf — ‘For unless I am myself, I am nobody’ ~ Virginia Woolf ~ I lost myself along the way the push and pull of life’s refrain be everything to everyone all at once and one for all you’re here to serve, to do some good reward is giving — give-give, give more missed the warning, was there…