Lucky Dip – Saturday Mix, 7 January 2023

Reblogging this in case you missed it over on Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie….new year, new prompts! Have fun 😊

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Happy New Year MLMM family! It’s hard to believe it’s 2023, and this will be my 6th year (!!!!!) as the Saturday Mix Host. As such, I think it’s time to completely shake things up (who needs to wait for the 7-year itch, right!). So I am kicking off the new year with a NEW log and four completely NEW challenge prompts. I hope you enjoy them and would appreciate any feedback/suggestions you may have so that I can “tweak” any teething issues!

Here is the new schedule, with a brief explanation of each:

Week 1 – Lucky Dip (same name, new format).
For this challenge, I will be using “Rory’s Story Cubes” to generate 9 random “ideas” for inclusion in your response. I use story cubes with my students at school and just like the lucky dips from our childhood, you never know what you’re going to…

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Perpetual

Sometimes, we have strange days.
Days that unsettle, and surprise.
Days that delight, yet mystify.
Days that infuriate or thrill.
Days that bewilder and sparkle.
When you wake, today might be one of those
Waiting to confound you.

And so, I just go about my day.
Perpetually perplexed.
Because I am often serious and seldom funny,
I am often funny and seldom serious.
Perhaps that’s part of the problem.
Even I can’t decide my approach.
Maybe the day has nothing to do with it.

By Sarah ©2022

Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Opposing Forces; and Weekend Writing Prompt #290

Clotted

We find ourselves in a spot
Whether we admit it or not

This pandemic has exposed the rot
Of our capitalist melting pot

Trying to gallop before we trot
Our economies a twisted knot

Hoping upon a vaccine’s our lot
Until then…stuck like a clot

By Sarah ©2020

Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Saturday Mix – Rhyme Time, 22 August 2020

Rainy-day Tableau

Black birds dot the sky
A greyness sets in
Rain steadily falls
When did it begin?
I stare from the couch
And reach for the gin

By Sarah ©2020

 

Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie, Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip, 8 August 2020 

Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip, 18 April 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip,18 April 2020!

For this week’s Lucky Dip, I have reached into my mystery bag and pulled out a Roundabout.The topic is up to you!

You may be thinking to yourself, What on earth is a Roundabout?

Luckily, Writer’s Digest has an explanation…

Roundabout Poems

Invented by Sara Diane Doyle and David Edwards, who incoporated every poetic element that they really liked.David came up with the meter and feet and Sara added in the repeating line. The rhyme scheme and length was decided on together.The result is a form called the Roundabout. In this form, the rhyme scheme comes full circle while offering repetition of one line in each rhyme set.

The Roundabout is a four stanza poem, with each stanza consisting of 5 lines.The poem is written in iambic and the lines have 4 feet, 3 feet, 2 feet, 2 feet…

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Saturday Mix – Opposing Forces, 11 April 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 11 April 2020!

This week we are dipping our toes into the pool of OPPOSITES. Our challenge is all about “opposing forces” and the use of antithesis in our writing. You will need to use the two opposing words in your response – which can be poetry or prose.

Our words this week are:

– rough and gentle

– same and different

You may be asking yourself, How can I use antithetical statements in my writing?

Luckily, Kat from Literary Devices has some examples for you.

Common Antithesis Examples
Some famous antithetical statements have become part of our everyday speech and are frequently used in arguments and discussions. Below is the list of some antithetical statements:

You are easy on the eyes, but hard on the heart.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.

View original post 235 more words

Saturday Mix – Rhyme Time, 4 April 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 4 April 2020!

This week we are “writing away, and having a play, with rhyming words for you today” with Rhyme Time.

‘Rhyme Time’ focuses on the use of rhyme to build your writing piece. You will be given six rhyming words* and need to use all of them (but not limited to these) in your response, which should be a poetry form of your choice.

*Homophones can be used as alternatives to the challenge words.

Our rhyming words this week are:

1. wire
2. dire
3. fire
4. mire
5. tyre (or tire)
6. quire (or choir)

You may be thinking to yourself, How can I use rhyme in my writing?
Luckily, Kat at Literary Devices, has some examples for you.

Examples of Rhyme in Poetry
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words, occurring at the end of lines in poems or songs. A rhyme is…

View original post 341 more words

Saturday Mix – Double Take, 28 March 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 28 March 2020!

This week we are seeing double with ‘Double Take’.

The ‘Double Take’ challenge focuses on the use of homophones* to build your writing piece. You have two sets of homophones and you are challenged to use all of them in your response – which can be poetry or prose.

Our homophone sets this week are:

meat – animal flesh
meet – to connect
mete – a boundary

and

pride – ego
pryed – opened

You may be thinking to yourself, How can I use homophones in my writing?
Luckily, Kat at Literary Devices, has some examples for you.

Example of Homophones in Literature
This poem is filled homophones (marked in bold). They create a humorous effect in the poem through having the same pronunciation but altogether different meanings.

“Sole owner am I of this sorry soul…
pour

View original post 157 more words

Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip, 21 March 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip,21 March 2020!

For this week’s Lucky Dip, I have reached into my mystery bag and pulled out a Somonka.The topic is up to you!

You may be thinking to yourself, What on earth is a Somonka?

Luckily, Writer’s Digest has an explanation…

Somonka Poems

The somonka is a Japanese form. In fact, it’s basically two tankas written as two love letters to each other (one tanka per love letter). This form usually demands two authors, but it is possible to have a poet take on two personas. Click here for a refresher on the tanka.

Example of a Somonka

Sugar

I’m waiting to die;
I think it will happen soon–
this morning, I saw
two bright hummingbirds battling
over some sugar water.

I know; I was there.
I chased after them for you
until thirst stopped me.
Fetch me…

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Saturday Mix – Mad About Metaphor, 14 March 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Mad About Metaphor, 14 March 2020!

This week we are dipping our toes into the pool of METAPHOR. Our challenge is all about the use of metaphor in our writing. You will need to use the metaphor provided in your response – which can be poetry or prose.

Our metaphor this week is:

– The classroom was a zoo.

You may be asking yourself, How can I use metaphor in my writing?

Luckily, yourdictionary.com has some examples for you.

Simply put, a metaphor is a figure of speech containing an implied comparison. With metaphors, words or phrases that are ordinarily applied to one thing are applied to something you wouldn’t necessarily pair it with. Metaphors are members of the figurative language family, which also include elements like similes, onomatopoeia, and personification.

Common Metaphor Examples

Some famous metaphors have become part of our everyday speech and are frequently used in…

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Saturday Mix – Rhyme Time, 7 March 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 7 March 2020!

This week we are “writing away, and having a play, with rhyming words for you today” with Rhyme Time.

‘Rhyme Time’ focuses on the use of rhyme to build your writing piece. You will be given six rhyming words* and need to use all of them (but not limited to these) in your response, which should be a poetry form of your choice.

*Homophones can be used as alternatives to the challenge words.

Our rhyming words this week are:

1. mock
2. shock
3. stock
4. lock
5. hock
6. block

You may be thinking to yourself, How can I use rhyme in my writing?
Luckily, Kat at Literary Devices, has some examples for you.

Examples of Rhyme in Poetry
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words, occurring at the end of lines in poems or songs. A rhyme is a tool utilizing repeating…

View original post 337 more words

Saturday Mix – Double Take, 29 February 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 29 February 2020!

This week we are seeing double with ‘Double Take’.

The ‘Double Take’ challenge focuses on the use of homophones* to build your writing piece. You have two sets of homophones and you are challenged to use all of them in your response – which can be poetry or prose.

Our homophone sets this week are:

gait – manner of walking or running
gate – fence door

and

leased – rented
least – the minimum

You may be thinking to yourself, How can I use homophones in my writing?
Luckily, Kat at Literary Devices, has some examples for you.

Example of Homophones in Literature
This poem is filled homophones (marked in bold). They create a humorous effect in the poem through having the same pronunciation but altogether different meanings.

“Sole owner am I of this sorry soul…
pour

View original post 157 more words

Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip, 22 February 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix – Lucky Dip,22 February2020!

For this week’s Lucky Dip, I have reached into my mystery bag and pulled out a Tautogram.The topic is up to you!

You may be thinking to yourself, What on earth is a Tautogram?

Luckily, Writer’s Digest has an explanation…

Tautogram Poems

The tautogram is best explained by its Greek root words of “tauto” meaning “the same” and “gramma” meaning “letter.” Basically, all words in the poem begin with the same letter.

So pick a letter–any letter–and get poeming!

Note: A variant form of this poem could employ a unique starting letter for each stanza.

Example of a Tautogram

Thoroughly Terse Tautogram

Twelve turkeys trekked through Turkey
to tell tales that tackled topsy-
turvy televangelists traipsing through
turnkey topics turned to tropics,
though ten teased topical tenets.

Copyright ©Robert Lee Brewer

Good luck with your ‘Lucky Dip Tautogram’ – I…

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Saturday Mix – Opposing Forces, 15 February 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 15 February 2020!

This week we are dipping our toes into the pool of OPPOSITES. Our challenge is all about “opposing forces” and the use of antithesis in our writing. You will need to use the two opposing words in your response – which can be poetry or prose.

Our words this week are:

– mend and break

– noon and midnight

You may be asking yourself, How can I use antithetical statements in my writing?

Luckily, Kat from Literary Devices has some examples for you.

Common Antithesis Examples
Some famous antithetical statements have become part of our everyday speech and are frequently used in arguments and discussions. Below is the list of some antithetical statements:

You are easy on the eyes, but hard on the heart.
Give every man thy ear, but few thy voice.
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing.

View original post 235 more words

Saturday Mix – Rhyme Time, 8 February 2020

Mindlovemisery's Menagerie

Welcome to the Saturday Mix, 8 February 2020!

This week we are “writing away, and having a play, with rhyming words for you today” with Rhyme Time.

‘Rhyme Time’ focuses on the use of rhyme to build your writing piece. You will be given six rhyming words* and need to use all of them (but not limited to these) in your response, which should be a poetry form of your choice.

*Homophones can be used as alternatives to the challenge words.

Our rhyming words this week are:

1. bell (or belle)
2. quell
3. dwell
4. smell
5. yell
6. tell

You may be thinking to yourself, How can I use rhyme in my writing?
Luckily, Kat at Literary Devices, has some examples for you.

Examples of Rhyme in Poetry
A rhyme is a repetition of similar sounding words, occurring at the end of lines in poems or songs. A rhyme is a tool…

View original post 339 more words