“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly – they’ll go through anything.” — Aldous Huxley, Brave New World
Kick back with a warm cup of your favorite beverage and read something new. Each is inspired by the latest weekly writing prompt. Read alongside your neighbors and friends and don’t hesitate to add supportive comments on the work that resonates with you!
The Art of Nursing by June Hannay Kosier
I have been retired from nursing for six years after having nursed for fifty years. I tremendously miss caring for patients. However, I am…
Illumination by Laurinda Lind
On the days I don’t drop dead I see the scope kept in wild vines, voles, every vein, roots, stubborn rhizomes driving deep light as…
Watching Me by Duane L Herrmann
I went out to the farm that is not a farm, no fields or buildings, not even a driveway, I have to walk in cross…
The Power Of a Chance by Eleanor Stanton
45 years old, with a body shouting “I have a desk job,” I was near the top of a thirty-foot telephone pole before I thought…
REAL UNREAL by Duane L Herrmann
In my hands, I held, was it true? How could it be true, and real? Could not be true, not real. Yet, I saw and…
“Thank you, sir.” by Duane L Herrmann
“Fat, lazy, asinine,” were my mother’s most common words about me to me. I had no idea what she said to others about…
I BELONG by Duane L Herrmann
I belong to a group,community embracingall people and the world:“The earth is one countryand mankind its citizens,”prominent theme explains.No one left out,no one ignored.Leaders chosen…
alone… by jsburl
…i wandered… the woodland my dog my sole companion on the quest for painlessness aloneness healing but it remained illusive, just beyond the…
What I Want at 59 by Jon Raimon
I want to carry everyoneto haul water up the hill to youto open doors for the world as they stumble in, grocery bags tumbling I want…
Music Memory by Diane Cuff-Carney
Rodger’s and Hammerstein’s Seven musical notes taught by Maria/ Julie to the children, Von Trapps’ And to us, all Sounds of music’s syllabic system Do…
I Missed the Award by Duane L Herrmann
I had registered, and paid, for the convention banquet. It, and the rest of the convention, was held in the city were my daughter and…
Folding Poem by various authors
1a A chicken was going to a b-day party! 1b The chicken got lost along the way. 2a The chicken found a dune buggy and…
SUMMERTIME by Duane L Herrmann
Heat AND Humidityoften up to threedigits each,are all I can thinkof summer…plus ticks, Lyme’s Disease,chiggers and mosquitoes,and illnesses they carry.Watermelon, cold,a rare treat,and endless garden,with…
Greek Yogurt: The Real Deal by Leslie Sittner
On the road again traveling around Greece on our BMW motorcycle, I see these low sided ceramic pans out on the ground or on patios…
The Hidden Door by Duane L Herrmann
I was walking in the house where I grew up. No one lived there now. It would be demolished soon. My youngest brother was going…
Writing Prompt Submission by Mike Spotswood
I took a journey as a 7-year-old boy I once was, catching pollywogs with my bare hand’s and putting them back into a stream so…
Writing Prompt Submission by EJ Smith
A mixtape passed down for generations would very easily define each era. All songs have a meaning behind them. Snce mixtapes were made in the…
Weekly writing prompt about a sound by Mike Spotswood
Every morning of my youth I heard the coffee percolator next to my bedroom perk. It was an alarm clock of sorts that announced to…
Crossing words by Duane L Herrmann
R E V E A L A T I O N crosses N O R M A L going down and E V E R…
City Apartment Living by Jay Liebowitz
Three hundred dwellings in one buildingTwenty apartments per floorMost keep to themselvesPeople rushing in and out from their daily chores. Elevator staring,People shy or afraid…
Dear Lucifer by Ali Dojer
Dear Lucifer, Some angels must fall in order to illuminate the shadows of the earth and self. Remember you are an angel so as not…
House Therapy by Juan Colina de Vivero
I’ve been thinking about this question for a very long time, and I’ve concluded that summer is my favorite season. Yes, even though I have…
The Toll of the Fourth Bell by K.M. Bordeau
The first bell at the fire station tolls at 6 o’clock, accompanied by a long, wailing siren. It rises and falls like an angry yowling…
Prompt response by Ava Kanninen
Write a six-word story about an unexpected connection: He slammed my drink, “checking for roofies”
Prompt response by Sue Moy Bergquist
Write a six-word story about an unexpected connection: You and me now are we.
Prompt response by by June Kosier
Write a six-word story about an unexpected connection: Salesman from Utica, my cousin’s friend.
DANIEL’S Kitchen by Venera Lokaj-Smit
It is RomanticDANIEL’s Kitchen It is QuietDANIEL the unpaid PoliticianWatching History on his computer3 very tender light bulbs plugged in wallSlightly transparent white and disciplinedStanding…
My Most Embarrassing Cake by Janie Davies Fitzgerald
My mom could not bake a cake to save her life. Even if she used a box cake mix the cake would fall, burn, crack,…
My Cooking by June Kosier
Mom never taught me how to cook. She told me that my schoolwork was more important and she wanted me to concentrate on that. I…
SEE IT NOW by Duane L Herrmann
I can see the coloris deepest, most intense,in the center spacethen lighter, lighter,as it tapers to the edge,so gently it seemsnot to change, yetstill, there…
MY FIRST DEATH by Duane Herrmann
Just days before fivemy great granpa died,my special buddy – gone.“Old age,” I was told.but that confused –all my family was old,would they all die…
MY PERSONAL HARDSHIP by Diane Cuff-Carney
When this prompt was presented by ACW yesterday as a topic to write about, my first thought was, “I never experienced hardship”. Unlike so many…
Rooms in my head by Mike Spotswood
Truth be told, did you know you keep a rental house in your head? You rent it room by room to tenants who seldom agree.…
Loss of social media by Mike Spotswood
Its five AM time to rise and shine, and open my laptop for the news of the day. As I scrolled through my apps to…
Rubies and Fool’s Gold by John Henningson
Folklore says that the red crystals,from Gore Mountain’s wooded slopes.Were originally peddled as rubies.To uninitiated downstate folks. This was somewhat similar to the mistakesmade by…
Untitled by Mike Spotswood
Young fingers cling to an old brick building on a ledge three floors from the ground where only youth had no fear. This building is…
Middle School Witch by Alissa Vidulich
The new kid dressed in black, we gathered round to study- our latest subject. We learned he was Wiccan, my friends, myself, and the others.…
Spring Break by Terry Brinkman
Last week I was shoveling snow every day, a usual January week. This week, and the weather gal says next week too; rain – it’s…
Morning Surprise by Duane L Herrman
My mother came into my bedroom, kissed me softly on the cheek. “Good morning, Sweetheart. Time to get up. I have your clothes for today.…
Excerpt from Wild Words 2024: “Beyond the Power Line” by Daphne Seaman (Long Lake, NY)
This poem is included in the 2024 Wild Words: Teen Writing Anthology. The 2025 Wild Words: Teens Writing Anthology is now open for submissions! Beyond…
The Theatre of the Eggsurd by William Gole
Elaine, of Seinfeld fame, once noted – I’m paraphrasing now – while women are nature’s idea of works of art, men are more like the functional equivalent…
Boots and Pajamas by Bev Burnell
My favorite Christmas memory is of Christmas mornings after my family had opened our gifts. What happened then is so precious to me, my siblings, and our…
The Tree of Knowledge by Alissa Vidulich
Round and roundthe merry treewe circumvent with reverie, lay artifactsof memory Once we were five and tencircle unto old againswhere paste and hooks and globules youthstand proud…
Talking with Jimmy by Jack Carney
I -After forty years of benign neglect, after hewho always believed he knew white folks betterthat they knew themselves, helped themrationalize their hypocrisies and contradictions,…
Conversations with Poets:
Naomi Shihab Nye“You Are Your Own State Department” “Colonial Kindnesses”Jack Carney, 11/27/2024 No doubt in my mind, dear Naomi, that Gaza’s oppressors want all its remaining residents …
My Life Story by Duane L Herrmann
The little boy wanted to be as important as the newspaper was to his mother. It was full of stories. He decided if he wrote…
Dream Running by Leslie Sittner
Metal tags clink rhythmically on the floor. I sit up in bed: she’s lying half on her bed, legs ‘running,’ small but earnest “uh, uh, uh”…
A Surprise Woodland Visitor by Janie Davies Fitzgerald
“AHOOT AHOOOO!” Dad cupped his hands and shouted out at the woods beyond our backyard from the sliding glass door. The answering call was close…
Memories by Mike Spotswood
Tomorrow I will be one hundred yeas old. My life has been filled with so many events, from cutting cakes, to a whispered kiss and…
Misery, revisited by Jack Carney
Can we talk, Denise,soulmate? Have you seen Rosellini”spost-war trilogy? Alll aboutthe grief suffered by Romans andBerliners at the end of WWIi where the NaziGestapo pursued Red resistance…
Auden Evocations on the Date Hitler invaded Poland by Jack Carney
Several aphorisms come to mind —Whatever goes round comesround Gothamgets the hero it deserves which I endorse thank youCristopher Nolan. Any conclusions? Probablyjust one — democracy from…
Swapping Memories with Billy C. no relation to Michael
A Love Poem by Jack Carney Beautiful, Billy, nostalgic, sentimental, mykind of poetry I envyyour ability to encapsule memories in a figurative coin which youbear on your person…
The Magic of the Sugar Maple by Janie Davies Fitzgerald
His luminescent, champagne colored coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight, I walk my terrier, Frodo while occasionally bending down to gather another unique leaf to…
The Norway Maple by Karrie Bordeau
There is only one tree in my yard and I call her “the Mother Tree”, an old gal, a Norway Maple with her five point…
HAUNTED RUINS by Duane L Herrmann
The ruins were said to be haunted, according to students at a nearby college. “Rubbish!” My grandmother snorted in disgust. She,…
Sensory Overload by June Hannay Kosier
I think cell phones leave a lot to be desired. I know not many people feel that way, but I think that realization is coming…
In a Season of Time by Karrie Bordeau
Early morning rise, right on schedule The frost blankets the ground As the black crow beckons and calls To the empty nest of the song birdWho is long…
I Dream of Painting by Janie Davies Fitzgerald
My grandmother was an artist (oils, watercolors, and clay), my husband is an artist (oils, acrylics, and graphics), and my daughter is artistic (doodling, drawing,…
I Have Tried by Duane L Herrmann
In my life I have tried to be a more nurturing, responsive and attentive parent than I ever knew. I endeavored not to pass on…
The Seamus and Fiona Summer by Diane Cuff-Carney
My plans for a summer of relaxation?Deck-sitting, hummingbird watching,swims in Long Lake, June through September.That was the plan until Seamus and Fiona,two throw-away kittens from…
Close Call by Duane L Herrmann
My wife found a mobile home for sale which she determined we could afford to buy and relocate to the ten acres we had purchased…
Mom Brings Home a Deer by June Kosier
One November, Sunday afternoon back in the 50’s, Mom got acall from Dad to come and pick up a deer he had shot.He was out…
An Unforgettable Hike by Duane L. Herrmann
Was it the heat? It was a very hot day, near or above one hundred degrees.Was it the long climb? The climb was steeply up…
Untitled by June Hannay Kosier
When I was ten, we went to Washington, D.C. for our summer vacation. The most memorable part of the trip, but not my favorite, was going…
When the Sheriff Came to our House by Duane L Herrmann
On a visit home, I heard from my uncle how one of my younger brothers had called the sheriff on the other and he went…
Chaos by June Kosier
“What is a home without children? Quiet.” – Henry Youngman When my granddaughter was about two, her mother asked me to watch her while she…
Otto’s Abode by Deanna M Ossenkop
It’s not an area of the world you find yourself in without a planned excursion. It’s not a road you turn down, unless you know…
WATER AND US by Duane L Herrmann
We are water, water is us. We are drawn to water, we ARE water, Humans are sixty, or more, percent water. We are drawn to…
Conversation with Anna Akhmatova: On Totalitarianism by Jack Carney
Anna, my muse. Have youseen what’s going on in the US of A.? if you were here, you’dgag and be transported back towhen Papa Joe was…
Untitled by Edwin Balder
1970 Old Military Estates you felt like you belongedBeyond all the dark clouds of time everyday a new songin a town called Saranac Lake Everyone…
Water Stories by June Kosier
Question: What do you call good clean water?Answer: Well water. I have never been drawn to water. I don’t like drinking it, bathing in it…
G by Debra Monte
We were youngEqual parts brave and terrified I made the first moveIt was all very briefFew words, if any spoken Decades have since passedIf I…
Die Kratzbürste by Susan C. Waters
A Kratzbürste is just like it sounds. Not only is it used in very serious cleaning, but in German it can mean a woman who…
Camp Saki Summer by Patricia McKay
I am 20 years old, a freshly minted college graduate, working at Camp Sacajawea, theDuchess County Girl Scout Camp. I’ve never been a Girl Scout.…
Say it Ain’t So, Joe (An Appeal to Honor) by Jack Carney
Written and submitted July 3, 2024 You know who said this, don’t you,Joe? Aw, you gotta know. You’remy age and you probably followedbaseball as closely…
Battle Hymn, 2024 by Jack Carney
Yes, Jericho, I know what you mean. Amazedmyself that I’m stillamong the living. Mywife keeps me alive whostops me from packing itin. Too much lovefrom her…
Untitled by Mike Spotswood
I took a journey as a 7 year old boy I once was, catching pollywogs with my bare hand’s and putting them back in to…
The Night Before by Duane L Herrmann
It will be a hard night,I know, before…before some eventI want to go wellin which I have a part.My anxiety is highand cannot sleep,I get…
Dreaming about Pierogi by Eva Kaczmarek
Deep in the shipDark and dirtyRats skitterLice clingI’m hungry, mamaDream of pierogi, childSweet cheeseSauerkrautDoughy pillowsFried in puddles of butterSoon we see the big copper lady…
The Grand(’s) Chocolate Jumbles by Leslie Sittner
Once each year he goes to his secret stash,a requirement because they’re seasonal.This black walnut tree, whose woodlandwhereabouts he will never disclose,is ready to relinquish…
Untitled Poem by Wendy Whittmore
A weekly ritualPie crustPrepared to perfectionFilled with any number of things, meat, vegetables, gravyAnd, of courseApples Good flourSaltShortening Iced waterIt must be coldthe doughhandled only as much…
My Children I See by Duane Herrmann
When I see my children,even in my mind,I see their infant facessleeping in my arms,I see their toddler smilesas they walk on shaky legs,I see…
Passage of Time by Natasha Birmingham
Mom is almost 88.I’ll be 61 the month before. We are separated by 27 years;I was 34 that many years ago. Living in D.C., footloose and fancy…
Surprise Connection by Duane L Herrmann
Meditating with the windand rustle of leaves in trees,mind in communion with soul,posing questions, listeningto that soft, still voiceresponding like airand mysteries unravelshowing splendor and…
No Mow May by Hannah Barg
As I awaken and emerge from my winter caccoon, I am soon beckoned outside by the gentle, inviting hum of the spring breeze.I spot a wandering bumble…
DAD SAID by Duane L Herrmann
After leaving homedaughter learned to cookmore food than at home.One day father askedabout her skills:“How do you makean egg roll?”“Like a tortilla,”she began, glad to…
America Agonistes: a Triptych by Jack Carney
“Eclipsed”Jack Carney, Long Lake, May 1, 2024 We saw the recent total solar eclipse,my wife and me, sitting on our rear deckdirectly facing the sun…
I Want To Be Everything By Arielle O’Donnell
I want to stay here forever, To get swept up in the warmth of the water and the strength of the tides. To sit in the golden…
ECLIPSE OF THE SOUL by Michelle B. Beagle
Yesterday, 8 April 2024, I stood in a park surrounded by strangers, acquaintances, and friends. We had gathered to experience a once-in-a-lifetime event in our…
What an eclipse means to me by Duane L Herrmann
Since my religion teaches that science is crucial to human progress and the advancement of civilization, I do not think an eclipse is punishment by…
Eclipse by Carol Schupp Star
Going into the unknown Hoards of people waiting… As the moon Covers the sun Excitement Cheers Birds stop Stars pop out Planets are seen Beauty,…
Eclipse poem by Alissa Vidulich
Somehow foundsinge burningupdrowns downsanctified soundspacenotesgem crownedbeholdand beholdensolar goldenmoon silvershiversheaven’s rainsdeep fallto the rise of brazensun’s carried callAnd this the weather of our accordwells wealth beyondany common…
War Criminals: a Triptych by Jack Carney
I – “The Ukraine” Oskars …“Three days in Mariupol”left me numb and outragedtossed between tears andpowerless anger. A newscast …witnessed Der Trumper and Der Grosserfrom…
“And Here Comes Kelso!” by William Gole
I stopped by the Winner’s Circle Bar and Grill, my preferred watering hole, on a Saturday afternoon in September to catch that week’s feature horse race on…
Write On by Lorraine Caramanna
some insist a poemmust follow structure rhythmand rhymebut I prefer to play with wordsunleash their power to elicit emotionsturn those words looseset them freeto sashay…
We The People by Mary Perrin Scott
The Constitution of the United StatesWe, the people, in order to form a perfect union,promote general welfare, secure the blessingsof liberty to ourselves and posterity… July…
Let’s look forward to the future together
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