Valkyrie

Those darn blue jays I've attended many of those study halls I enjoyed your swim lesson, new religion, and guest poems. Another fine selection I can't believe there's only a week to go.

I hope you feel better soon, Rooster Before I get grief about throwing a snowball at a sick man, it's to cool down his fever

There's a lot of emotion in this poem. I felt the despair and then the eventual triumph. The structure only adds to the appeal. I'm glad NaPoWriMo inspired you to share

I'll have one! I'm still working on it, but it will be done by the deadline. It's something different for me, so I'm looking forward to seeing how people like it.

Thank you so much I'm so glad you connected with these.

Thank you so much

Thank you so much for reading and your kind words. Springtime is always erratic, but I'm like the flowers, bewildered every time. I'm glad you enjoyed my trip back in time.

Retrospective – Week Three *Warning for sensitive content in #15 #15 The poster went up three days before he died. A picture of an unassuming face wearing a cowboy hat And oversized glasses. The words of a desperate man seeking companionship, Relationship, any kind of –ship. Snickers and scoffs followed, Along with pointing and derision, In the dining hall line. “That’s him” “Pathetic” “Loser” He bore it with quiet stoi

I want to smack Rick every time one of those doubtful thoughts creeps into his head... but at least he's finally realizing they're irrational thoughts and standing up to them. You handled the drive to Chicago perfectly. Lots of tension and the frustration of city traffic. Now Gus needs to stand up to Zoltan so he can go back with Gus. Great chapter!

Makes me think of Goober Grape, a brand of peanut butter with grape jelly in it. I liked it, but I think my mom only ever bought it once for us. She always made homemade jelly, which was much better, and cheaper.

I really enjoyed this week's selection. I particularly like the strawberries bursting with sunlight and the time machine waiting for input. Definitely dinosaurs

Well done! It's hard to pick a favorite, as I like them all. I'm partial to #15 and also enjoyed the grammar prompt. It wouldn't be NaPoWriMo without some math poems from you

Roasted bone marrow with a grog chaser

Oh, and how could I forget the nickname "Penguin"?

I never really had a nickname when I was a child, which I always thought was strange. My brother was "Pooky" I always went by my full first name until sixth grade, when my teacher shortened it. I hated it, but she didn't listen to me and called me by my shortened name anyway 🙄 I find it interesting that people tend to automatically shorten my name, even when I introduce myself with my full name. I don't mind it when my friends do it, but it really annoys me when strangers do it, because it implies a familiarity that isn't there. I insist on using my full name professionally and have had to request documents at work and for organizations I volunteered for to be changed because they used the shortened version of my name. In high school, my BFF called me "Ace". In college, my group of friends all had nicknames. I was really into the outdoors and was a member of the Hiking Club, so my nickname was "Woody"... short for "Woodsy Owl". 🦉 I have another nickname now with my BFFs that's a play on my real name. And, of course, there's "Valkyrie" P.S. Now I'm torn between calling Steve "Grand Pooh-Bah" or "Rooster" instead of "Deposed Despot"

My first thought was Arric will make Cyn a full member of the pack too. Hopefully the GPS will give them enough information to close in on Eike and Hauser. They need to be stopped!

I was going to write an 'ode', but this fit the broken prompt Thank you so much for all your insights

Thank you so much Knowing these are inspiring and connecting with people is a big motivator for me to continue. Sorry to hear about your grandma

Thank you so much for reading

Thank you so much

Wowee! Great chapter! It was awesome seeing Rick so self-assured and being himself. I have a feeling Zoltan took Gus and the family back to Chicago, but Rick's not going to let that stop him. I imagine Zoltan probably told Gus that Rick didn't want to see him and it was best to leave. Whatever happened, I don't think Rick or Gus is going to let it stop them from getting back together.

I'm glad you decided to publish it. Mental health issues have been stigmatized for so long, they need to be brought out into the spotlight. People need to realize there's nothing wrong for asking for help when they need it. Thank you for posting this.

Retrospective – Week Two #8 Snow Globe I press my nose against the frosty windowpane, Watching the snow swirl around a scene I can’t be part of. The cold grounds me, Temporarily relieving the soul-deep uncertainty. A car leaves gashes in the freshly-fallen powder, Driving away from here, Leaving me jealous of their freedom. The neighbors across the street Pull into their driveway, Three generations illuminated by the glowi