Tag: Simply 6 minutes

The Tale of the Tail (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 06/04/2024

Form: Jeffrey’s Sonnet

The eyes close as the clippers buzz
His hands create art in the fuzz
No more old-style short, back and side
Something new, who cares what they say
Make it clear I live it my way
He nods, and I let him decide

I’m not tied to the fitting in
Being different is no sin
All the same is a boring thing
Don’t make me a mirror to see
Ways I think you should also be
Do you, and I’ll do me with bling

Such old hat was the ponytail
It’s a fail, I’ll go with the rat

Time: 6 minutes

Word Count: 98

©JezzieG2024

Ideal Home (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 05/28/2024

Form: Ivorian Sonnet

In my dreams I built me a house of stone
In the valley where the fair winds have blown

Between the mountains that stand tall and grand
And wild beasts and creatures all come to play
And fluffy clouds drift the skies of dreamland

To dwell in harmony with nature’s sound
In this haven space at my very core
Is my tranquil spot is where peace is found
Where I can live and be free to explore

Enlightenment unfolds my soul is grown
As within nature’s loving arms I stand
In her breath I feel peace flowing my way
As she whispers from deep beneath the ground
In this perfect place, why would I ask more?

Time: 7 minutes 20 seconds

Word Count: 116

©JezzieG2024

No Good for the Gander (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 3 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 05/21/2024

Form: Italian Sonnet 6

I’m in here again, she says I messed up
Now she’s waiting armed with a rolling pin
I went to the pub for some beer to sup
And met with some old mates while at the inn
So I got in late and she’d waited up
Then went off on one as if it’s a sin
If I did that, she’d call me an old grouch
So she went to bed and I hit the couch

Next morning I cooked up bacon and eggs
‘I ain’t got time, I’m meeting the girls, and
You can hang out the washing, there’s the pegs’
She got home the next morning, acting grand
Moaning about my mates being the dregs
I’m in here again, I know where I stand

Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds

Word Count: 126

©JezzieG2024

Late Again (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 05/14/2024

Form: Italian Sonnet 5

Please wait for me as I am running late
I was dreaming nuts and missed the alarm
And staying up last night just tempted fate
I’m in a mad dash no time to be calm
I promised I’d be on time for our date
Like a gentleman with more graceful charm
I’m never early, always making haste
But this time I thought I’d try to be chaste

They gave me a watch to help me with time
It still sits neatly here in my pocket
‘You’ll be late for your funeral’ you said
But I can’t see that as being a crime
For that date, I won’t rush like a rocket
‘I’ll be my usual self then’ I said

Time: 7 minutes

Word Count: 119

©JezzieG2024

Little Duck in Trouble (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 05/07/2024

Form: Italian Sonnet 4

Mother duck quacked, and then she quacked some more
Her brood gathered except for little duck
He wanted to stay and have an explore
Mother said he was just pushing his luck
Twas late and she had to go to the store
Stay behind, she said, if you have the pluck
And little duck just stood and watched them go
He thought it was due time that he must grow

With a brave heart, he went into the wood
His feet carrying him away so far
Fox stopped him and said he looked good to eat
Little duck then ran as fast as he could
To the old river where the turtles are
Across their backs in his hasty retreat

Time: 6 minutes 20 seconds

Word Count: 120

©JezzieG2024

Beautiful Stranger (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 3 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 04/23/2024

Form: Italian Sonnet 3

He emerged in the glade lit by the moon
A wolf, wild and beautiful but fearsome
As through the woods echoes the spirit drum
Enchanting sounds like a magical rune
The primal force of nature coming soon
The ancient ways through the night air now hum
As with his blazing eyes, the wolf must come
For in this hunt, his voice calls out the tune

He opens his tail displaying his pride
So his beauty fills the quiet moonglade
Such beauty surely, he must come in peace
Alone he stands, at man’s hand his pack died
Revenge is now his calling and his trade
The lives of men are now at his caprice

Time: 8 minutes

Word Count: 114

©JezzieG2024

Street Parking (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes, my thanks to Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 04/09/2024

Form: Italian Sonnet 1

It’s a slow crawl driving through town
But the pound store has new pens in
A must-have for an artist’s bin
A quick dash before they’re all flown
For then an artist will just moan
It’s a mission he wants to win
But now tempers are running thin
No place to park thus brings a frown

So he drives the street end to end
Each time raging in turn around
He’s driving himself round the bend
There’s still no space there to be found
There is a place if he should wend
To make his way where pens are sound

Time: 6 minutes 50 seconds

Word Count: 100

©JezzieG2024

Fine Line (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 02/27/2024

Form: Illini Sonnet

The fragility of one breath
Heavy with momentary hope
My feet dangle over the edge
The line between living and death
Existence becomes a steep slope
A narrow path upon a ledge
Keep climbing or drop in free fall
For time is like the climber’s rope
That’s held in place on a thin wedge
Fragility supporting all
On the finest twist of some twine
That shudders with inhale, exhale
The cliff stands as destiny’s hedge
The next breath could succeed or fail
And be the last word of the tale

Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds

Word count: 90

©JezzieG2024

In the Wall (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 8 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 02/20/2024

Form: Hyper Sonnet

Echoes of conversations in the wall
The past speaks in the silence of the future
Can the children still be heard playing in the hall

Hushed when the rent man comes to call
Dues paid but he’ll be back next week
And mother wraps herself in an old shawl

While dad watches football on the TV
And mother writes the shopping list in a scrawl
For she knows there’s no money to pay for it all

And I wonder is the future any different
A mother shopping for bargains in the rainfall
Scraping it together at a market stall

Back home her kids play out in the hall
And her words will sink in time in the wall

Time: 8 minutes

Word count: 118

©JezzieG2024

Pleas from her Heart (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 11 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 02/13/2024

Form: Hybrid Sonnet

Disobedient child, a mother’s sigh
Like a creature, he’s out of her control
Doing what he likes his life’s mission’s role
And he doesn’t hear his mother’s heart cry

He’s living too fast and going too high
Yet taking his time as if life’s a stroll
Ignoring mother’s pleas from in her soul
Making a promise in another lie

Mother begs for all the chores to be done
That he, her child takes on his own fair share
Before embarking on seeking his fun
All she asks is that he takes time to care

But child has left her alone to her gloom
As she screams in pain ‘Tidy up your room’

Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 112

©JezzieG2024

A Dog’s Life (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 02/06/2024

Form: Hierarchal Sonnet

She’s holding her looks decked out in fashion
The glitz and the glam still her first passion
She hears them all mutter about mutton
And lamb, but for food she is no glutton
Watching calories to do up that button
She’s a dame with style and won’t be shut in
Let them think she’s a disgrace to her age
She’s not a prisoner caught in time’s cage

She’s still got what it takes to wow the stage
Like she was on every magazine page
En vogue, and she is still a showbiz dame
Living up to glamour and self-styled name
She’s worked hard for it and she can still claim
Her well-earned place in the annals of fame

Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds

Word count: 118

©JezzieG2024

Skull by the Shadows (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 8 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 01/30/2024

Form: Heroic Sonnet

Alas, the Danish prince saw his friend in death
Nothing but a skull he can take no breath
In vacated eyes, I see my one love
And I know she dwells in the stars above
But she is there if I should care to look
Among the tools of truth by that one book
That shares the wisdom of myth and magic
But my tears still cry, her loss still tragic

And such sorrow that Shakespeare did not tell
Of a love that also in grief must dwell
Each day I invite her with my soul’s rose
Just as once on my knee I did propose
In the memories of a wedding toast
My love and my hero is now a ghost

Time: 6 minutes 20 seconds

Word Count: 122

©JezzieG2024

Pitch and What? (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 01/23/2024

Form: Heather’s Sonnet

The pitch marked out in lines
White boarders on each zone
As the new game defines
Each player stans alone

But each space is so small
They all stand on one foot
And some can’t see the goal
Even wearing a boot

This new game makes no sense
Is there a ball or puck
And the score is nonsense
A matter of dumb luck

A pitch set for a game
To play but has no name

Time: 6 minutes

Word Count: 76

©JezzieG2024

Fearless Fergus (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 7 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 01/16/2024

Form: Harrisham Sonnet

Fergus felt the danger ripple in the room
He saw Shiela bustling spinning her silk
Each strand glinting from in the gloom
And by the door, Gregory was drinking his milk
But Fergus felt fear echo and boom
As if fate was catching him out on the bilk

Windows closed with no getting out
With four of her eyes, Shiela sent him a wink
But Fergus knew what she was all about
And didn’t stop by the corner for even a blink
Towards the door, he went to scout
Now Gregory had lapped up all his drink

He curled up all content inside
When Fergus landed sending him boss-eyed

Time: 6 minutes 30 seconds

Word count: 109

©JezzieG2024

Through the Clouds (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 01/09/2024

Form: Half Measured Sonnet

In those dreams where nature provides
The way to be with you
So our passion with love collides
I wish those dreams were true

A stairway up and through the clouds
To where you wait for me
Releasing us from earthly shrouds
To once again, dance free

Instead, I must wake from my sleep
To feel the sun rising
And how the days so slowly creep
For there’s no disguising

I long to sleep so we can dance
Within the joy of our romance

Time: 6 minutes 10 seconds
Word Count: 84

©JezzieG2024

Before Paradise (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 01/02/2024

Form: Haiku Sonnet

Those dark years, my child
When Mankind ruled upon the Earth
Life slowly perished

We must not forget
How the Earth was purged by Man
Look at him up there

His likeness in stone
And over there stands the last
Elephant, murdered!

Murdered for his tusks
Man’s vanity sown in greed
Before paradise

Dear nature wiped out Mankind
And the world could be in peace

Time: 6 minutes 50 seconds

Word Count: 65

©JezzieG2024

Move On (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 12/12/2023

Form: Free Verse

The climate is changing
And it’s time to go
To find a better place to call home
For the winter
Where the food is plentiful
A banquet to feast
Instead of struggling for any remaining scraps
A haven from the cold winds
Playgrounds of opportunity
Where the young can learn and grow
In to the future adults
Ready to find love
When they return next summer
As if on a blind date
For the future generations
Still, I wonder how they know
It’s time to move on
And without the aid of Satnav’s directions
They know exactly where to go

©JezzieG2023

Fun and Games (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 10/31/2023

Form: Grammarian Sonnet

In those bygone days of what used to be
We’d hire pedalos to sail on the lake
We pedalled hard until our legs would ache
Then have to get back as quick as a shake
On those hot summer days of you and me

And go-karts too circling around the track
We went so fast before taking them back

Now there’s a new game to give us a trip
On the shuttle, we have both booked a seat
With this one, we are sure to feel complete
In hired suits and the moon beneath our feet
Moonwalking, or shall we playfully skip

For our fun and games, this trip wins the cup
Until they shout ‘Number 3, your time’s up’

Time: 7 minutes 30 seconds

Word count: 120

©JezzieG2023

Closed by Sunlight (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 10/24/2023

Form: Glorionic Sonnet

Mine eyes were closed by sunlight, but not
To sleep. The peace of love is now my lot
My soul thus reaching out for the earth’s hand
With spirit roots wending deep beneath sand
Searching for the ways that nature had planned
Letting go of this world of manmade greed
Like the trees, roots go deep to meet that need

And lifting my face to the shining sun
This is my breath of life and just begun
To be as one with earth nature’s decree
As by the trees man’s greed will be undone
From highest mountains down to the blue sea
So Mother Earth can continue to be

Time: 8 minutes 30 seconds

Word count: 109

©JezzieG2023

Silver Blades (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 10/10/2023

Before I even start, I will advise that the content will reference self-harming. Please do not read if that could affect you.

Form: Gloria cum Noynoy Sonnet – Italianic

The bars of hate shatter down around me
Sealing destiny away from my fate
As into my flesh, my thoughts must isolate
And from that very flesh, I want to run free

In the darkness of despair, I cannot see
Desperation as time says I must wait
No promises not even a rough date
In my hand silver blades whisper to me

“Ease the pain, go on, take a slice, do it”
The burning starts as blood begins to flow
Now make it go faster, this is too slow
Find where it hurts the most, that’s the right bit

Silver blades help me, cut me, let it all go
A bit now and then and no one need know

Time: 15 minutes

Word Count: 119

©JezzieG2023

And Again (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 09/26/2023

I’ve seen this backdrop so many times, I think I will use that

Form: Germanic Sonnet Caudated

It’s familiar, seen so oft before
Looking out above, a high-flying shot
The misty clouds don’t give the slightest jot
As through the skies the cameras explore
Back in the day it’s a different plot
Aerial photos were still new, you see
Exposing our world like a fantasy
Until tech came along and changed the lot

From a studio pic to crop is easy
All so this dame could appear to play god
But it’s too shiny and new, it seems odd
Or city shot too old for it to be
I’m not calling out for any fraud squad
It’s what I see in this poetic prod

To say elsewise would be a bit too shod
If she wants to be a goddess, that’s fine
But are not all women so blessed divine

For that this lady may have paid a wad
From the CAD’s new age wizardry
No wands just mouse clicking a one, two, three

Her beauty far greater, it needs no mod
Least of all an aged old city backdrop
That’s in this a second rate photoshop

Time: 20 minutes 30 seconds (well tis a 23-liner sonnet)

Word count: 181

©JezzieG2023

I Just Called (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simply 6 Minutes – Welcome to the Challenge: 09/05/2023

Form: French Sonnet 8

‘Gotta tell you the latest goss –
Granny, are you there, can you hear?
Daddy had a call from his boss
I call her mummy, I know dear
Gotta tell you the news, no gloss
A brother or sister I fear
yes, I know babies are so nice
but surely one; that should suffice

I don’t want to compete, Granny
They’re saying I need a nanny
new baby will need mummy more
I really don’t know what to do
never been in this spot before
oh granny you know I love you’

Time: 6 minutes

Word count: 91

©JezzieG2023

Transfixicated (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Sonnet 7

Into the smooth surface, he’ll stare
Still and silent, not one slight shake
Transfixed by the beauty in there
That stares back out from in the lake
Dignified grace, stands without care
And he feels in his heart a quake
All those plumes shimmering in pink
And of love is all he can think

And her eyes his look meets her gaze
In pleasure, his dreams now amaze
A bird in love, what-a-to-do
With his mind lost within love’s haze
Watching without falter or faze
Then he moves and she’s gone from view

Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds

Word Count: 93

©JezzieG2023

It’s Magic (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Sonnet 6

I once knew a bloke lived in Ireland
Who told me of this lady there
And of the poses, she would stand
A leprechaun he did declare
One of the fae from that there land
She’s the beauty of the most fair
From the city to the shore sand
Acrobatic magic she would share

I think she was double-jointed
With her pixie boots most pointed
She could fold herself up in two
But the man said that was tragic
For he believed in the magic
That made her do what she can do

Time: 6 minutes 10 seconds

Word count: 92

©JezzieG2023

Posing for the Camera (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Sonnet 3

Smile for the camera, they said
Portraits for a boy to send home
From wherever his life should roam
Predator’s teeth gleamed from his head
Even the deepest waters fled
And worms sank swiftly into loam
Leaving no sign, not even foam
For predator fish must be fed

His eyes wandered this way and that
Perhaps he should have worn the hat
To put others into their ease
Instead, he chose to be true to self
A predator fish left on the shelf
So he swam off, out to the seas

Time: 7 minutes 20 seconds

Word count: 122

©JezzieG2023

Alien Inside (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 3 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Sonnet 2

There it was, living inside me
An alien but not unknown
For his is my destiny shown
Still, a stranger that senses see
Glass reflections don’t speak easy
When I see how much he has grown
Now inside out, man of my own
Making; at last, you’re living free

Those days long passed seeing it strange
With explanations out of range
Sure, it was all alien then
I had no clue of what to do
No how, where, or even a when
Til that day I saw me as you

Time: 4 minutes 30 seconds

Word count: 90

©JezzieG2023

Take It Home (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Sonnet 1

Summer mists rise over the land
Where the Stag King roams wild and free
Birds sing greeting his majesty
Still, he bows to Nature’s command
Watching his kin from mountain stand
But Man threatens this liberty
Discarded cans and such debris
Destroying all that Nature planned

On a misty day such as this
How do we dare disturb the bliss
As we destroy, where do they roam?
Signs we so easily dismiss
Can only give a fatal kiss –
For life’s sake just take your trash home

Time: 8 minutes 30 seconds

Word count: 86

©JezzieG2023

Approaching Urge (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 9 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: French Canadian Sonnet

Anticipation shivers on the skin
Anguished thoughts colliding where the doubts surge
Still the moment approaches with the urge
To let it all go and dive right on in

Senses burning hot waiting for the chill
Like a fever that’s released out of control
Only icy waters can bring console
For this fever has no medical pill

The time has run out for thoughts to adjust
There’s no going back, the dive is a must

Let all the heat go beneath the cold ice
Freeze fevered senses into time and space
And take that dive with elegance and grace
That’s how it goes when we are out of dice

Time 7 minutes 20 seconds

Word count: 109

©JezzieG2023

A Question of Identity (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

I see another prompt to entice a goose out to play. Here goes…

Mr. Gwion Maverick Goose

Form: Free Verse Sonnet

Mr. Gwion Maverick Goose likes taking a trip
Without a map, or GPS – well, that doesn’t exist –
He’s the explorer without a plan
And waddles wherever his path leads to
A regular magical mystery tour guy
He never asks for any directions
And ignores every road sign –
I think that’s because he don’t understand them –
In his travels, he’s crossed many borders
Without a visa or passport at hand
A noble bird doesn’t need proof of identity –
“Well, so you would think,” he says,
“There are those who question my veracity
And insist this goose is a duck”

Time: 9 minutes

Word count: 146

Follow on to Well, ‘Ow Do

Adventurer (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 16 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Free Style Sonnet 3

In his early days, he roamed the farmyard
While making friends with the chickens and ducks
He thought life easy for nothing was hard
In fact, he said, his life was just deluxe

With living so easy what could be grander
With little left to wonder or to want
Until over the fence, he took a gander
We all know the grass is greener chant

The chickens were chicken and said no go
When he mentioned his plan over dinner
And the ducks had no desire to explore
So he packed up some grub and went alone
For he had plenty of the gumption juice
Not a chicken nor duck, he was a goose

Time: 7 minutes 10 seconds

Word Count: 114

©JezzieG2023

Crime Scene (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 3 Comments
MATTY ZIMMERMAN/SHUTTERSTOCK

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Free Style Sonnet 1

A missing person for so many days
With no clues to find and nothing says
As happens in these mysterious ways
And the headlines are stirring up a craze
And diligent coppers ain’t seeking praise

Now the newspapers headline replacement
“Missing girl found buried in the basement”
The work of a madman we all suppose
While cops look for the facts to diagnose
The events that lead to this ghastly crime
Evidence gathering takes up their time
Enough to pass the CPS remit
And put behind bars the man who did it

Time: 8 mins 30 seconds

Word Count: 124

©JezzieG2023

Doggo’s Delight (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Four Kings Sonnet

The knitting needles were clicking all night
Insomnia making while drinking tea
With a loyal doggo for company
The TV flickers with non-stop blue light
The news is all wrong and nothing feels right
Flicking a button something else to see
Some old soap or a documentary
On just another insomniac night

On the morning walk doggo looks a sight
A special gift for being friends with me
Keeping me from my darkest fears that be
But his face is not of purest delight
I can but hope my doggo forgives me

Time: 6 minutes 20 seconds
Word Count: 122

©JezzieG2023

Not so Coy Koi (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Folded Sonnet

The art of a spy deceiving their too-curious eyes
Takes a pinch of cunning and a simple wily disguise
But in the reality, I just wanted to break free
Escaping the confines of pond life to swim in the sea
They all said I couldn’t I was just a bright orange koi
I’d stand out a mile and bigger fish I’d surely annoy
They would beat me all up and leave me alone there bleeding
But I’m a koi, a goldfish of superior breeding
I’m not a stupid fish so while I am swimming, I think
There must be a way to fake it out there in the big drink
Then pow and bam it came to me like a flashing great spark
A fish like me can only be a mahoosive great shark

Time: 10 minutes 20 seconds
Word count: 157

©JezzieG2023

Leading the Way (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

So let’s get in the mood (naturally) – oh my gods the memories – fabulous

Form: Fatima Stanza Sonnet

From tango to disco you loved to dance
I took the classes; to learn how to lead
Insecure steps of me taking the chance
A rock step and swirling spin to succeed
And as I dipped you my confidence freed
As you too briefly laid over my thigh
And you followed me into the rhythmic deed
My heart was racing I cannot deny
All those weeks I had watched you dancing by
And this dancing the way to catch your eye
I wasn’t that good yet you never sigh
I got better and your heart followed me
A different dance, a different high
In the swing of love we found our glee

Time: 9 minutes 30 seconds
Word count: 112

©JezzieG2023

Sink or Surf (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 15 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Envelope Sonnet

A day at the beach, that’s what we had planned
On the long winter nights before lockdown
And life stopped in every city and town
But we kept dreaming of sun, sea, and sand
By then this Covid will have gone away
And once again we’d all be running free
Did you see the crowds on last night’s TV?
There is a spike coming or so they say
Social distancing we don’t stand a chance
Other precautions will have to be made
And then Steve said he had an awesome plan
So here we all are prepared in advance
Covid won’t stop us we won’t be outplayed
And we’ll surf some waves however we can

Time: 10 minutes
Word count: 116

©JezzieG2023

Twilight Gathering (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 7 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Elfin Stanza Sonnet

In twilight skies a thousand wings take flight
And pesky insects become hunted prey
Leathery wings shadow the dying day
With each a silhouette in fading light
And some swooping low to catch the first bite
Of the juicy flies who have lost their way
A tasty meal, there’s no feeling contrite
And back into the dark night those wings sway
Radar ears pick up where the midges play
With their poor vision still they need no light
For sound alone guides them on the right way
And insects can’t hide from this sonic sight
And on these warm evenings of late May
I sigh as I watch the bats at twilight

Time: 7 minutes 20 seconds

Word Count: 112

©JezzieG2023

Bear (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 2 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Not often do I try to create a sonnet variant for a prompt – but here goes – one-syllable lines, just for fun.

Form. Christine’s Sonnet
Notes:
Created by Jezzie G for Christine Bialczak
Structure: Three quatrains and a couplet
Meter: 1-syllable per line
Rhyme Scheme: AbbA BccB deeD fD (uppercase being repetitions)

Hide
me
tree
hide
Bide
here
dear
bide
Where
is
this
bear?
What
bear?

Time: With form creation and notes 25 minutes
Word count: 14

©JezzieG2023

Mr. Stresshead (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Doggonet Sonnet

It’s too late for breakfast
It will have to be brunch
If only they had asked
And why not suggest lunch
Time to get some stuff in
Instead, he’s hunting high
And low, just for somethin’
He can put in a pie
Rabbit will make a fuss
Or throw a hissyfit
Or maybe even cuss
If there’s no tasty bit
But squirrel is so stressed
He forgot to get dressed

Time: 7 minutes
Word Count: 70

©JezzieG2023

Baiting His Hook (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 13 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Deplorable Sonnet

Isn’t it time you got a new car, mate?
So cool on your drive and you won’t be late
Pick up a girl and take her on a date
Take them away, I have a motorbike
I hear what you’re saying, bud, take a look
These beauties are hot. and just off the book
And the salesman keeps on baiting his hook
Take them away, I have a motorbike
But behind the wheel, man, you’ll feel alive
Give one a chance, take it for a test drive
Dude, can’t you hear no, just give it a rest
There’s a problem, mate. I ain’t done the test
I ride and a biker’s life suits me best
Take them away, I have a motorbike

Time: 9 minutes 10 seconds

Word count: 122

©JezzieG2023

Death’s Bloom (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Cymraeg Soned

Withering summer’s end
Omens send warning’s call
A fate wishes cannot change
Exchange me I’ll give my all
A raven’s heart breaks in two
Half for you to hold me near
Our paths must part for awhile
This vile thing has found our fear
There is no cure left, they said
You’ll be dead; I mustn’t cry
“stay strong, babe, stay strong for me”
How can I be? How? How? Why?
Without you my poems are prose
Raven weeps for his dying Rose

Notes:
Internal rhyme and Welsh meter – no way it will be done in 6 minutes

Not a day goes by I don’t miss Gabbie – this raven is broken until…

Time: 20 minutes

Word Count: 63

©JezzieG2023

Purrfection (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Purrfection
Form: Cornish Sonnet 3

If she goes up, or, maybe, she goes down
The Ninja Shadow ain’t telling you which
Just meow sounds from an amber eyed frown
Perhaps I didn’t get her timing right
As I see quivers of a whisker twitch
That tells me she is getting all uptight
“Quickly, hoomin, fetch me a tasty treat”
And I grab the bag before she can blink
The pillows of cream cheese she loves to eat
Pretending I know where it is all at
Still she gives me her knowing kitty wink
She is purrrfectly herself as a cat
If she goes up, or, maybe, she goes down
She is purrrfectly herself as a cat

Time: 6 minutes 10 seconds

Word Count: 111

©JezzieG2023

One of the Boys (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 14 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

One of the Boys
Form: Cornish Sonnet 1

I never was a girl for the Barbie pink
Just another thing that didn’t feel right
Back then the shades of pink made my heart sink
Without understanding the reasons why
A colour can bring the heart to such plight
With only confusion my tears to cry
All I ever wanted was shades of blue
To echo feelings that lived inside me
Even then it was something I just knew
I didn’t want dolls or the other girl toys
All of that just was not how it should be
When I should have been just one of the boys
I never was a girl for the Barbie pink
All I ever wanted was shades of blue

Time: 8 minutes, 20 seconds

Word count: 116

©JezzieG2023

My Zen (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 14 Comments
The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533. Housed at the National Gallery, London, UK

I make a point of visiting this painting at least once a year because it is simply amazeballs. However, I haven’t always loved it- – let’s go

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

My Zen
Form: Choi’s Sonnet

My eyes, still innocent, drew back in fear
As skeletons and skulls scared me back then
Made me cry while shedding many a tear
It seems so long ago in way back when
Before the world of art became my Zen
With inherent beauty a thing of yen
Nothing to fear but my own inner peace
This created wonder never seems to cease
To amaze my eyes with tricks in this piece
In fine lines and paint from a brush or knife
Changing perspective, the artist’s caprice
The wonder of art that can ease all strife
New and old the images running rife
As in this world I have made my own life

Word count: 113

Time: 9 minutes 20 seconds

©JezzieG2023

I’m Still Standing (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 10 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

2022 has been a good, if not a great year for me. I set the bar high as I needed to get back on track. Anyway, different type of sonnet with very little rhyme. A joyous new year to all that read.

And my song says it for 2022, I don’t think Elton will mind me stealing the title

I’m Still Standing
Form: Capped Sonnet

2021 brought the spirals
Bipolar was kicking me down and down
With depression inviting suicide
2022 I fought it back
A year of growing stronger, fighting it
No regrets, the year has been bloody good
My thanks to my friends who stayed for the ride
This is why you mean everything to me
You offered me light in that darkest place
And to those who just couldn’t be bothered
I don’t need you now, and I never will
And with the new year waiting at the door
What to do in 2023?
Keep getting stronger as I claim back me

Time: 8 minutes 20 seconds

Word Count: 101

©JezzieGFarmer2022

Leftovers for Christmas (Simply 6 Minutes)

~ JezzieG ~ 8 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Seriously, last week I did the English Canadian, and this week the Italian Canadian – the only difference is the structure of the presentation. However, I discovered a new word for my vocab. Sometimes, writing sonnets feels samey. Thank you, Christine – have a blessed Yule xxx

Leftovers for Christmas
Form: Canadian Sonnet (Italian)

Insane panic buying of toilet paper
As if one hundred rolls is covidsafe
Even soft tissue can begin to chafe
A world in chaos with this right caper
Did you sterilize after wiping ass
Before going outside without a mask
That did far better at meeting the task
For a virus that cares not about class
Leftover rolls clogging up the attic
Quelle surprise! That so many didn’t get used
And we are reeling, feeling so confused
What to do with this stuff bought in panic
It’s Christmas and the tree is out of sight
Get crafty with loo rolls and some lamp light

Word Count: 104
Time: 6 minutes 40 seconds (oh bugger!!)

©JezzieG2022

A Very Middle Earth Problem

~ JezzieG ~ 6 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

A Very Middle Earth Problem
Form: Canadian Sonnet (English)

Bilbo Baggins lived in a Hobbit Hole
He liked it kept tidy, ordered, and neat
When Frodo called by with snow-covered feet
There was nothing that could his heart console
For wiping feet, he placed mats by the door
But the puddles beneath were not so sweet
But hobbits must never admit defeat
So another plan, better than before
Bilbo installed giant feet there outside
A subtle hint or so he thought it be
An obvious thing anyone could see
And sure Bilbo’s logic can’t be denied
Until the chill came along with the cold
Frodo’s feet stuck out, a sight to behold

Word Count: 104
Time 11 minutes 10 seconds

©JezzieG2022

Above the Brine

~ JezzieG ~ 4 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

This week’s sonnet is the Byronic Sonnet created in honour of that moodiest of moody romantic poets, Lord Byron. Kinda matches the pic well, I think

Above the Brine
Form: Byronic Sonnet

The hidden caves on a rugged coastline
That the ancient smugglers knew so well
Now stories the legends of which we tell
Of pirates and rum and all things fine
And their booty hidden above the brine
Avoiding dutymen and their taxes
By the lunar light before she waxes
They hauled it all in, including fine wine
But the king, he ordered the caves barred up
For taxes paid for his warmongering and sin
His people were left with no booze to sup
No brandy or wine, let them have dry gin
Nowadays those rusty bars remain up
But don’t keep the ghosts of old pirates in

Word Count: 107
Time 14 minutes 40 seconds

©JezzieG2022

Simple Choice

~ JezzieG ~ 16 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Simple Choice
Form: Busta Sonetto 3

Hidden in the density of trees
The secret plans of escape
While humans lurch from scrape to scrape
As the world falls to its knees
And into chaos living must descend
And the time is coming when we will go
Or stay and meet the face of death
A simple choice, still some will say no
And stay until the bitter end
But me I’m gonna take that flight
To see a new world in another place
Born for peace before time stands still
A brighter future born of grace
For me the time has come, the time is right

Word Count: 100

Time: 9 minutes 30 seconds

©JezzieG2022

Changing Guards

~ JezzieG ~ 7 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

My gut instincts are to go with a ditty from A. A. Milne but I can’t resist adding some jam to that slice of bread to make the trip to my youth complete

Changing Guards
Form: Busta Sonetto 2 

They're changing the guard at Buck house
Jump on the tube or we’ll be late
“Mind the gap” the tinny voice shouts
I wonder if we will see Will and Kate?
Or are they away shooting grouse?
The train stops and the carriage is full
But still, more get on at the next stop
Crossing the city in a quick hop
Beneath sights it’s brimful
Our stop, squeezing past a mower, it’s a madhouse
It’s sat there in everyone’s way
And nobody seems to ask why
So maybe it's just a case of today
They're mowing the lawns at Buck house

Word Count: 101

Time 7 minutes 40 seconds

©JezzieG2022

And Around Again

~ JezzieG ~ 5 Comments

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

And Around Again
Form: Busta Sonetto 1

To escape there must be a way out
A door that opens into the light
Away from the darkness of being inside
For a brighter horizon to come into sight
Of this, I’m certain, no shadow of doubt
And the door opens onto a stair
A bright white invitation to climb
To reach aspirations the path must
Go higher, upward to touch the sublime
So I’, heading for up there
At the top another door to where I have been
I’m living in circles it seems
While chasing the tail of my dreams
And the only way out is to go back in

Word Count: 103 words
Time: 9 minutes 20 seconds

©JezzieG2022