Separation - a Poem for dVerse Quadrille and for Friday Writings

    Across the water  

As I drive across the bridge 

Our part of the lake is host 

Host to what seems a zillion 

A zillion foreigners there 

Across the water between 

"them" and us 

They're of all kind, assorted

Lump them together, "snowbirds"

Northerns--hidding from winter's wiles    

-- 44 word Quadrille

Note:  This is the northern end of Lake Conroe at Conroe, Texas north of Houston just a bit.  In the winters which are fairly warm in Texas and other parts of the South and Southwest the folk from the northern states come south to have nicer weather rather than the harsh winters of the northern states. 

We here in the South call them "Snowbirds".  This trailer park is very full up during the winters.  We lived south of this park on the other side of the lake in a golf course neighborhood but have moved back into a suburb of Houston to be closer to our younger daughter and her family.  They were an hour and a half drive from us before the move.  Now it is a five-minute walk.

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 - Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2023, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with  whimsygizmo  for the July 24, 2023, Quadrille # 180 dVerse prompt, "Water" at 

    https://dversepoets.com/2023/07/24/quadrille-180-pouring-out-our-poems/  

 - Click here to read the works of other writers using the prompt 

 - I am linked with Rosemary for the prompt at Friday Writings # 87 ,   

   https://poetsandstorytellersunited.blogspot.com/

 - Rosemary has asked us to write of "what pleases you".  

  - I am pleased that these people from northern state come. We are helping them and they help our economy here.  More so than holding football's Super Bowl.

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The duck stays with us -- a Poem for dVerse using the Duplex form

Our Guest 

She spends her mornings in our front yard

That's where the shade is in the mornings 

  

Where the shade is in the afternoons

In the afternoons this duck's across the street 

She's across the street where the shade is then 

She drinks sprinkler water from the street 

I worry about the water in the street 

Has washed fertilizer from the soil 

Fertilizer from the soil tastes not good 

She drinks it anyway that's all she's got 

All she's got but needs it for her eggs 

She'll hatch them in a shadow box nest  

Her chicks after they're born will leave the nest

She'll spend her mornings in our front yard again 

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 - Photo and Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2023, All Rights Reserved 

 - I am linked with Merril D Smith who in dVerse MTB the Duplex has introduced to us a new form, "The Duplex". which I have copied its construction below.  Read more also here, you may wish to try it.  Fun, a little tricky to make it come out right, sort of. 

https://dversepoets.com/2023/07/27/mtb-the-duplex/ 

 - Click here to read the efforts of other writers, you will all like them.

 - O yes, this starts out like a poem that I wrote on my other active blog.  The duck really has adopted us, and spends its time in the three places.

  

 - Here are the basic components of the form: 

 14 Lines, in couplets 9 to 11 syllables for each line (but the lines don’t have to have the same number of syllables) 

The second line of each couplet is partially repeated or echoed by the first line of the following couplet. 

The last line (line 14) echoes the first line. 

The second line of each couplet should change the meaning of the first line in some unexpected way. 

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Royalty Rules ~~ a Poem for dVerse Poetics

Eugene Delacroix
Women of Algiers in their Apartment 1834, Oil on Canvas

    A Visit With the Ladies 

We came that day, not quite announced 

They had been warned, or better told 

Told that we were coming, coming to

interview them and interact as we could

When we rang the doorbell we had a surprise 

A gentleman greeted us and invited us 

to come in.  He was finely dressed, jewelry,

and jeweled earrings as well.  Wearing a blue

vest, perhaps thinking that would have 

meaning with us.  It didn't mean a doggone 

thing except he must be paid royally too. 

He didn't stay long, winked and said "bye bye" 

Not knowing what to say nor where we stood 

we asked the lady with the long hair if she 

were expecting us.  She said kind of, her 

man, she called him that, had called. Nothing 

Nothing but to dress nicely and to be nice as 

well to us.  Three ladies and two men might 

have been scary for them but it did not so

seem to be.   Did she give us the wrong idea?  

The lady in the middle grabbed the first one 

by the leg and clasped it tightly.  Assurance? 

The woman on the left opened an eye and 

batted her eye, what was she expecting? 

Quickly the lady in the middle took charge, 

gave us a rundown on the deal.  The king by 

religion can only have four wives, he has six, 

Jenny here and I are excess, Norma guards us 

The excess and Norma can be given for a day 

or so to visiting men of rank in their country 

as a token of the charity of the king.  Norma 

is official number four, waiting for her divorce 

When he came to our country and courted us 

we willingly said yes, who would not?  But 

really we don't have a life, mostly sit around 

and perhaps read.  Charley you met takes care 

of the kids.  Jenny has three, and I have two

They are good kids and are getting a good

education.  Charley and his helpers do fine

with them.  You will have to go now, our man

said to spend twenty minutes and that is all 

He still loves us and protects us well, Charley, 

now whispering, he's behind the door.  Sorry 

we could have told more but your time is up. 

Bye bye  

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 - Poem Copyright, Jimmiehov 2023, All Rights Reserved 

 - For the photo prompt I am linked to Grace with dVerse Poetics: Ekphrastic Poetry at 

    https://dversepoets.com/2023/07/25/poetics-ekphrastic-poetry/  

 - Click here to read of others writing for Grace's picture prompts 

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