Tag Archives: writing

Whimsical World Of…- W3 Prompt #214: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Posted on 08/06/2026 by Indira

W3 Prompt #214: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Deanna’s prompt: Mother Goose Muse

For this week’s W³ challenge, you are invited to use a nursery rhyme as inspiration for an original poem. Your poem does not need to rhyme, and it may be written in any form you choose, but please try to keep it to no more than 24 lines.

Whimsical World Of...

Hey, diddle, diddle,
The cat and the fiddle,
The cow jumped over the moon.
Seeing this scene, the little dog did croon:
"What a funny game this is!
Let's all play and sing, no one should miss!"
He sent the cow a flying kiss.
The cow smiled and jumped again,
The dog laughed hard and sang again,
The cat played her fiddle with bliss.
They all joined together for this:
" Oh, the animal and kids' kingdom
so pure, so bliss, so full of fun
Join it or, away you run"
Oh! It's so incredible!"
"Hey, diddle, diddle,
This is not a riddle,
What a night, what a scene, 
What a blissful moon!"
When the world was swooning over this tune
The dish ran away with the spoon.

The cat and the fiddle

Hot Cross Buns

On his tricycle
The vendor comes shouting
'Hot-cross buns!Hot-cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross buns!'
They smell divine and are fresh as dew
Sometimes I buy one and sometimes a few
My pet greets him with a soft woof-woof
Though sometimes he prefers to pretend to be aloof
Especially when the vendor didn't bring eggs
He shows irritation by jumping on his hind legs
Scared, Wandor runs to his van
My pet follows him with its tail wagging like a fan
This game gives them both a lot of fun
Vendor pleases him, with a hot cross bun
My pet waits daily for the vendor's call
'Hot-cross buns!Hot-cross buns!
One a penny, two a penny,
Hot-cross buns!'

23 Comments

Posted in Fiction, Free Verses, Humour, Nonsense verse, poetry, W3 Prompt - Wea've Written Weekly and tagged Animal, books, children, free verse, humour, Moon, nature, Nonsense verse, Nursary Rhyme, poem, poetry, W3 Prompt #214: Wea’ve Written Weekly, Whimsical, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Transient Ideation – RXC # 432

Posted on 03/06/2026 by Indira

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #432

PROMPT #432

Reena gives us a sentence this week to act as a thought-starter.

“A thought brushed my palm, then scattered like a startled bird.”

Transient Ideation

I hope you all know how the mind plays tricks when you are desperate to write a valuable piece.
No thoughts ever come when I am sitting formally at my desk, posing like a writer.
Instead, inspiration kindly prefers to visit at the oddest hours, when my hands are busy with the daily rhythm of life, mostly while I am cooking or smoothing out the wrinkles of clothes with the warm iron, or worse, when I am in the washroom.
In those quiet moments, when a pen and paper are nowhere to be found, a brilliant idea will suddenly brush my palm.
The moment I try to close my palm to cage it, it scatters away like a startled bird, and the sky is empty.
The idea simply vanishes, leaving me staring dumbly at a blank paper for hours.
On a few occasions, as soon as an idea tickled me, I ran to write it down, only to end up with a burnt supper or a burned shirt.

15 Comments

Posted in prose, Reena's Xploration Challenge, Story and tagged bird, books, fiction, life, nature, poem, poetry, Refuse, RXC # 432, story, thoughts, Transient Ideation, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Generational Echoes – Reena’s Xploration Challenge #431

Posted on 25/05/2026 by Indira

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #431

PROMPT #431

This week, we are taking a rather broad look at AGE-ING, and the relationship between generations.

Whether you see yourself as young, old or somewhere in between, examine your relationship with those on the other side and base your piece on that.

Generational Echoes

“You are old-fashioned, prejudiced; it’s difficult to communicate with you.”
For centuries, these very thoughts of the youth have echoed, and I couldn’t agree more.

What I wish to convey to them is -You, too, will one day become “old-fashioned” in the eyes of the next generation.
And…
You will hear the very same thing.
Because…
The times will continue to evolve, becoming
even more progressive.
If you could avoid drugs, ultra-modernity and war,
you are bound to hear that you are outdated, prejudiced, and not easy to communicate with.
This is how it has been for centuries, and this is how it will always be.

18 Comments

Posted in prose, Reena's Xploration Challenge and tagged aging, Echoes, Generations, life, love, mental-health, nature, Old-Fashioned, Reena’s Xploration Challenge #431, time, writing, youth. Bookmark the permalink.

The Elusive Self – RXC # 430

Posted on 21/05/2026 by Indira

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #430

PROMPT #430

This week, let us wrap our heads around the word

ELUSIVE

Is that you? Is it a person, image, concept, value, dream or something else? Let the wistfulness peep out unapologetically.

The Elusive Self

“Is that me?” she asks her reflection in the mirror.

An elusive person, difficult to understand, even for her.

She thinks it’s time for serious Retrospective Introspection.

Though not skilled at hiding or withholding my true personality, since childhood, I avoided emotional intimacy, fearing I would get cheated like …

Perhaps it was written right on my face: “Come, make a fool of me; criticise me, or mock me.”

With a lack of self-confidence and past negative experiences (like being manipulated even by close friends, or so I believed), as soon as I gained some understanding, I sought a way to save myself—a path that was, perhaps, the wrong one.

But how could anyone possibly understand me, or advise me, when I wouldn’t even let anyone get close?

I maintained a serious countenance because I was terrified of making an embarrassing mistake. Whenever others tried to engage in playful activities, I remained poker-faced.

I tried to protect myself from judgment or exploitation by avoiding social contact, trying to avoid drawing attention, and displaying a stiff, guarded demeanour.

I always avoided speaking in public or raising my hand in group settings. I often stayed clear of parties or environments where unpredictable, lighthearted interactions were likely to occur. If forced, I would leave early or hide in other rooms.

I was always guarded and didn’t reveal much about myself, making it difficult for others to get to know me, and this resulted in having very few like-minded friends.

Thankfully, my actions and true motives are not hard to figure out or comprehend, because simplicity and honesty have never evaded me.

It’s not that I didn’t try to come out of this mindset, because living like this was painful; the process was slow, tedious, and required very strong willpower.

And this is not a one-day task. You have to keep making continuous efforts to achieve success.

( I struggled to find words, so I wrote these two pieces earlier. Now, I don’t want to delete them, so I will publish them.)

A life of excessive security, care, and comfort
renders you dependent on ease—
compelling you to rely on others forever.
A finely carved, smooth, round base—
cannot stand freely without support.
You need a base with rough edges—
a sturdy foundation—otherwise,
You will fall just as
Humpty Dumpty fell.
And success will be elusive, friends.

Some were elusive for me
those whom I desired.
I was elusive for some.
who desired me
Time slipped away in the race to win one another.
Life was passing by in the pursuit of shadows.
Then, when I finally abandoned all hope of attaining anything,
I received that which was beyond all expectation.
Perhaps this is destiny.
For, in the end, everyone receives exactly what was written for them.

7 Comments

Posted in Free Verses, poetry, prose, Reena's Xploration Challenge and tagged Elusive, free verse, healing, introspection, life, love, mental-health, personality, prose, Retrospection, RXC # 430, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Rusting Legacy -W3 Prompt #211: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Posted on 16/05/2026 by Indira

W3 Prompt #211: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Hope’s prompt: Be the thing

Write a Dinggedicht: a poem that enters so deeply into a thing that the thing seems to speak for itself through image, texture, movement, and sensation alone.

Choose anything: an object, animal, plant, machine, weather pattern, body part, or natural phenomenon. Describe it from the inside out. Let its physical reality guide the poem: its weight, surface, rhythm, sounds, habits, decay, memory.

You may lean into the surreal. Let the thing dream, contradict itself, remember what it should not remember, or behave in ways that defy logic. But keep the poem grounded in the thing’s material presence. The strangeness should emerge naturally from the object itself, not feel imposed upon it.

Do not explain what the thing symbolizes. Let the thing be the meaning.

Guidelines

Stay rooted in concrete imagery and sensory detail
Avoid abstract explanation whenever possible
Surreal elements are welcome if they grow organically from the thing itself
Free verse or rhyme are both welcome
10–20 lines

Rusting Legacy


Many stories are hidden in its chest
If it could speak…and if you care to listen, 
It would have told you-
Once upon a time, 
It was well-known and bustling with activity. proud, renowned directors sitting in their high chairs would shout through their megaphones, 
“Silence! Camera! Rolling! Action!”
Wasn’t it the launching pad for many legends who are now
Superstars and Directors
Wasn’t it their life’s important chapter
After a few failures, the owner went bankrupt—it was abandoned, dismissed as a jinx.
No one comes here. 
Nobody even remembers 
that it was once a significant part of this industry,
Now, it is nothing but the ruins of its glorious past.
It longs for a bit of recognition and remembrance.
Then how could everyone leave it uncared for and neglected,
and shun it like an outcast?


(I am reposting an old, edited poem of mine, because I feel it fits perfectly here—perhaps.)

28 Comments

Posted in Free Verses, Prose Poetry, W3 Prompt - Wea've Written Weekly and tagged books, Dinggedicht, free verse, glory, legacy, poem, poems, poetry, Ramnants, Rusting, Superstars, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Doom-Scrolling-Reena’s Xploration Challenge #429

Posted on 11/05/2026 by Indira

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #429

PROMPT #429

The genre chosen for this week is FANTASY.

Situation:

You are doom-scrolling late in the night, and you reach somewhere you’d never expected to be.

Doom-Scrolling

I am paying the price for being greedy and eating way too much fish fry and chips.
Feeling uneasy, when I can’t sleep, I find myself engaging in “doom-scrolling”, in the hope…
I don’t know how YouTube these days manages to figure out exactly what you need, but it sends a whole army of videos right up your alley.
This time, videos featuring various marine creatures started popping up; perhaps, fish were on my mind, that’s why.
Or to distract me from my troubles.
It truly was a must-watch video, showcasing the beautiful green ocean and its inhabitants.
I forgot everything else and got lost in their world.
A lovely little fish stops, looks right at me, and smiles.
“Come, join us.”
“How? Aren’t you all just virtual?”
“No, silly—you are the illusion; we are the reality.”
And who’s going to argue with a fish?
“Just touch the screen, and join us.”
Just for fun, I touched the screen—and it pulled me right in.
Swimming alongside them was a magnificent experience—though it did smell a bit—until suddenly, a large fish appeared and glared right at me.
“What are you doing here, you fish-eater?”
Feeling a bit sheepish, I tried to explain something to her about “eco-balance”—or perhaps I argued that I never kill live fish, preferring instead to eat only frozen ones, since they are already dead anyway; so why let their sacrifice for humanity go to waste?
I tried to calm her down—even throwing in a bit of flattery, perhaps, just to win her over.
A large crab laughed and chimed in, “Look at her—making excuses! Now she’s scared of us.”
Well, I suppose when you’re in trouble, even a crab can laugh at you. The big fish tried to scare me: “I’m going to summon the piranhas to teach you a lesson.”
Now, I was truly terrified. I was literally trembling.
I pleaded, “I swear I won’t eat any dish that starts with the letter ‘F’ ever again; please, just let me out of here.”
They all burst into loud laughter.
A very old turtle lifted his head and looked at me with a philosophical air.
“My dear, this is a one-way street.”
So, that is the price you pay when, instead of seeking the right solutions to your problems, you start doom-surfing.
Well, what you are looking at is merely my hollow body. My soul remains trapped back there in the sea. Until someone comes to set me free…

7 Comments

Posted in Fiction, Humour, prose, Reena's Xploration Challenge, Story and tagged Doom-Scrolling, fiction, fish, greed, life, nature, Reena's Xploration Challenge #429, sea, Travel, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Freedom… -W3 Prompt #209: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Posted on 04/05/2026 by Indira

Yvette’s prompt: Elsewhere

With so much chaos in the world, let’s step away from reality and imagine something entirely new. Create a poem that explores a fictional world—utopian or dystopian, your choice. This world must be wholly imagined and not reflect the current reality we live in. Let your imagination run freely.

Freedom, without 'conditions apply' Notice

Is there such a world—
Where I can fly without wings?
Where I can sing the songs welling up in my heart, without enduring the taunt that my voice is unworthy of song?
Where my dancing soul find the opportunity to express itself, unhindered by any rules or laws?
Where I have the freedom to give voice to the emotions surging within my inner self, without any bonds?
Freedom, without ‘conditions apply’ notice
To borrow colours from butterflies
and fragrance from flowers,
to sway in joy with playful bumblebees;
To borrow moisture from the clouds
and playfulness from the wind,
and to dance upon the ocean, moving in rhythm with the waves;
To steal moonlight from the moon
and darkness from the night,
and to dance across the sky amidst the stars;
To borrow sweetness from the cuckoo,
weaving songs of joy,
and to join with everyone in singing sweet melodies.

14 Comments

Posted in Free Verses, poetry, W3 Prompt - Wea've Written Weekly and tagged book-review, books, Colours, fiction, freedom, life, love, Melodies, nature, science-fiction, Song, Unconditional, W3 Prompt #209: Wea’ve Written Weekly, wings, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

“Finding Joy in the Heights of Others” – Reena’s Xploration Challenge #426

Posted on 20/04/2026 by Indira

Reena’s Xploration Challenge #426

PROMPT #426

Here is a quote from Ayn Rand’s lesser-known novel- We the Living.

“It’s a curse, you know, to be able to look higher than you’re allowed to reach.”

It could have been a curse
Had I not realised that
watching others reach
where I couldn’t or, for that matter
not allowed to reach
It’s just as much fun and enjoyable
What’s more
Whining and cursing wouldn’t have got me anywhere, so
Finding joy in the happiness of others
sometimes paves a path for oneself as well—
Also, it offers inspiration,
when nothing else works,
It is best to acknowledge and accept our limitations.
You can still make small, modest efforts.
Who knows, you may succeed.
Isn’t?
Well, it worked for me, and
That’s enough for me.

12 Comments

Posted in Free Verses, methinks, Reena's Xploration Challenge, Thoughts and tagged curse, fiction, happiness, joy, life, Life's Lessons, Limitations, love, mental-health, Reena's Xploration Challenge #426, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Life Is A Great Balancing Act – W3 Prompt #207

Posted on 19/04/2026 by Indira

W3 Prompt #207: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Sally’s prompt: Inspired by a poet

Dr Seuss – ‘Oh, the Places You’ll Go!’

Line I chose is – Life is a great balancing act

If you know what’s right and wrong
Clear about your duties in heart
You have set your goal, then,
With conviction, you can take a start

Out in the world, you will be on your own
With only one intellect and judgment.
As you’ll encounter many birds
Caution and tact, keys to achievement

With care and caution, take each step,
’cause ‘Life is a great balancing act’.

( I am presenting an old poem of mine, inspired by Dr Seuss.)

“How did it get so late so soon? It’s the night before it’s afternoon. December is here before it’s June. My goodness, how time has flown. How did it get so late so soon?” ~Dr. Seuss

“Unfair Play”

It’s the night before it’s afternoon.
How did it all pass away so soon?
Old age came before the youth could croon.
How some young faces are full of wrinkles
Before they are swamped with smiles and twinkles.
How did time so soon fly by
Before saying a proper goodbye?
How come nature is not fair to some?
Spring is so short, and the longest is autumn.

~Indira

My daughter introduced me to the poems of Dr Seuss, and I became addicted to them.

19 Comments

Posted in Free Verses, poetry, W3 Prompt - Wea've Written Weekly and tagged Achievment, act, Balancing, Judjment, life, poem, poems, Poet, poetry, W3Prompt #207: Wea've Written Weekly, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

Paean of Personal Triumph – W3 Prompt #206: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Posted on 12/04/2026 by Indira

W3 Prompt #206: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Nigel’s prompt: Paean of Personal Triumph

A paean is a poem of praise or celebration. Traditionally, it was written to honor a god, a victory, or a heroic achievement. In modern poetry, a paean can celebrate something more personal—a moment, a person, a turning point, or even an inner shift.

Write a paean about a moment of personal triumph. This can be something from your past, something you are currently experiencing, or something you envision for your future. The moment should feel meaningful—something that changed you, clarified something essential, or marked a quiet or dramatic victory.

Focus on what makes the moment worthy of praise. What was overcome? What shifted? What does this triumph reveal about you?

Let the tone carry a sense of recognition—earned, not inflated. Avoid generic celebration; be specific. The power of a paean comes from honoring something real.

Paean of Personal Triumph

No one will sing songs of praise for me for this victory;
No one will welcome me with applause.
For this confrontation was with myself alone—
To forge a better version of who I am;
To overcome my fears;
To conquer my insatiable desire for control;
To subdue my ego;
And to let go of the constant striving to be 'perfect';
It was a ceaseless attempt—
To restrain myself from reacting instantly and vehemently to everything;
To acknowledge and accept my own flaws;
To rise again after every defeat;
To pat myself on the back for small victories,
Without constantly seeking validation from others;
To hold my tongue, even in moments of anger.
Oh!
It is a very long list.
This task was difficult, but not impossible.
Yet, total victory did not seem attainable.
This victory would be entirely—and solely—my own.
It was no less arduous than any grand battle;
Nor was it a task accomplished in a single day.
It is an unending struggle—a war waged against oneself.
But I had to fight it;
And I had to win,
For the sake of my own contentment and peace;
If not a complete victory, still,
Then, at least a partial one has been achieved;
A partial transformation has taken place.