Day 12 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. They didn’t come on this retreat to fall in love, but here they are. Is there a future together? At least, they know for now, in the presence of the other, there is magnetism they cannot deny. The #vss365 #prompt for July 12, 2026 is #magnetism.

Your magnet shifts pole to pole In your world I am unobservable But on any given day Since I am a monopole I might tickle your particles and turn your glance my way #vss365 #magnetism #poetry

Storms pass. Turn the glass and embrace time. For all we have loved, we've not left behind. Open your door. A woman weeps, but not in vain. Each teardrop, the softest rain. Find your Spring child holding flowers, not afraid to give them. Kiss and embrace mine. #vss365 #writing #Art #Klimt

Day 11 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. In each other’s arms, they are home. But they realize if they truly want to keep each other, they must embrace their imperfections, face their fear, and take a risk on love. But can they? The #vss365 #prompt for July 11, 2026 is #embrace.

Which way do I run to escape the embrace of loneliness Its arms are long and it breathes on my face a creeping malaise Surrounding me It pushes the others away So I wait Clenching the social pepper spray I plan my escape #vss365 #embrace #poetry

Black rose at a red dawn Crimson and yellow are gone Your prickles they sting Unreal is this morning #vss365 #rose #poetry

Darkling, in my dreams we frolic and dance amongst the stars. Fervent souls, once lost yet found, now forever bound. No time or distance could ever keep us apart, for we are made of the eternal, of starlight and moonbeams, and all things unearthly bright. #vss365 #WriteSky 💙🖋️ #Art #Millais

Day 9 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. Drifting! Assigned new critique partners, our lovely couple spends less time together. Invited to recreate and frolic with others at the retreat, they cannot stop thinking about each other. The #vss365 #prompt for July 9, 2026 is #frolic.

The tree stood tall trunk and knotted wood Anchored near two hundred years I envied its grandeur wishing it was me Carving in my claim I saw it weep Oblivious to the pain I carved again then frolicked away It stood and bled Anchored deep in the forest bed #vss365 #frolic #poetry

No silence bang the drum No defiance and you'll be overrun When your voices call you to come you must come #vss365 #defiance #poetry

Day 8 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. Something happens to trigger doubt. It’s just a summer thing, they think. Their desire for self-protection tells them this love may not be worth the risk. In their hearts, there is defiance. The #vss365 #prompt for July 8, 2026 is #defiance.

Day 7 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. First kiss! 💋 Feeling more secure in each other’s presence, their hearts become more revealing. By the light of a campfire, they share secrets of their past and find deep intimacy. The #vss365 #prompt for July 7, 2026 is #revealing.

You have cut my heart and I bleed a revealing red I cover it in swaddle and sadly walk away but it follows me dripping each direction I take that blood in the footprints I make #vss365 #Revealing #poetry

Day 6 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. Summer could last forever, as the light in their eyes can testify. Even critiquing each other’s drafts has become a joy. Beginning to fall in love, our couple treats each other sweetly and tenderly. The #vss365 #prompt for July 6, 2026 is #tenderly.

Tenderly she plays Bow on a string It radiates Soft fingers caress carefully placed In those spaces that tickle a short stay but beg for continuity One long note to embrace So I wait There within the tingles #vss365 #tenderly #poetry

It began and ended quickly There was no swoon First there were four feet Then there were two Fixed eyes wander Joints come loose Sometimes we don't have the tools To fix what's broken And so we lose The things we choose #vss365 #swooning #poetry

Head-Scratcher A finger to the head, where musings go unread, to quell the fretful itch. The pose of one who weighs unquiet thoughts, conveys a pensive little twitch. #poem #poemoftheday #poetry #poems #bluesky #blueskypoetry #blueskyart #art #reflex #introspection

Day 2 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. The meet-cute! Our darling couple has met at the writers retreat! Eye contact sparks something beautiful. There is the initial appraisal of each other. And it is oh so good. ❤️ The #vss365 #prompt for July 2, 2026 is #appraisal.

The appraisal was a life ago valuable once a brilliant circle of gold It sits in a box and the box is closed at the end of the cranny in the nook where no one looks #vss365 #appraisal #poetry

#Boscombe www.amazon.co.uk/Snugs-Snow-B... #readers #books #Dorset #localinterest #booksky #instagood #bookstores #mg

I could use some positivity today, how about you? even though there are deep valleys to traverse and steep mountains to climb know you are enough leave apprehension behind #vss365 #apprehension #poetry #haiku #tanka #ECK #photography #mountains #scape #NaturePhotography #ImageAndVerse

Tilley at sunrise #photography #dogs #borderaussie #tilley

#booksky www.amazon.co.uk/Snugs-Snow-B... #mglit #bears

Welcome to Day 1 of Summer Love, a romance in 15 days. Before our couple meets, they are frightened of getting hurt. Past wounds have created apprehension to love. Maybe going away on a writers retreat will be just the cure. The #vss365 #prompt for July 1 2026 is #apprehension.

A stark wooden chair In front of the other chairs And I was to go there I could talk like the wind But not with the stare That numerical glare Apprehension was everywhere And I was laid bare #vss365 #apprehension #poetry

Good morning on this, the last day of June and my final one as your #vss365 host. Tomorrow, Dave Gardener, (@daveagardener.bsky.social), takes the helm. I pulled some real boners during my tenure, the kind that left my face red: #florid, even. My last #prompt is #florid. It's been a hoot!

A complimentary word bashful eyes and a florid face Perfunctory try to turn away Connection made Foundation laid #vss365 #florid #poetry

New to BlueSky and wish to share a bit about my fantasy novel, STARLIGHT. A portal fiction (story within a story) revolving around themes of friendship, courage, heroism, and love. Fans of feel-good, whimsical tales may find it here: www.amazon.com/dp/B08WK7TZJJ #BookSky #Fantasybook #booksky

KEEP CALM and CARRION. #vss365 #carrion #Photography #Nature #PhotoArt #PhotoSky 💙📷 me

Iambic The brook keeps steady time. The dawn observes its prime. The thrush’s notes all chime. If quiet holds for long, Its muted pulls prolong, And structure comes along. #poem #poemoftheday #poetry #poems #bluesky #blueskypoetry #blueskyart #art #life

Good Monday morning this June 29! My time as your #vss365 host draws to a close on July 1 when we celebrate the sweepingly romantic Dave Gardener, (@daveagardener.bsky.social) as your new #host. For my penultimate #prompt; it's that delicious staple of buzzards, blowflies and vultures - #carrion!

fly soul fly if that is you carrion half-plucked by passersby I cry rise on wing without a shadow I bend down to your sunbaked bones look into your eye if that is all of you I cry #vss365 #carrion #poetry

It should have been strike three So disgruntled by the umpire's call It was right down Central Avenue No way it was a ball The winning run across the plate I thought I'd seen it all We didn't have a challenge left What a pathetic way to fall #vss365 #disgruntle #poetry

Good morning! Today is Sunday, June 28, and my time as your #vss365 host grows short - but that doesn't #disgruntle me. I happen to be one of the most gruntled fellows you'd ever meet! BTW, the #vss365 #prompt for today is #disgruntle.

Good morning! Your #vss365 host completely overslept this Saturday morning, June 27. Sorry about that! Today's #prompt is something small and almost insignificant, that is, of course unless it's biting you. #Flea.

war is much closer dogs are scratching their fleas there is no relief #vss365 #flea #poetry

#NationalFoodTruckDay www.amazon.com/Housie-Mousi... #books #food #foodtrucks #foodtruckday #eats #eatsandbooks #kidsbooks #booksandtakeouts #cheesepizza #macncheese #momlife

Good morning, gang. Today is Friday, June 26, (thank God!) Today, I choose evil. Bad guy, low-life, creep; they're so mundane! Today's #vss365 #prompt is #villain.

It's a blessing if you reach your goal Still high above on pillars of gold the snakes unfurl the villains emerge slithering along the narrow road their teeth grab hold and never let go they're everywhere and never let go #vss365 #villain #poetry

#BookSky www.amazon.com/LUNA-SNOW-CA... #characters #animalbooksforkids #kidsbooksonpets #kidsbooksonanimals #kidlitart #artlovers #learning #teaching #wellness #humor #childrenshumorbooks #kidsbooksonmagic

Nothing Here Your swift denial speaks A truth it never seeks And still the outline leaks. The truth does not insist; Denial, though, persist; It will not be dismissed. #poem #poemoftheday #poetry #poems #bluesky #blueskypoetry #blueskyart #art #truth #denial

A day out with the girls #photography #cats #dogs #pets

I have made no secret that I once loved whiskey and beer. I'm still mighty fond of bread, pasta and corn in all its glorious manifestations. In celebration of that, our #vss365 #prompt on this Thursday, June 25 is #grain!

against the hard grain I still chose a gentle path and called that my start #vss365 #Grain #Senryu #Haiku #Poetry #Micropoetry #JustWrite #WritingCommunity #BlueskyPoets

It seems a simple game riding on the comfort train until the earth shakes and the track breaks Spilling all the grain across the plain #vss365 #grain #poetry

It's a noun! It's a verb! It's minty fresh! It's the #vss365 #prompt for today, Wednesday, June 24. It's #pull.

"Pull up your socks" she said, and I did but nothing changed My toes were a little tighter yet everything else remained the same #vss365 #pull #poetry

Excited to announce that my poem was selected as a finalist for the Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize! Thanks to the readers and editors @onlypoemsmag.bsky.social for publishing this piece.

Good morning one and all! Today is Tuesday, June 23 and I will make every effort to spell today's #vss365 writing #prompt correctly. (The odds are with me; it's a five letter word, but there are no sure things!) It's a good way to describe how I move through the world, I stumble & stagger. I #lurch.

I'm left in the lurch cause I won't go to church but I would never besmirch their god's name #vss365 #lurch #poetry