Author: Reena Saxena

For today’s poem, my last one of the week, I’ve amalgamated 2 prompts! One from Reena’s Xploration Challenge: CESSPOOL & the other being Ragtag Daily Prompt’s word for Saturday: FROSTY. Below lies my contribution. 👇👇 Hope ye enjoy the read

The foul; rancid stench of excrement, dripping from him as Frank emerged from his nightly job cleaning the city’s enormous cesspool, filthy; smelly yet strangely satisfied. The pungent odour emanating from his body permeated the cold; early morning air. He walked home quickly @ 5am for fear anyone would see him or worse still…. Smell him.

It was in stark contrast to the frosty reception of his family when he told them of his new employment. They’d alienated him, disowned him completely! Told him they wanted nothing more to do with him, even going so far as to cut off his inheritance and cross over to the…

Lucky lotus ...happy with muddy feet

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Mindfills for Reena’s Exploration challenge ~ cesspool; shweta’s six word story ~ luck; Cee’s FOTD

The herd
stronger together
one identity
one way
but death prowls this walking feast

Alone
A predator forged through struggle
Chance is rare and often fatal
when death throws scraps
to watch strong devour weak

The human being is a cocktail of animal instincts
we are nature’s experiment on choice
wading a cesspool of feral proclivities
where evils seduce
but good will not be silenced.

In the herd we embrace belonging
In the pack we hone the skills to survive

Alone we long to wander,
but home always calls to us

they say strength seeks to dominate
yet many strive to uplift

Our journeys may be solo
but we often crave companionship
To share joys and dilute despairs
For just like misery
happiness too, loves company

this cocktail of instinct holds a predator with the will to survive and conquer
these everglades of choice contains the herd where harmony…

By Gypsie-Ami Offenbacher-Ferris

In response to –
Reena’s Xploration Prompt #258
Word: CESSPOOL

It’s a whirling, swirling cesspool of power hungry, greed possessed individuals purporting to represent and fight for the liberty and rights of those who voted them into positions of great and small importance.

Circling towards the center vortex in pursuit of fame, fortune and control, just like a tornado or water spout, tsunami or cyclone. These forces collapse, leaving waste and debris in the wake of what began as good intentions, but becomes corrupted by the very power they seek. Leaving behind a cesspool of spoils reeking of lies, wrong doings and evil intent.

To clean the cesspool, it must be drained completely and refilled from the bottom up with fresh representatives. Then, it’s purity must be nurtured, protected and rewarded to instill and protect its integrity. Lest our leaders become nothing but…

For years America’s best sports tradition has been the rivalry between the Black Knights from West Point and the Midshipmen from Annapolis where the Army versus Navy football game was dubbed “America’s Game”.  Gone are the days when America’s service academies were national powerhouses, but the game will forever hold a place in American culture.  Generations ago, both Army and Navy were football powerhouses, combining for four national championships.  The term Black Friday wasn’t in common use nationwide before 1985, however it was known in Philadelphia, where the Army Navy game was hosted in the city 89 of the 122 contests.  This made sense, as Philadelphia was roughly equidistant from the two academies.  This game was historically played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving (a date on which most other major college football teams end their regular seasons).  In the early 1950s, this game attracted more than 100,000 people, filling John F. Kennedy Stadium…

It’s a transient world in this cesspool called life
where dangerous people cause infinite strife
But laid out before us in a subliminal church
A decoration of faith, a presentation of worth
It is here that we find peace and love undisturbed
With just an inkling of anger or just maybe perturbed
But we let it all go at the drop of a dime
Because all we’ve got left is our life and some time.

©2022 CBialczak Poetry

Transient https://amanpan.blog/2022/11/22/moonwashed-musings-weekly-prompt-transient-november-22-2022/
cesspool: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2022/11/24/reenas-xploration-challenge-258/
Dangerous: https://fivedotoh.com/2022/11/25/fowc-with-fandango-dangerous/
presentation, decoration, church: https://pensitivity101.wordpress.com/2022/11/25/three-things-challenge-m158/
inkling: https://onedailyprompt.wordpress.com/2022/11/25/your-daily-word-prompt-inkling-ydwordprompt-november-25-2022/

here you are standing
in the midst of the ocean
letting yourself be swayed
accepting all the push and pull
of the waves of life
always at the mercy
of external stimuli

one day, you were told
you can walk on water
psychologically traverse
endless states of mind
it does take some faith and courage,
to attain the level of selfpersuasion
and know the outside world
is not for signs and confirmation

you were told, you have
this inner strength
to reveal in you such a character
unmoved by the world
at the calmest with your strong conviction
whatever the senses perceived
relieved, it didn’t matter

for you know you are the hidden force
in every situation
the causation behind circumstances encountered
but, will it be alright
if no one knew, not a hint of recognition
of the noble ideals you projected
here in Caesar’s world

and just be content…