X for Xiuhtecuhtli. The Aztec god of fire and heat appears in various representations, one of which depicts him as a toothless old man with a stooped back, carrying an enormous brazier on his head. His insignia was the Xiuhcóatl, or serpent of fire, characterized by a nose of horn, decorated with seven stars.
The two festivals of Xiuhtecuhtli coincide with the two extremes in the climatological cycle, the heat of August and the cold of January. Once every 52 years, at the end of a complete cycle in the calendar of the Aztecs, fire was ceremonially transferred first from temple to temple and then from temples to homes. The name of the god derives from the Nahuatl word for turquoise xihuitl, which also means ‘year’ suggesting the god also represented time.
This week we are dipping our toes into the pool of OPPOSITES. Our challenge is all about “opposing forces” and the use of antithesis in our writing. You will need to use the two opposing words in your response – which can be poetry or prose. Our words this week are:
– suburb and city centre
– repair and damage
***
I’ve lived in isolated country on a farm, a small mountain town, three suburbs, and in a city center in downtown Houston. In every atmosphere I enjoyed life there. My husband and I built two new houses in Texas.
We lived in a small town in a home built in 1940 that needed constant repair from old age damage. It had a beautiful antique crystal chandelier in the dining room of an otherwise extremely modest small house. It was a treasure, but the kitchen had only one outlet that worked when it chose to. The whole electrical system was iffy and needed repair. We were renting, didn’t expect to stay as long as we did and then both of us had health problems. I’m surprised the house didn’t catch fire from the faulty wiring. The fuse box was constantly used because you could only turn on a couple of electrical things at a time or it would blow a fuse.
This home was one of my favorites, even though we had lived in much finer ones. The deciding factor was that we were close enough, a few blocks, to our daughter and her family to see and babysit often. Attending school and sport events was a beautiful life.
Day Tripper” is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a double A side single with “We Can Work It Out” in December 1965. The song was written was credited to the Lennon–McCartneypartnership. Both songs were recorded during the sessions for the band’s Rubber Soul album.
A shortage of ripple marks represent an enigma. We should want to support and challenge the “norm”. What is the definition of norm? This girl is not going to reach a conquest wearing a suit to her prom but she is trying. The school needs to accommodate new norms. There isno harm in this girl’s defiance.
“Hayes wrote in the caption, “i should not have to conform to femininity to attend my senior prom. i will not compromise who i am to fit in a box. who are you to tell us what it means to be a woman?””
W for werewolf ❤️In ancient civilizations, they were depicted as shape-shifting creatures that could transform from human to wolf form. In many cultures, werewolves were believed to be supernatural beings that possessed the ability to transform into wolves at will, or were created when a person was cursed or bitten by a wolf. In some stories, werewolves are portrayed as evil and monstrous creatures that prey on humans, while in others, they are depicted as sympathetic figures who struggle with their animal nature.
Some scholars believe the werewolf made its debut in The Epic of Gilgamesh, the oldest known Western prose, when Gilgamesh jilted a potential lover because she had turned her previous mate into a wolf.
For today’s challenge let’s write a poem about music in any form. You can mention music fleetingly or write a poem dedicated to music. BUT please include any two titles from the following list. These are all taken from Linda Perry’s albums. These days my husband and I are enjoying the music of Linda Perry.
Edge Of Your Atmosphere
Sunset Strip
Life Despite God
Sunny April Afternoon
Bang The Drum
Life in a Bottle
Fruitloop Daydream
Tiny Box Of Lies
Knock Me Out
I Am My Father’s Daughter
Don’t Touch Me While I Am Sleeping
Secret Lover
***
On the edge of your atmosphere I observe the tiny box of lies you are presenting to my rival. My orchestrated sonata of life despite god was everything I imagined, with you in it, but the gods now had other ideas. Along came the minor key requiem—your secret lover, and my fruit loop dream no longer had any bright colors. The sun faded into gray and I was alone once more, all harmonic notes destroyed.
SHE HELD OUT HER ARMS TO HUG ME, BUT I KNEW THIS WASN’T MY HOUSE, AND SHE DEFINITELY WASN’T MY WIFE. She had similar features of course. After all, she was my mother-in-law. It’s just when she hugged me she whispered in my ear so only I could hear: “still alive I see…”. Such threats were no surprise after being married to her daughter for ten years.
After many months of diligent work, the moment has finally arrived! The paperback version is available on Amazon.com NOW!! To get your copy, please CLICK THIS LINK! It may take a little time to populate on the foreign Amazon sites, but be patient; it’s coming.
If you haven’t watched the interviews yet, I urge you to check them out on YouTube. They were so much fun! A big THANK YOU to all the poets and writers who contributed! They made this a truly special volume!
Copyright (C) 2023 I Write Her. All rights reserved.
Is everyone just staying in their own warm safe cocoon? Is the political climate too brisk to discuss the expedient need to persevere and overcome the huge problem we have here in the US?
Where is the strength of our forebears, who wanted to succeed in a new life with the hope that all people are created equal with freedoms hard won? We can’t sit idly by and hope and pray that Trump will be punished for his many wrongdoings. We need teamwork! He will take advantage of weakness as he’s done all along and reveling in it! Remember his speech about (he’s so popular that he could commit murder and able to get away with it)? Well he is! Make no mistake, he is murdering America.
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