A word prompt to get your creativity flowing this weekend. How you use the prompt is up to you. Write a piece of flash fiction, a poem, a chapter for your novel…anything you like. Or take the challenge below – there are no prizes – it’s not a competition but rather a fun writing exercise. If you want to share what you come up with, please leave a link to it in the comments. Shoot! Forgot to thank Sammi for hosting!
Word Prompt
Meander
Challenge
I could not help but remember one particular day when I was in Siena and got unbelievably lost. One wrong turn and you are way not where you think you are! Needless to say, I meandered more than my share. Didn’t have a Fitbit at the time, but my phone said I clocked in more than 30K steps!
Walked up this street
Then down this other
Stepped to the side
Then up another
I have no fear
I am not lost
I turned to the left
This one I crossed?
Back to the right
I’ll find my way
I’ve meandered far
Have I gone astray?
A Dalectable Life 
Great poem. Well done.
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Thank you, Jan.
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That’s fantastic, Dale. And the poem does all the things an old-fashioned female like me expects a poem to do. Big smilies
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Thank you, Crispina. Glad you enjoyed getting lost with me. 🙂
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Indeedy. Big smilies
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wonderful poem and beautiful words…
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Thank you, Mihran.
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Lovely poem and beautiful photos of the corner street! Love that photo!
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Thank you, Skye. Took a panorama shot attempting to show the crazy ins and outs.
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Dear Dale,
We share an impeccable sense of direction. 😉 Love this poem.
Shalom and lotsa hugs,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’m actually not that bad… just not in the crazy hilly city of Siena!
Shalom and lotsa love,
Dale
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I’m never lost. I just get misplaced sometimes. 😉
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I thought you were exploring! 😁
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Meandering is the best way to go in a place like Sienna (though I have no sense of direction). I love that panoramic shot!
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I agree. And no one’s in a rush so you don’t feel compelled to go any faster.
Thanks!
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Q,
Meandering is the human condition, after all. We ain’t really got a destination, even when we think we do. We’re meandering, to that place we think we know or to a place we want to visit.
You cracked the code with this one. 🙂
B
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B,
I like to think that way myself.
Thank you, kind sir. 😊
Q
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And meander is another keeper of a word to boot.
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That it is. I love its connotation… to stroll is one thing, to amble and saunter another, to meander falls more winding and less reach a destination…
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Strolling is for when you visit a friend in a sanitarium (outdated reference that I still adore thanks to ’80’s music). Amble is something you do when pondering what to write. Saunter is an entrance, like when Julia Roberts first makes the scene in Oceans 11. She saunters into view.
You’re right, meander is in its own league.
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Precisely! While you are at it, how about roam, wander and mosey…
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Roam is why the B-52’s will always be vintage. Wander is why Natalie Merchant will always be timeless. And mosey is why Clint Eastwood will always be the coolest cat in the room.
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Yes! I knew I could count on you…
We’ll stop there. For now.
You are so good at this 😉
Sure you don’t want to try your hand at 47 words? tee hee…
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Love the music riddles, you know that, 😉
I wouldn’t hold a candle to the likes of you. You are the Queen of these challenges. I bow to you. 🙂
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I do know that.
🧐
These challenges, maybe. Only coz that’s not your vibe.
As for your talent in putting words together to make beautiful, snarky, fabulous, thoughtful (etc.) phrases? I can’t hold a candle to the likes of you.
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There it is! It went away but now it’s back!
So we can agree that every writer has her/his kingdom, then?
As you can tell, I’m still very much in Game of Thrones mode. It usually takes me until Tuesday to come down from it . . .
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Oh ya baby! I know where to find it when it disses me!
Yes, that we can. And enjoy visiting each other.
Is that what that is? I am sooo outta da loop…
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You have me imagining an emoji junkyard, or better yet, an emoji pawn shop . . where the unwanted emojis go. Only to be born again to a more appreciative owner.
Yes. Visit. Not war. We don’t need to war.
No. I am the one who is out of the loop. And I ain’t going back in . . .
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Buahaha! Did you know the first emoji was created in Pittsburgh? (I’m contemplating writing a Pegman…)
No. We don’t need no war.
Uh. Huh. Right.
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In Pittsburgh? I had no idea it was birthed in the steel city. That doesn’t seem right, or . . . does it?
War? What is it good for? Absolutely nuthin!
😉
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All sorts o’ things were birthed there. Who’d a thunk… and it does seem weird that emojis would have started here and not in California…
War? Absolutely nuthin!!
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The Steelers for one thing. Mario Lemieux for another. And don’t forget . . Michael J Fox was born just next door in Ohio.
Why do you say that? Are you saying Californians do illicit drugs after which they take to painting? And in such time . . they come up with yellow snowball emoticons?
Tom. Jones. Rocks.
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Steelers? You can keep ’em`
🧐 Mario? Are we gonna go over this whole MJF thing AGAIN?
I’m saying it coz isn’t Silicon Valley in California? That is the only reason I said that…
I was thinking more “War” than Tom Jones. But hey, he’ll definitely do!
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Well guess what sweetheart . . America is plenty good with keeping ’em.
You initialized his name? The chosen one? Nope, sorry. You just lost his rights.
Hey guess what . . Wayne Gretzky is from Silicon Valley. So much so that he went to play for his beloved LA Kings because he was sooooooo homesick.
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Sweetheart? Oy!
Yeah… I have to coz you sound like a broken record… You keep tryin’ to say he’s yours but you know he just ain’t.
No, no, no. He married Silicon Valley. Youare confused. Beloved. Yeah. Well. We don’t always have our brightest moments. WTF. Trading him broke many of our hearts.
Ayt. Tom is King.
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I knew that would work.
Who? Jim Carrey? No . . he’s yours, silly woman. No . . he was ours about ten years ago when he was making box office. But then he went back to Canada . . .
You’se guys can’t fool me. You don’t trade Mt Rushmore . . . you don’t trade Superman’s cape . . you’se guys. How can you call yourselves the birth place to Michael “Ohio Born” J “American” Fox?
Tom is King. Not of the seven kingdoms . . . but musically speaking? I’m taking him over that Graceland dude.
Okay, don’t tell anyone. I am in fact, a communist . . .
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You. Are. Trouble.
Pffft! Typical. Box office you claim them as yours, Minute they are not what you think they are, you throw them back.
Ohio? Methinks not. But you do have the first letter right. ONTARIO (in Canada, just in case you don’t know this stuff).
You are truly obsessed. I’ll take him over that Graceland dude myself. Sock and all.
You are many things…
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Nope. No trouble to see here . . .
Hopefully we do that in November of 2020 . . .
Ontario? Where’s that? Is that in Ohio?
Welp,at least we agree on that much!
I AM?
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No mirrors in that house?
You know you guys are. Well, never mind, I’m not one to throw stones. Let us be hopeful and optimistic come November.
Sigh…
I’m sure there are more things we can agree on…
You are.
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What are you saying? This is an amusement park?
Yes . . please. No Game of Stones.
Cy. . . Young. (Baseball reference only Frank might understand).
Yes . . yes I think you might be right on that.
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You are definitely amusing.
Never watched it. I’ll have to trust you on that.
I actually know that name… how do you like them apples?
Of course.
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Appreciate that. 😉
Trust me on the Michael J thing too, ayt?
That’s perty impressive.
😉
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Glad you do.
Sorry. Not gonna happen.
I have my moments…
😘
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Hey, I had to try.
😘
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Clint lost some, a la McConaughey and his Lincoln ads, when he decided to deride a chair at a Republican National Convention. But yah.
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Yah… keeping politics outta it…
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I’ve seen chair monologues. Sometimes they work. His didn’t.
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That WAS bizarre. But mango . . you can just watch his hair and his magnum in those early Dirty Harry flicks and be content.
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Abso-friggen-lutelly!!
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Of COURSE you get that! LOL
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OF COURSE I do!
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Cersei!
Crap . . toldja. Still in Game of Thrones mode.
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Buahahaha!
👸 (Sad looking queen…)
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That’s a hot looking queen, actually.
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Well there ya go!
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I can’t believe I find an emoji to be hot.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that . . .
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Neither can I…
Of course not. Nobody here is judging…
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Yes . . yes you can.
That’s a lie. 😉
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Well…
And no. Maybe. OK. Yeah.
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Okay maybe there are a couple emojis that I looked at in passing and went . . . “Huh . . pretty hawt”. But not many.
That I can remember.
I knew it. 😉
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I ain’t judging on the emojis…How ’bout that?
I’ll agree. You happy? 🙂
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You judge me for McDonalds . . . you judge me for that. You did.
Okay . . . I am kinda sorta okay happy.
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Yeah. Another thing you can keep.
Kinda sorta, eh?
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McDonalds was born in Canada.
Sorta kinda yeah . . .
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Dreamer. That is all yours.
Uh huh.
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Made in Canada . .
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Are you starting to repeat yourself.
Again?
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I always do.
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Coz you are trying to convince… yourself?
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Maybe?
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Mayhaps
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😘
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😘
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Just sayin’
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bettah buttah . . . .
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Definitely better than Parkay…
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Better than Country Crock . . .
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Blech.
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Made in Canada.
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Duplicated in Canada
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Like I watch Lloyd Dobler and am OK with no decent Cusack movie in more than a decade.
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Happens to the best of us Cinema-philes. 🙂
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Indeed.
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Up, and back, we’ve been here twice.
Stop to view the church, that’s nice.
Surely been this way before?
Stop to view the church once more!
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Yes! Exactly! (so well done in 26 words 😉)
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Inspire by your verse, thank you!
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Thank you! 😀
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You weren’t scared really? I sometimes feel uneasy if I get lost… trying to feel more comfortable with that uncertainty. It’s kooky, too, because I have a really good sense of direction. Enigma!
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Not really… and after a while I finally got a taxi!
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You do this so well. Your adventurous soul and curiosity is well used.
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Thank you, dear friend
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The only way to see the sights – several times! Been there, done that, nice one!
Mine’s called ‘Meandering’
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Indeed!
And thank you!
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You could also sell it as a metaphor.
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Lovely!
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How fun and the BEST way to tour new places and enjoy one’s own neighborhood. I do love wandering about! Now, please do not go astray … 😉 And if you feel yourself at risk of ‘astraying’ … give a holler so we can set you back on a non-astray path … 😉
XOXO
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I think so, too… I promise I’ll do so! 😊
xoxo
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🙂
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A lovely word and a lovelier condition.
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Thank you, Monika…
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Ha haha. Fun one, Dale.
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Glad you enjoyed!
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Wonderful! Your meter is like you are taking steps. Delightful to meander with you.
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Yay! Thank you, Ina!
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This one made me laugh … well done!
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Grazie mille Signore!
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Excellent poetic write.
I know this feeling too well. 🙂
Places like this where one gets lost is scary because one may never know where one will end up.
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Then again, one may discover things one had no idea were there 😉
My adventurous side comes out 🙂
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True. One’s discover could be good and memorable. 🙂 I have to be more adventurous myself when I fly one day out of the country.
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Yes, you truly must!
I can’t wait to get lost in another place!
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If you write another adventure of going to another place. Please do. 🙂
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Oh, you can count on it! I still haven’t finished writing all of my Tuscan trip – and it’s already been 2.5 years… but I will finish it. I posted about 6-7 parts already…
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Awesome! I look forward to reading them and reading more. 🙂
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Just do a search for Tuscany on my blog and they will all pop up 😉
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🙂
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Well at least you were a happy wanderer. I wonder what St. Catherine would have to say of it all
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I was indeed!
Couldn’t tell ya. She’s a patron Saint of what?
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She was declared Patroness of Rome in 1866, and of Italy (with St. Francis of Assisi) in 1939. .also of fire prevention . She’s the one who got Pope Gregory XI to leave Avignon and to go back to Rome.
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Voilà. I knew you’d know. I’m bad with the Saints…
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I cheated a smidge, but I pretty much already knew the gist of it
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Not surprised…
Ans a smidge is acceptable.
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Over the course of my past quite a while I’ve been quite significantly influenced by the Catholic intellectual world, so that’s included on so many of my posts.
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Yes. I might have noticed.
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Lovely poem, Dale 🙂 Great photo too. It reminded me of when my sister and I used to meander the side streets of beautiful Sorrento.
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Thank you, Adele!
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Great take on the prompt, Dale 🙂
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Thank you, Maria. 🙂
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Sometimes getting lost is the best way to find something interesting, meandering is a lovely way to spend the time, especially in Italy!
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Avsolutely. I could not agree more.
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This is a great prompt. I will use it today as a warm-up. Thank you for the poem and share. 🙂
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Thank you!
Go for it! 🙂
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