What’s y’all’s opinion of Scribophile? I have ten chapters of my book (fantasy) written, but I don’t have easy access to a writing community and I know I would benefit from feedback. I’d appreciate any recommendations - about this or any other resources. Thank you!

I won’t surrender
my quiet hope. I will guard
its tenuous light.

I understand the schadenfreude many are feeling given current US (funding) shenanigans, but before we gleefully savor the fallout from these governing failures, please remember that actual people will be hurt by this brinksmanship … and people should always matter more than political posturing.

Avocado The Terrible: a character study (brought to you by whatever treat I was using to bribe her to pose for me).

Trying not to let frustration with current shenanigans get me down, so after a great three days of climbing (I’m in so much pain! - but it was worth it!) and a walk with Daisy, here’s a little haiku to end the day:

Gold-tipped birches lean
into evening’s last light
and brighten the sky.

Was buying chocolate from my favorite store yesterday. I don’t speak the local language (yet ..!), but after telling a joke or funny story the woman in front of me in line turned to me with a little smile to share her mirth. I had no idea how much that would make my day.

So … my cat Avocado is looking for a way to drink from the Christmas tree stand while knocking the tree onto our TV. My dog has absconded her patrol duty to try to climb onto the kitchen counter.

At least my teenager is normal. She rocked Enter Sandman at her school’s Christmas concert tonight.

My favorite how-to video on falling involves a 20-something dude who, whilst bouldering (short climb, no rope), recommends casually throwing yourself into a cartwheel when falling sideways. I’m in my forties. If I attempted that, I would literally disintegrate on impact.

Gonna try tomorrow!

Was walking through fields & neighborhoods a few days ago whilst running an errand, and I saw a little rainbow in the late afternoon clouds. Not a full arc, just a small sliver of prismatic light …

Heavy clouds infuse
with afternoon’s gentle light
to reveal rainbows.

Happy day to all of you!

Good morning y’all! Thanks to everyone, but especially @rbreich.bsky.social and his recent Substack piece, for inspiring today’s haiku.

Hope has little strength:
It cannot bear its own weight
without us to help.

Haven’t managed a haiku yet today … been too busy reading some wonderful thoughts for the day from some awesome posts I found here this morning.

And taking Daisy Bear on a morning wander. She says hi!

Good morning y’all! Recently walked through Rothenburg ob der Tauber (red castle above the Tauber River), a medieval walled city in Bavaria. It was a foggy, damp day, and I felt like I was walking through the setting of a fairy tale. Daisy Bear wasn’t as impressed, though. Voilà the inspiration for

Gotta say, I really appreciate all the “stop procrastinating from fear/inertia/self-doubt/etc. and just get back to it” posts. No sarcasm. I’m ten or eleven chapters in and have had my story in my head for twenty years. Even if it never gets published, I will finish it. Thanks for the encouragement!

Good evening y’all! Today’s haiku was a collaborative effort between myself and my husband. It’s the shared moments like these that really cement our relationship.

Group projects are crap.
Look at where it’s gotten us:
Kakistocracy.

Made Daisy Bear laugh.

Avocado (Evil Cat) and Daisy Bear (Manic Dog) tell me I’ve been rude by not introducing them to y’all yet. Many apologies.

Happy Thursday! Today’s haiku was inspired by a recent trip to Malta. My grandmother was from Valletta, and I’ve been fortunate enough to get to go twice in the last twenty-odd years.

When he presses the
button, he captures our smiles
atop the ruins.

… and some photos. I love side streets.

Greetings y’all! As I tend to the verbose, I’ve started writing haiku to work on becoming more focused. Here’s an attempt to describe a raptor I saw above a newly tilled field:

The falcon hovers,
Its wings a blur of movement.
Such work to be still.

More to come. Also, autumn is my favorite season.