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midwesternskirt.bsky.social
K Weber
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social
950 followers 720 following 450 posts
poetry, collaboration & sometimes digital photo collage. 12 self-published poetry collections (FREE/some in audio format!). kweberandherwords.com
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midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 20/“Keep the Change” by @kileylee.bsky.social

words donated by
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social
Patrick Dorsey
Julia Beach
@esfletcher.bsky.social

author took on a “month word” challenge
🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 14h
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 20: “Keep the Change” by @kileylee.bsky.social

donated words
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social MIRACLE
Patrick Dorsey SYMPHONIC
Julia Beach FREQUENCY
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
word challenge: month
word choice: June

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Keep the Change,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Keep the Change You and me were talking like static on the sea. – Hello June Some June tune carries the phasing out and in of every miracle season just following along the settled way of doing things Symphonic tones fill spaces and lines constantly pleading to only be understood— If only listening were the true intent Sensing frequency is a gift, kerfuffle simply means willfully adjusting the dial Kiley Lee long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: miracle symphony frequency kerfuffle and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a month of the year" and the author’s word choice: June page number 20 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Kiley Lee is a Pushcart-nominated poet and artist, with work in multiple publications and exhibitions across the United States. She lives in the Appalachian foothills with her family and loves staring at the clouds. For more information, including a list of current and previous publications, please visit: linktr.ee/kileylee white square image with black text reads: Page 20 features the poem “Keep the Change” by Kiley Lee. Kiley incorporated the following words into this piece: MIRACLE donated by Karen Steiger SYMPHONIC donated by Patrick Dorsey FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach KERFUFFLE Elizabeth Fletcher word challenge: month word choice: June yes, you read that correctly: Kiley was assigned 4 donated words for this collection instead of 3! and Julia Beach’s “frequency” word contribution was used in 4 poems. how or why did this happen? well, mostly it’s because my brain works in very unusual ways. Kiley wrote an original poem for my first collab collection, THIS ASSEMBLY, in 2019. when she offered to write a poem for this project, i knew she could take on a bit of extra credit and i was so excited to see what she would create! this poem and Kiley’s participation through the years means so much! and even though it was chosen at random to be used a 4th time… i love that “frequency” was the most frequently implemented word in this book! check out Kiley’s debut book of poems, “looney birds blooming”🧡 white square image with black text reads: Kiley Lee is a Pushcart-nominated poet and artist, with work in multiple publications and exhibitions across the United States. She lives in the Appalachian foothills with her family and loves staring at the clouds. For more information, including a list of current and previous publications, please visit: linktr.ee/kileylee get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 26, 2025 at 12:30 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVES!
www.chillsubs.com/best-lit-mag...
November 25, 2025 at 11:45 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGES 18-19/“Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body” by @spookyspatters.bsky.social

words donors
Meesh Montoya
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social
@kimmannix.bsky.social

“game word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 1d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGES 18-19: “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body” by @spookyspatters.bsky.social

donated words
Meesh Montoya PROLIX
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social MIRACLE
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
challenge: game word = odds

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. it is the first page of a poem. the title, “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body The windows of the body of the house watch as I approach the rotting threshold, They have watched me before as I howl at the moon, Pain floating across my body in a haze, This time I approach on human legs drawn inside like an inhale, The walls are raw and embracing me with bleeding arms, Whispering for me to continue into the belly of the halls, There, horned demons wreaking havoc, ripping insulation from the walls, Continuing on to the hall of mirrors, ghosts of who I’d been before reflected vanishing, one by one, when I go near, Their whispered words continuing through lips of vapor, An endless prolix chatter hisses in my ears telling me I cannot turn back, I feel like I’m being buried alive in ectoplasm, I claw my way back towards the front of the manor, To enter an unnecessarily opulent ballroom clad in spiderwebs and corpses, Undead dancers swirl out of tune Both time and space suspended, The dancers bump and fuse together, randomly creating masses of grotesque melded matter, Those masses follow my every movement, They will not leave me alone, There are no miracles here in this nightmare sentient house, page number 18 is in black text at bottom center of page square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. it is the second page of a poem “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body.” poem text is as follows: I cannot verify where my body ends and this house begins, We breathe as one, The odds are that I will stumble around the innards of this crumbling estate until the next full moon. Steph Patterson long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: prolix miracle verify and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to a game" and the author’s word choice: odds page number 19 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Steph Patterson (she/her) is a writer from Delaware with a love of horror and dark fantasy. She's a chronically ill ghoul that identifies as bi. When she's not conjuring strange tales, she devours books, tends to familiars, or connects with her coven. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Alien Buddha Press, Scavengers Literary Magazine, HNDL Magazine, The Morgue Literary Magazine, Suburban Witchcraft Magazine, and others. She lives with her family in their cozy home on the edge of the forest. You can find her on Instagram and Threads: @spookyspatters white square image with black text reads: Pages 18-19 feature the poem “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body” by Steph Patterson. Steph incorporated the following words into this piece: PROLIX donated by Meesh Montoya MIRACLE donated by Karen Steiger VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix word challenge: game word word choice: odds reading this poem, you will step into the spooky corners and nervous hallways of life with chronic illness. there is no relief here, the rooms don’t have pretty or soft edges, and this house of the body offers no respite. as a chronically ill person myself, i appreciate this vantage point. often our conditions make us feel isolated and unsteady. online (and in-person!) we might present ourselves as “well” people so we don’t get left behind. then we might end up flared-up for days after trying to do something seemingly simple, social or physical. the truth is that having symptoms & diagnoses that are painful, exhausting and life-altering can be mortifying! and it’s ok to look at it through that lens!
November 25, 2025 at 1:30 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 17/"Cnut” by @salvius23.bsky.social

words donated by
@krislindbeck.bsky.social
Julia Beach
@kimmannix.bsky.social

author took on a “scent word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 2d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 17: “Cnut” by @salvius23.bsky.social

donated words
@krislindbeck.bsky.social TIDE
Julia Beach FREQUENCY
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY

word challenge: scent word
word choice: stench

free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Cnut,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Cnut The tide is out of joint; though once the flood would warm and feed the pools where urchins crawl, the ebb now leaves a bruise of brackish mud, the stench of fish or kings hangs over all. This unwound frequency of spring and neap desiccates the nurseries of love. Too many are content to bask and sleep, heedless of the heat of hate above. Those who slumber dream themselves exempt, exonerated from the headsman's axe. But those who wither in the sun's contempt, tied to the tides, can verify these facts: The years of drought deliver shriveled knives unless we heal our dehydrated lives. Scott Nickell long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: tide frequency verify and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to scent" and the author’s word choice: stench page number 17 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Scott Nickell (he/him) lives in Watertown, Wisconsin. Working in software quality engineering and technical support, he spends his free time at home with several furry animals. His work has previously appeared at abyssapexzine.com and in Lester Smith's series of Halloween anthologies from Popcorn Press. white square image with black text reads: Page 17 features the poem “Cnut” by Scott Nickell. Scott incorporated the following words into this piece: TIDE donated by Kris Lindbeck FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix word challenge: scent word choice: stench hooray for a sonnet! this form pairs so nicely with some historical storytelling related to an 11th-century king… or is it really about an 11th-century king? i must applaud Scott for that title… Cnut… it is a form of the name Canute (the aforementioned king) but it could be a nod to certain misspelling of a word most would not dare utter or type. the poem—with its lilting, musical form—presents a clever lyric but also a very heavy metaphor! something about how kings are not gods perhaps? white square image with black text reads: Scott Nickell (he/him) lives in Watertown, Wisconsin. Working in software quality engineering and technical support, he spends his free time at home with several furry animals. His work has previously appeared at abyssapexzine.com and in Lester Smith's series of Halloween anthologies from Popcorn Press.
November 24, 2025 at 12:00 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 16/"Sheltered” by @midwesternskirt.bsky.social (hi, it’s me!)

words donated by:
@mishiepoet.bsky.social
Kashiana Singh
Melinda Farrar

i took on a “cold word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 3d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 16: “Sheltered” by @midwesternskirt.bsky.social

donated words
@mishiepoet.bsky.social APRICITY
Kashiana Singh WOMB
Melinda Farrar PERMISSION
word challenge: cold word
word choice: cooled

free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Sheltered,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Sheltered Beyond the hill the shed sits drab. Tilted to sun- up, the rough roof wears worn sandpaper. No garnet. This less-gem was once gun-struck. Saw gardens in full green dotted with daisies, tomato orange and wilted peppers and smelled dead dog under the dirt lump. Basked in February’s apricity that baked and cooled old wood until bowed, swollen, eased again, then splintered. Youth climbed out of the lea’s womb onto the eyes of it; seated upon great panes. Masts, swells and monsters floated the grassier seas of spring. The mission was no permission and true dare: jumped and hid the spoiled apples of kneecaps scraped by scraps in escape from the family’s branch. K Weber long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: apricity womb permission and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to cold" and the author’s word choice: cooled page number 16 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: K Weber obtained her BA in Poetry from Miami University. Her words have been featured in publications such as Stone Circle Review, Exacting Clam, Writer's Digest, Memoir Mixtapes, HNDL Magazine and more! Including daylight & tenfold orioles, K has self-published 12 free, PDF-based writing collections (some have audio versions with original soundscapes and K reading aloud). 8 of these are online projects featuring donated words (& more!) in collaboration with hundreds of people since 2018. Her publishing credits and online books are at kweberandherwords.com. She has recently been a featured guest on several episodes of the They're Just Records podcast. white square image with black text reads: Page 16 features the poem “Sheltered” by K Weber. I guess that’s me! I incorporated the following words into this piece: APRICITY donated by Marie Marchand WOMB donated by Kashiana Singh PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar word challenge: cold word word choice: cooled sheds were so mysterious to me as a child. we were told not to go inside for fear of getting hurt by the contents within. but outside, we played all around, and sometimes on top of, these little unsteady buildings. this isn’t the first poem i have written about a shed on my grandparents’ property! they had 3 sheds total and each was a little more dilapidated than the other! i breached 2 of them but only got a quick peek. trying to write a poem about foggy memories is interesting because some of the fiction feels pretty real. and play as a child lets the imagination pulse so vividly. i was always storytelling myself. some of the unreal has become half-truth in my poetry. thank goodness for poetry to encapsulate some of that good stuff. white square image with black text reads: K Weber obtained her BA in Poetry from Miami University. Her words have been featured in publications such as Stone Circle Review, Exacting Clam, Writer's Digest, Memoir Mixtapes, HNDL Magazine and more! Including daylight & tenfold orioles, K has self-published 12 free, PDF-based writing collections (some have audio versions with original soundscapes and K reading aloud). 8 of these are online projects featuring donated words (& more!) in collaboration with hundreds of people since 2018. Her publishing credits and online books are at kweberandherwords.com. She has recently been a featured guest on several episodes of the They're Just Records podcast. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 23, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Reposted by K Weber
esfletcher.bsky.social
Feels right that my donated word (kerfuffle) was woven into a melancholy-tinged poem as part of the @donatedwords.bsky.social project
midwesternskirt.bsky.social K Weber @midwesternskirt.bsky.social · 5d
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 15/"Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H

words donated by
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social
@kimmannix.bsky.social
@esfletcher.bsky.social

author took on a “music word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 5d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 15: “Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H

donated words
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
word challenge: music word
word choice: rhythm

PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
November 21, 2025 at 2:21 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 15/"Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H

words donated by
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social
@kimmannix.bsky.social
@esfletcher.bsky.social

author took on a “music word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 5d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 15: “Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H

donated words
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
word challenge: music word
word choice: rhythm

PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Tapestry of the Living,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Tapestry of the Living I will no longer weave my days on the loom of loss. No more warps of memory, no more wefts of sorrow. Gossamer threads— delicate to the eye, heavy as lead to the heart— I set them down. No one can verify love by circling dates in ink. Grief is not proof of devotion; living is not betrayal. I honor the gone by laying aside muted threads, and weaving now with brighter hues: my child’s hums, her songs like sunlight, her laughter the bright strand that carries my shuttle forward. Line by line. Color by color. The rhythm is life. The cadence is breath. Let there be no kerfuffle over how I remember. Trust that I do. If I must walk back through the shadow, I will ask. Until then— I choose the vibrant strands, the living threads, the tapestry still on the loom. Misty H long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: gossamer verify kerfuffle and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to music" and the author’s word choice: rhythm page number 15 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Misty H is an up-and-coming pentagenarian fueled by naps, Coca-Cola, and fiber crafts. She travels through space and time with Millie, her boundary-setting badass of a daughter, and Monty, the dog who doubles as comic relief and emotional support. Misty weaves a life of comfort, curiosity, and mischief. white square image with black text reads: Page 15 features the poem “Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H. Misty incorporated the following words into this piece: GOSSAMER donated by Linda Crate VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix KERFUFFLE donated by Elizabeth Fletcher word challenge: music word word choice: rhythm i love the metaphor of the loom and weaving as a symbol for continuing to be present in life and gathering positives. it seems so easy to just stop or give up when things hit or hurt the most. but what makes life so special are all the little and big moments we accumulate and carry with us. this poem reminds me of those year-around blankets people knit or crochet where each row is a color that corresponds to how a person felt that day or the weather/temperature. we don’t let the bad or sad engulf us entirely: we take those experiences, learn from them and press on. i love how personal the poem feels while being accessible to most peoples’ lived experiences. white square image with black text reads: Misty H is an up-and-coming pentagenarian fueled by naps, Coca-Cola, and fiber crafts. She travels through space and time with Millie, her boundary-setting badass of a daughter, and Monty, the dog who doubles as comic relief and emotional support. Misty weaves a life of comfort, curiosity, and mischief. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 21, 2025 at 12:50 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 14/"Shadowcast” by @melissacuisine.bsky.social

words donated by
@gendeguzman.bsky.social
Patrick Dorsey
@madelinksi.bsky.social

author took on a “light word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 6d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 14: “Shadowcast” by @melissacuisine.bsky.social

donated words
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON
Patrick Dorsey SYMPHONIC
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER

word challenge: light word
word choice: dawn

free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Shadowcast,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Shadowcast Siphon the heat of the day Into the palm of your hand Close your fingers around the warmth Press it to my skin To ward off the desert dip down The glow once stayed through the night But now fades before dawn returns And I shiver in the gray, gleaning The sun rises across the foothills Casts symphonic shadows Across the plaster that holds the walls intact Hollow inside, termites eating through the studs A sluggish harbinger of destruction It is not us entangled Just the outline of empty bedsheets Miniature dunes of dust along the baseboards Melissa Flores Anderson long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: siphon symphonic harbinger and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to light" and the author’s word choice: dawn page number 14 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Melissa Flores Anderson's work has been featured in more than 40 literary venues and anthologies, including swamp pink, Chapter House and HAD. Her flash "Nesting Doll" has been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Best Small Fictions Anthology. She is the EIC of the Broken Hearts Gallery Literary, an Instagram project that features photos and micro stories (@brokenheartsliterary) and a reader/editor with Roi Fainéant Press. Her first full-length short story collection All and Then None of You is out now (Cowboy Jamboree). Follow her on Twitter/Bluesky @melissacuisine or IG/Threads @theirishmonths. Read her work at melissafloresandersonwrites.com white square image with black text reads: Page 14 features the poem "Shadowcast" by Melissa Flores Anderson. Melissa incorporated the following words into this piece: SIPHON donated by Genevieve DeGuzman SYMPHONIC donated by Patrick Dorsey HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley word challenge: light word word choice: dawn "Shadowcast" has such fresh imagery. there's much warmth throughout and the landscapes and surroundings are rich with abundant detail. there is also a sense of safety and beauty and illumination in many forms. then, the poem takes a turn and not just in tone. sudden, surprising moments reflect a coolness in temperature and emotion. the poem becomes a meditation on opposites. that final image of "dunes of dust" is so striking. it takes us a long way from the glow and welcome heat that was introduced at the beginning. white square image with black text reads: Melissa Flores Anderson's work has been featured in more than 40 literary venues and anthologies, including swamp pink, Chapter House and HAD. Her flash "Nesting Doll" has been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Best Small Fictions Anthology. She is the EIC of the Broken Hearts Gallery Literary, an Instagram project that features photos and micro stories (@brokenheartsliterary) and a reader/editor with Roi Fainéant Press. Her first full-length short story collection All and Then None of You is out now (Cowboy Jamboree). Follow her on Twitter/Bluesky @melissacuisine or IG/Threads @theirishmonths. Read her work at melissafloresandersonwrites.com get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 13/"Absorption” by @karenmsteiger.bsky.social

words donated by
@krislindbeck.bsky.social
@norbaikin.bsky.social
@madelinksi.bsky.social

author took on a “scientific term” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 7d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 13: “Absorption” by @karenmsteiger.bsky.social

donated words
@krislindbeck.bsky.social TIDE
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER

word challenge: scientific term
word choice: phagocytosis

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Absorption,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Absorption We thought we were pretty special here, til the Earth was swallowed by a giant floating space amoeba. It loomed, translucent and pearlescent, pink and amorphous in the sky above. The tides lurched drunkenly from coast to coast; simultaneously an eerie wind raged. We all felt a pressure change deep in our chests, and a sick certainty deep in our souls. It extended itself and engulfed us, and all the fifth graders told us this was called phagocytosis. There had been no omen or harbinger of this calamity. Everyone was preoccupied with matters terrestrial, except for one scientist in Peru who had been trying to raise the alarm for 15 years, but no one listened to her then, and no one listened now. The president was sure mad about it. The alien that had conquered our world was some enormous single-celled, brainless organism. It could not be bargained with or threatened. It wanted no money, glory, weapons, or power. It swallowed us whole and kept moving through the galaxy. Instant planetary defeat, very hard on the morale. The good news is that it also devoured our sun, moon, and the rest of our solar system. And relative to us, everything is pretty much where it had been before. The air now has a kind of a murky rosy glow, like a permanent sunset, which has devalued the poetry of sunsets, but it could be worse. If we’re being digested, it will probably take a very long time. So we still have to go to work. We still have to figure out what’s for dinner and pay for things with money. We still have to see political ads and ingest microplastics and watch our carbs. Of course, some people have made a cult of it. Be one with Mother Amoeba, they tell us. Like we have any fucking choice. … white square image with black text reads: Karen Steiger is a poet, fiction writer, and breast cancer survivor living in Schaumburg, Illinois, with her beloved husband, Matt, and two dogs, Horus and Lexi. Her work has been published in The Wells Street Journal, Arsenika, Black Bough Poetry, Ang(st), Perhappened, Kaleidotrope, Mineral Lit Mag, Rejection Letters, Versification, Sledgehammer Lit, Bombfire Lit, Lamp Lit, and others. Her debut collection, Clean Margins, is available through Kelsay Books and Amazon. white square image with black text reads: Page 13 features the poem “Absorption” by Karen Steiger. Karen incorporated the following words into this piece: TIDE donated by Kris Lindbeck SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley word challenge: scientific term word choice: phagocytosis if you never considered the possibility of the universe being swallowed whole (or even if you have!), “Absorption” by Karen Steiger is a must-read. combining science-fiction with tell-it-like-it-is, relatable narration, Karen’s poem slowly takes the reader right into the figurative belly of the whale. as the world as we know it is being digested by something peculiar, our humdrum days move on… we still must show up for work… we still must make small talk. i really get a sense of major apathy for the situation throughout this poem. it’s eerily similar to how a lot of weird or bad things happen in this world and days just keep rolling along as though business is as usual. white square image with black text reads: Karen Steiger is a poet, fiction writer, and breast cancer survivor living in Schaumburg, Illinois, with her beloved husband, Matt, and two dogs, Horus and Lexi. Her work has been published in The Wells Street Journal, Arsenika, Black Bough Poetry, Ang(st), Perhappened, Kaleidotrope, Mineral Lit Mag, Rejection Letters, Versification, Sledgehammer Lit, Bombfire Lit, Lamp Lit, and others. Her debut collection, Clean Margins, is available through Kelsay Books and Amazon. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 19, 2025 at 12:43 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 12/an untitled poem by Julie Luepke

words donated by
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social
Kashiana Singh
@madelinksi.bsky.social

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 8d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 12: an untitled poem by Julie Luepke

donated words from:
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social HEARTSICK
Kashiana Singh WOMB
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER

full PDF collection:
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. untitled poem is in the center of the page with text as follows: She's heartsick And doesn't know why. In her womb She bears The harbinger Of future doom. Julie Luepke long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: heartsick womb harbinger and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. page number 12 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Julie Luepke is a reader, poet, and composer who lives in the Midwestern US, at the meeting of two rivers. white square image with black text reads: Page 12 features an untitled poem by Julie Luepke. Julie incorporated the following donated words into this piece: HEARTSICK donated by K Weber WOMB donated by Kashiana Singh HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley it amazes me when a poem packs a memorable feeling, moment, or emotion in just a few short lines. the donated words are used so succinctly and punctuate every beat of the poem so very well. the "future doom" ending is such an unexpected and terrifying reveal! Julie Luepke is a reader, poet, and composer who lives in the Midwestern US, at the meeting of two rivers. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 18, 2025 at 1:04 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
episode 10 of They’re Just Records is here! i join mark of @resignationrecs.bsky.social again to discuss… xmas music. love it or hate it: it’s big on vinyl. we talk fave winter-themed songs, too! & there’s a playlist!

theyrejustrecords.buzzsprout.com/2517355/epis...
Come On Christmas - They're Just Records
'Tis the season! Kristi joins me again to tackle Christmas records. What do we love - and even more fun - what can we absolutely not stand? What songs can freshen up a holiday playlist beyond the sacr...
theyrejustrecords.buzzsprout.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:41 AM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 11/"Buoyant / Flamboyant” by @prestonspantry.bsky.social

words donated by
@opwriter.bsky.social
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social
@mishiepoet.bsky.social

author took on a “hobby word” challenge
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 9d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 11: "Buoyant / Flamboyant” by @prestonspantry.bsky.social

donated words
@opwriter.bsky.social DAYLIGHT
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
@mishiepoet.bsky.social APRICITY

word challenge: hobby word
word choice: write
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Buoyant / Flamboyant,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Buoyant / Flamboyant after Maud Lavin's Mermaids and Lazy Activists: A Lake Michigan Tale This morning, the storm passed, and a rainbow stretched over Lake Michigan like Chicago's somehow-gayer aurora borealis, scarlet and violet temporarily covering mucus-colored algae. Daylight was gossamer under the veil of apricity / at any moment we might freeze every inhibition like the rocks we skipped, dipping in time until some wayward mermaid shimmies to the surface, grins at a technicolor sky never seen before, and decides to write in tender splashes a resignation to the indigo that's buried her. Preston Danvers long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: daylight gossamer apricity and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to a hobby" and the author’s word choice: write page number 11 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Preston Danvers (he/him) is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with an MA in English literature. He can be found on Instagram @prestonspantry talking about baking, poetry, and fairy tales. He has two chapbooks (RED ROVER, RED LOVER and JOAN:ARC), and his work appears in Fairy Tale Review, Tilde, and Perhappened, among others. white square image with black text reads: Page 11 features the poem "Buoyant / Flamboyant" by Preston Danvers. Preston incorporated the following donated words into his poem: DAYLIGHT donated by Oswald Perez GOSSAMER donated by Linda M. Crate APRICITY donated by Marie Marchand word challenge: use a word related to a hobby word choice: write this is a poem where you really get to revel in color! it is an "after" poem, but it never feels like you can only relate or regale in its watery, dazzling shine if you have read the writing that inspired it. BUT i must say that reading this poem has made me curious to read the words by Maud Lavin that came before! Preston has been a long-time contributor to the donated words poetry projects the last 7 years. his work gets better and better. the mermaid imagery, even in its fleeting moment on the page, nods to a forever... after. white square image with black text reads: Preston Danvers (he/him) is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with an MA in English literature. He can be found on Instagram @prestonspantry talking about baking, poetry, and fairy tales. He has two chapbooks (RED ROVER, RED LOVER and JOAN:ARC), and his work appears in Fairy Tale Review, Tilde, and Perhappened, among others. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 17, 2025 at 12:10 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 10/"Forever the regent of my heart” by @tiffanysciacca.bsky.social

words donated by
@stonespiral.bsky.social
@esfletcher.bsky.social
@opwriter.bsky.social

author did a “sound word” challenge
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 10d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 10: "Forever the regent of my heart” by @tiffanysciacca.bsky.social

donated words
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
@opwriter.bsky.social DAYLIGHT
word challenge: sound
word choice: chirps

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a microfiction piece, “Forever the regent of my heart,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Forever the regent of my heart There is a kerfuffle in the garden, the hummingbird chirps inside the Monarda. There is something digging in the soil, the back of a hoe hitting rocks and clay, digging further than needed, searching for something no longer there. To make purpose of this daylight, unseen for 23 years. A shift, pale blue, tiny red roses, drags across soil. She hums, content in movement, at times standing still, hand on hip, taking in, taking in, my little plot of land. Dad would never believe of course, but maybe he'd forgotten when I first put the Monarda in the soil, the way I felt her in the roots, in the stalk, and stem. How the red beat in my hands, beat in the air. Of course, that was last year. But who are we to say when our ghosts will visit? In the movies, it happens in a blink. They come when needed, when missed, sometimes, they come when they come. But Maggie comes as she can, mostly when I'm asleep, or the house still, because she's only checking in, the visits, peace above the stillness, if you know, you know, Tiffany Sciacca long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: regent kerfuffle daylight and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to sound" and the author’s word choice: chirps page number 10 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Tiffany Sciacca works in Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Pidgeonholes, and Blink-Ink. When not writing microfiction, she loves to watch horror movies and haunt her local thrift stores. white square image with black text reads: Page 10 features the microfiction piece “Forever the regent of my heart” by Tiffany Sciacca. Tiffany incorporated the following donated words: REGENT donated by m klein KERFUFFLE donated by Elizabeth Fletcher DAYLIGHT donated by Oswald Perez word challenge: use a word related to sound word choice: chirps i am so pleased to have our very first donated words microfiction in this collection! Tiffany was one of the first people i met on “poetry twitter” in 2018 and i have enjoyed her writing, insight, collaboration and camaraderie so much through the years! in this piece, planting and being rooted while growing are juxtaposed with visits from the ghost of a loved one whose presence is made known. the hummingbirds, the extreme red color of beebalm, the pulsing of life despite death… these are just a few memorable images that stayed with me after reading “Forever the regent of my heart.” white square image with black text reads: Tiffany Sciacca works in Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Pidgeonholes, and Blink-Ink. When not writing microfiction, she loves to watch horror movies and haunt her local thrift stores. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 16, 2025 at 2:35 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 9/“Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien

features words donated by
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social
Melinda Farrar
@stonespiral.bsky.social

& the author took on a “shape word” challenge

🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 12d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 9: "Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien

donated words
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
Melinda Farrar PERMISSION
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT

word challenge: shape word
word choice: diamond (& more!)

full PDF (free!)
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Birthday Wish,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Birthday Wish Orange gossamer curtains adorn the window. Another day unfolds like a love note. The man biking by precariously asks the time. The girl walks her gray pitbull as he sniffs the ground. My boyfriend ambles to the gas station next door. Permission to break down, on the brink of revolution? God wanted me to form a diamond from dust. I cut strawberries for my daughter’s snack. My baby sleeps the morning away, her tiny body Curled like a lima bean in the corner of her crib. There is no regent for today, happening to me In this most specific manner: a yawn from Trinity, A sip of water, a ghost, an exchange about the mundane. I want to be human again, and again. I want this searing pain if there’s that melody playing. I dreamt I died in an abduction, then a break-in, then a fall. I wish on a candle as if it’s my birthday: I’m not dead. I can evolve, erupt, enjoy. I can kiss my karma. The scent of lemon brings me back to here and now. If nothing else, remember me for my good heart. Sarah O’Brien long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: gossamer permission regent and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a shape" and the author’s word choices: unfolds, form, diamond & curled page number 9 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Sarah O'Brien is a poet, painter, and comedian from Woburn, Massachusetts, now living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She published two books of poetry: Shapeshifter and Lover Sar. She also authored six chapbooks. She is working on a debut novel called Twin Flames. She loves her daughter Trinity even more than sunsets and chocolate. Follow her @fluent_saracasm on social media to learn more. white square image with black text reads: Page 9 features the poem “Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien. Sarah incorporated the following donated words into her poem: GOSSAMER donated by Linda M. Crate PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar REGENT donated by m klein word challenge: use a word that is related to shape word choice: unfolds, firm, diamond, curled… “Birthday Wish” is peppered with vivid imagery that shows how one can stop to notice the simple joys while also looking at some of the bigger questions in life. Life often hands us difficult or challenging situations and we do our best to power through and make things look easy or beautiful within our means. Sarah really took on the shape word challenge so well in the midst of tackling the aforementioned details, too… you’ll find her daughter “[c]urled like a lima bean in the corner of her crib” after a mention of how “God wanted [the narrator] to form a diamond from dust.” Really great words here! white square image with black text reads: Sarah O’Brien is a poet, painter, and comedian from Woburn, Massachusetts, now living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She published two books of poetry: Shapeshifter and Lover Sar. She also authored six chapbooks. She is working on a debut novel called Twin Flames. She loves her daughter Trinity even more than sunsets and chocolate. Follow her @fluent_saracasm on social media to learn more. get the full PDF of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES here (free!): tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 14, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by K Weber
grousehollow.bsky.social
Birdwatching with my oldest has definitely helped with grief in the two springs since my father died, and I’m grateful to K for the challenge of working donated words into what turned out to be a poem I urgently needed to write about it. 🪶
midwesternskirt.bsky.social K Weber @midwesternskirt.bsky.social · 13d
continuing a walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 8/“Simultaneous Fields” by @grousehollow.bsky.social

word donors
@norbaikin.bsky.social
@stonespiral.bsky.social
@gendeguzman.bsky.social

& author took on ”opposite of assigned word” challenge
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 13d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 8: "Simultaneous Fields” by @grousehollow.bsky.social

donated words
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON

challenge: opposite of assigned word
choice: filled

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
November 13, 2025 at 4:53 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing a walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 8/“Simultaneous Fields” by @grousehollow.bsky.social

word donors
@norbaikin.bsky.social
@stonespiral.bsky.social
@gendeguzman.bsky.social

& author took on ”opposite of assigned word” challenge
🧡💛🧡💛🧡
donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 13d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 8: "Simultaneous Fields” by @grousehollow.bsky.social

donated words
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON

challenge: opposite of assigned word
choice: filled

tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Simultaneous Fields,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Simultaneous Fields for Sadie It’s good to be with you, listening to the simultaneous fields— the warbler-filled meadow that yields alder saplings and milkweed glistening on May mornings, and the back forty of the old prison now dotted with nest boxes where swallows invest flies and winged ants from sortie after sortie. And between them the road with lines for the kestrel to perch like a regent, surveying the birch thicket the wind maybe sowed the year I was born. What does this age mean in your eleventh year, I wonder, which has yielded fear for my part—Thomas’s rage notwithstanding—since my own dad flew the world: time, grief-filigreed, dreaded siphon. But today I read in purple ink on your yellow legal pad: scarlet, indigo, black-throated blue, the colors that start and end our days, and the sorrow subsides. It will always be good to be with you. Michael Metivier long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: simultaneous regent siphon and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word that is the opposite of one of the words suppliedl” and the author’s word choice: filled page number 8 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Michael Metivier (he/him) is a poet and editor from Vermont. He is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster and his website is michaelmetivier.com white square image with black text reads: Page 8 features the poem "Simultaneous Fields" by Michael Metivier. Michael incorporated the following donated words into his poem: SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin REGENT donated by m klein SIPHON donated by Genevieve DeGuzman word challenge: use a word that is the opposite of an assigned word word choice: filled "Simultaneous Fields" covers so much beautiful ground. there is magic in small moments witnessed. the reverence in the identification of birds, trees, bugs and landscapes shared among loved ones is so special. within these lines we are so fortunate to witness grief turn from searing pain to a cooler balm. the bliss of finding a small echo of yourself in someone else as an overall theme is pure sweetness. white square image with black text reads: Michael Metivier (he/him) is a poet and editor from Vermont. He is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster and his website is michaelmetivier.com get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
November 13, 2025 at 3:42 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 7/“slipper” by @saramatson.bsky.social

features words donated by @opwriter.bsky.social
@krislindbeck.bsky.social
Meesh Montoya

& the author took on a travel-related word challenge
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 14d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 7: “slipper” by @saramatson.bsky.social

featuring words donated by @opwriter.bsky.social - DAYLIGHT
@krislindbeck.bsky.social - TIDE
Meesh Montoya - PROLIX

challenge: travel word
author chose: beach

free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “slipper,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: slipper before daylight, i cleaned the humidifier + admired my nails stretching my palms beneath city tide a single shoe tumbles across the beach to uproarious applause a singular moment in time + laces i explained + explained (in my prolix way) until it was determined i had done nothing that could be proved i find her hand, we leave the scene and she skips, both of us thinking wistfully of the shoe Sara Matson long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: daylight tide prolix and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to travel” and the author’s word choice: beach page number 7 is in black text at bottom center of page white square image with black text reads: Sara Matson (she/her) is a poet in Chicago and host of the seasonal online reading series, Words / / Friends. Her microchap, Ardently, is part of the Ghost City Press Summer Series and available now. Find her on Instagram @skeletorsmom or Bluesky @saramatson.bsky.social
November 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 6/& DAYLIGHT: intro to 17 pieces of writing by 17 authors each using 3-4 donated words from a pool of 17 words donated (& more!)
🧡💛🧡💛🧡

get the free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
November 11, 2025 at 6:20 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 5/“Tenfold” poem: i wrote this one last year with the help of 22 first-time contributors!
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 15d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 5: “Tenfold” poem

i wrote this poem using words donated by 22 people who were contributing to these projects for their first time! credits in thread!

get the collection as a free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
black square image with black border has page from a digital book at center. book page is white with black text. poem title “Tenfold” is at top left. page number 5 appears at bottom center. all remaining contents of book page are in two columns, separated by a vertical center line. text reads as follows: Tenfold What's unfair is that a bulwark has been built and built too high: no climb to sit within stillness on top, between two wars. This bricolage of aged brick and outdated mistakes has crafted a too-steady divide. Tintinnabulation tolls in the form of tsk, tsk from the cool, hounding mouths of onlooking hordes on both sides. To be in the middle rouses unexpected fury. An inchoate stirring of sound rises in crescendo, sings a swarm like cicada. There is stark, night-dark penury inside the illicit pockets of apathy. A cacophony of cattywampus disagreement and the buzzsaw droning of insects become an agglomerate. Fight- to-fight defies real, oneiric forecasting of beautiful futures. Shouting schadenfreude seems appropriate while the sanguine purr of a kitten irks nerves. Sense goes missing like the ease of katabasis; could have shaken hands and called it a day. What's fair is that there is sometimes a sunrise or sunset the color of the belly of an oriole. Maybe it's lurking inquisitively in a mist of mysticism fraught with the weight of an under- lying schism. But it might be in a painting of beach swells waving their Atlantic greetings from Narragansett. It could be from a comic book blaring a good evening outlined with winking of the moon's horizon over gold-shocked iris- star- bursting "POW!" while the retina sleeps. The possibilities are wide as eyes peering from any angle of the aquarium glass. K Weber Morgan Marion Carey - bulwark Evelyn Anne Clausen - stillness Julie Luepke - bricolage Centa Therese - tintinnabulation Meesh Montoya - inchoate Keti Shea - cicada Alan Parry - night Anthony Robinson - penury Christian Garduno - … white square image with black text reads Page 5 has the first poem of this collection! “Tenfold” is a donated words poem i/we wrote in 2024 that includes words from new contributors! 22 people were involved! this was their first time contributing and some returned to take part in the “& DAYLIGHT” section of this project! as i began to work with these words & crafted lines, a theme of divide began to take shape; the mindful versus the uncaring especially. the final stanzas turn toward hope and the hope that hope can prevail. so many challenging words in this poem! get the free PDF of this collection at tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio white square image with black text reads thanks again to all word contributors! Morgan Marion Carey - bulwark Evelyn Anne Clausen - stillness Julie Luepke - bricolage Centa Therese - tintinnabulation Meesh Montoya - inchoate Keti Shea - cicada Alan Parry - night Anthony Robinson - penury Christian Garduno - illicit S. Salazar - cacophony Callie, Bug & Boo (kitties!) - cattywampus (via Carla Marchal) Victoria Spires - agglomerate Zach Spruce - oneiric Ted Jackins - schadenfreude Pratibha Kelapure- sanguine cm ellis - katabasis Resignation Records - fair Kristin Lueke - oriole Zahra Shahrambakht - mysticism Oswald Perez - Narragansett Renee Gilmore - retina Benjamin Niespodziany - aquarium
November 11, 2025 at 1:58 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 4/tenfold orioles: an intro to the poem “Tenfold”
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 15d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 4: tenfold orioles: an intro to the poem “Tenfold”

get the collection as a free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
white square image with page from digital book in center. book page background is a close-up of the front cover art but with gradients of orange being the focus. “tenfold orioles” is in bold black text near the top left corner. a white text box with bkack border takes up much of the page. it has black text that reads: “I am so pleased that this collection begins with what I consider an ‘original’ or ‘traditional’ donated words poem! This is where the collaborations I dreamed up in 2018 began. I remember reaching out to various people and asking if they would like to send me a word to use in a poem! So many people responded with enthusiasm and an array of words like no other. Donated words poems have been and continue to be such a fun challenge for me. I like that it encourages others to be a part of something a little different but still very much in collaboration with a larger group of people. It connects me to other writers, friends, and family in such a cool and memorable way! I also reconnect with people through the years when they donate a word again. There are quite a few people who have appeared in numerous poems over time and some have even been in nearly every donated words collection! With ‘Tenfold’ I was really lucky to revisit the experience that came from those first donated words poems. The 22 word contributors who participated in this poem were all donating a word for the first time! These words really covered a lot of territory! It is always an adventure finding a place for each word and crafting a poem that still stands on its own despite inserting words that I did not select. What a gift this experience has been no matter how many times I have written a donated words poem! Although this collection mostly focuses on having other writers create using donated words, a project will never feel complete without the type of collaborative poem that started it all! It is incredible to see how far these poems and collections have come.” white square image with black text that reads: on page 4 we have the introduction to the “Tenfold” poem - TENFOLD ORIOLES. the background art is a simple zoom-in of the front cover but with more attention paid to the orange shades. i will let the prominent text speak for itself: “I am so pleased that this collection begins with what I consider an ‘original’ or ‘traditional’ donated words poem! This is where the collaborations I dreamed up in 2018 began. I remember reaching out to various people and asking if they would like to send me a word to use in a poem! So many people responded with enthusiasm and an array of words like no other. white square image with black text that reads: Donated words poems have been and continue to be such a fun challenge for me. I like that it encourages others to be a part of something a little different but still very much in collaboration with a larger group of people. It connects me to other writers, friends, and family in such a cool and memorable way! I also reconnect with people through the years when they donate a word again. There are quite a few people who have appeared in numerous poems over time and some have even been in nearly every donated words collection! With ‘Tenfold’ I was really lucky to revisit the experience that came from those first donated words poems. The 22 word contributors who participated in this poem were all donating a word for the first time! These words really covered a lot of territory! It is always an adventure finding a place for each word and crafting a poem that still stands on its own despite inserting words that I did not select. What a gift this experience has been no matter how many times I have written a donated words poem! white square image with black text that reads: Although this collection mostly focuses on having other writers create using donated words, a project will never feel complete without the type of collaborative poem that started it all! It is incredible to see how far these poems and collections have come.” get the free PDF at https://tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio!
November 11, 2025 at 12:07 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGES 2&3: WELCOME (includes IN MEMORIAM section for dear collaborators who have passed)
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 16d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGES 2&3: Welcome

includes mention of title contributors @opwriter.bsky.social @klooky.bsky.social

features IN MEMORIAM section remembering past contributors Kari Flickinger, @ivordaniel.bsky.social & Aaron Lambert🩷

free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background. image of a white digital book page (page 2 of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES) in center. this is the first of 2 pages in the WELCOME section. there are 2 columns of text. please contact me if you need the text. will not fit in this alt text. my apologies. square image with black background. image of a white digital book page (page 3 of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES) in center. this is the second of 2 pages in the WELCOME section. there are 2 columns of text. in the last section at bottom right there is a box with a black border with an IN MEMORIAM section dedicated to collaborators who have passed. please contact me if you need the text. will not fit in this alt text. my apologies. white square image with black text reads: welcome to the WELCOME section of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES on pages 2&3!!! this section begins with some background about the donated words poetry (& more!) projects and a view of how this collection stands out with some different types of collaboration. it goes into some details of the “Tenfold” donated words poem and collaborating with 22 people who were new to these types of poems. it gives some insight into how 17 authors created 16 poems & 1 microfiction using 17 donated words. it talks more about the behind-the-scenes stuff like how i was able to organize & assign words to each author and what tools i used. you’ll also get a glimpse into why this collection changed titles 3 times & how this final title came about. you’ll see how OSWALD & KLOOKY unknowingly contributed to the book’s title! there is a nod to the statistics i put together at the end of D&TO that show how much collaboration has happened since these projects began in 2018! and i take a moment (one of many to come!) to express joy and gratitude for these projects that take a collective effort. white square image with black text reads: i created an IN MEMORIAM section that i will continue to maintain in any forthcoming donated words projects. KARI, AARON LAMBERT & IVOR DANIEL participated multiple times in my collab poems over the years. they are remembered with such light. i was saddened to hear of the recent passing of another collaborator and good friend, CHERYL PAQUAY, who left us much too soon, shortly after this publication was released. all of this (& more!) inside the free PDF! get it at https://tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio! thanks in advance for reading!
November 10, 2025 at 10:05 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
continuing my walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!

PAGE 1/TOC
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 16d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

PAGE 1: Table of Contents

get the collection as a free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
black square image with black border. at center there is an image of a white page from a digital book. it is the Table of Contents page. It is Page 1 as denoted by a 1 in black font at bottom center. some text such as author names, page numbers and additional info is in black font. but much of the headings for pages and sections and poem titles in the book are blue with an underline. these are links to jump to the corresponding pages/sections. text of the TOC is as follows: TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME 2 IN MEMORIAM 2 tenfold orioles about the "traditional" donated words poem, "Tenfold" 4 Tenfold - K Weber 5 & daylight about the 17 works created by 17 people using words donated by 17 people 6 slipper - Sara Matson 7 Simultaneous Fields - Michael Metivier 8 Birthday Wish - Sarah O'Brien 9 Forever the regent of my heart - Tiffany Sciacca 10 Buoyant / Flamboyant - Preston Danvers 11 "She's heartsick..." - Julie Luepke 12 Absorption - Karen Steiger 13 Shadowcast - Melissa Flores Anderson 14 Tapestry of the Living - Misty H 15 Sheltered - K Weber 16 Cnut - Scott Nickell 17 Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body - Steph Patterson Keep the Change - Kiley Lee 20 Song of the Seasons - Millie H 21 “A heartsick plea..." - Oswald Perez 22 desired outcome - Will Davis 23 Twinkling - Marie Marchand 24 AUTHOR BIOS 25 THANK YOU 28 MORE DONATED WORDS PROJECT INFORMATION 29 COLLECTIONS 29 PRESENTATION 29 PRAISE FOR DONATED WORDS POEM PROJECTS 30 CONTACT DETAILS 30 SPECIAL NOTES/PROBABLY TMI 31 white image with black text that reads: now it’s time to open up DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES as we dive into page 1. this is the Table of Contents page! note that all of the blue, underlined text is a link you can click to jump to that page or section for quick access. some additional features and highlights in the table of contents: - an IN MEMORIAM section has been included and will continue in future projects to honor past collaborators who are no longer with us. - the “tenfold orioles” section is for the poem “Tenfold” that i wrote using 22 donated words - the “daylight” section is for the larger-scale project wherein 17 people wrote 16 poems & one microfiction piece that incorporated more donated words and a word challenge. white square image with black text that reads: - there are lots of other sections that may just seem like general info but are actually packed with helpful & interesting things! we’ll get into the bigger details and writing soon! thanks for following along! so much more inside this exciting PDF! get it free at https://tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio! thanks in advance for reading! *** DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES is a collection of 17 poems & 1 microfiction piece created with much collaboration. continuing the donated words tradition, this compilation starts with a poem i wrote using words sent to me by 22 new participants. it then ventures into a new realm where 16 writers joined me in authoring unique works that include donated words from 17 people. some writers took on an additional challenge word. please enjoy this finished product that involved 49 people and 55 donated words that inspired a lot of new writing! thank you forever to all who took part. and to our readers!
November 10, 2025 at 6:56 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
i am starting a walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES over at @donatedwords.bsky.social!
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donatedwords.bsky.social donated words poetry @donatedwords.bsky.social · 16d
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!

cover page!

get the collection as a free PDF: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
white square image. in center there is an image of the cover of a forthcoming digital book. the cover background has different shades of yellows and oranges. the four colors are somewhat haphazardly broken into four sections. at top left is a bright yellow color. at top right is a medium yellow-orange color. a similar color is at bottom left. & a brighter orange color at bottom right. title is “daylight & tenfold orioles” but daylight is in white font at bottom right of the top left color block. the rest of the title is in black font at top left of the bottom right color block. at the bottom center of the cover is a white text box with a black border. it reads “a donated words collaboration (& more!)” in black font. white square image with black text that reads: it’s time! i have wanted to do a walkthrough of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES since it was recently released! i am going to step through each page in a new post as often as i can. this cover art was designed by me using the really fun liquify tool in Pixlr (no AI!). i used colors that factored in the essence of the title words “daylight” & “orioles” & a fall feeling as this collection came out in autumn of this year. as i type this, there is snow on the ground. the fall leaves are still clinging to trees saying “too soon” because they haven’t quite blushed with their final color this year. similarly, i am still clinging to all the words, heart, effort, camaraderie & time that was given to make such a fun & challenging project!🧡 white square image with black text that reads: there is more ahead in upcoming pages about the title’s origins, various layout features and of course… the writing and contributors that comprise this compilation!!! so much more inside this exciting PDF! get it free at https://tinyurl.com/2025daylight thanks in advance for reading! *** DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES is a collection of 17 poems & 1 microfiction piece created with much collaboration. continuing the donated words tradition, this compilation starts with a poem i wrote using words sent to me by 22 new participants. it then ventures into a new realm where 16 writers joined me in authoring unique works that include donated words from 17 people. some writers took on an additional challenge word. please enjoy this finished product that involved 49 people and 55 donated words that inspired a lot of new writing! thank you forever to all who took part. and to our readers!
November 10, 2025 at 5:18 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
This is Karen’s debut book of poetry! I was fortunate enough to read an advanced manuscript and provide a quote for the book’s back cover! Grab a copy and find out why I said “[w]hile some pieces look cancer straight in the eye, others take on the beauty and ugliness in nature and the otherworldly.“
karenmsteiger.bsky.social Karen M Steiger | CLEAN MARGINS OUT NOW FROM KELSAY BOOKS! @karenmsteiger.bsky.social · 22d
Clean Margins is now available for you to purchase on the Kelsay Books site and Amazon in both paperback and eBook editions. It's a nice short read featuring exploding frogs, missing brains, black holes, raccoons and some cancer (but nothing too dire).
www.amazon.com/Clean-Margin...
Clean Margins
Clean Margins - Kindle edition by Steiger, Karen . Download it once and read it on your Kindle device, PC, phones or tablets. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading Clean Margins.
www.amazon.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:42 PM
midwesternskirt.bsky.social
was in an accident monday evening while trying to reunite a dog i found that morning with her owner. went to ER friday & have concussion. i am banged up in an already banged-up body. everyone is ok. car damage was not overwhelming. but im just very sad & sore. and this world already hurts so much.
November 9, 2025 at 5:35 PM