It may be old, but it is still fresh with the memories of the years you have spent there. That childhood house still stands. It makes its way into dreams and into stories. Think of where you grew up and connect with the good times. Remember an event that was special. Remember a time that was simpler. See your days again in that old place. Imagine your time in a more reflective light. Talk of the structure, the rooms, the windows.

When was the last time you were at a carnival? You know, one of those signs of summer…the crowded, dark, and sometimes littered parking lots with the Tilt-A-Whirls, the Ferris wheels, the bumper cars, and those all tempting carnival games…Cotton candy, all sticky and sugary…Snow comes, so icy and drippy…Corndogs so, well, so corn doggy…Each of these images rise to the top when thinking of a carnival. Use each line to share one sense of excitement, of wonder, of worry with your readers, your new friends, your connections to other carnivals that you have not visited…

Music by itself helps create and bring back memories. Whether you think about the rebounding of the bass, the techno touch of the guitar, the soft melodies of a violin, the boom of the drums, or the surging of the brass, new moments are created in your memory.

Books are bound to a higher calling. Books are stitched together with a passion greater than an old blanket. Books are what connect us to the worlds we have never visited. Books are the portals into lives which we envision only for a spell and are lost quicker than the snow melts right before spring.

The small flicker of a flame…the dripping of that wonderful, hot wax…the subtle warmth of the fire represent a candle in full use. Think about the wick as it stands before it provides the comfort. Think about the small beads that form as the heat ravages the delicate wax. Think about the small glimmer of sparks the newly formed light provides.

Leaves, brightly colored or various shades of green cling to the branches as long as possible. Needles point outward and upward absorbing the warmth of the afternoon sun. Whether you jump in the large piles left on the verdant terrain, or you anticipate the blanket of deep hues of green along with fresh blossoms, you have a verse for leaves.

Your muse stimulates you to write. However, when was the last time you wrote about your muse? Great poets of our past, from Shakespeare to Dante, have provided insight to their muse. Some have touted their thanks.

Whether you are struggling for a topic, or looking for a muse…look here for our weekly topics This week’s poetry topic is CLOUDS…