Gerard Sekoto, Woman With Downcast Eyes (1955) Blue Purpled WomanStepping away from sunshinesetting over open-air market,blue face lost in contemplation.Wishing to turn right, not left,away from grandeur’s large-knuckled fists, plate-sizedpalms that visit carefully-hidbits of now purpled flesh. Onlyhawk eyes notice my wincelifting bushels of persimmons.His lips smack at the Snoek*, distracted. Greasy fingersignore napkins, rubbing cleanon my…
A2Z 2026 Tara
Tara (Hindu/Buddhist) In the Shaivism and Shaktism tradition of Hinduism, the goddess Tara is the second of the ten Mahavidyas. She is considered a tantric – where tantra presents complex cosmologies, viewing the body as divine and typically reflecting the union of Shiva and Shakti — manifestation of Parvati. Parvati is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of…
#FF — Spoiled
PHOTO PROMPT © Lily Spoiled Although I’m sitting poolside at my villa, sipping Margarita, my soul feels like chipped, latex-coated lead: cheap, artificial, and toxic. The adage goes, how did I get to this place; but I know, know how, and who is to blame. When you’ve had enough trauma cast upon you as an…
A2Z 2026 Spider Woman
Spider Woman —Na’ashjéii Asdzáá (Navajo) Spider Woman by Tara Reynolds “In the beginning, there was the dark purple light at the dawn of being. Spider Woman spun a line to form the east, west, north, and south. Breath entered man at the time of the yellow light. At the time of the red light, man…
A2Z 2026 Rhiannon
Rhiannon (aka Epona) Welsh The Mabinogion The Mabinogion is a collection of Middle Welsh prose. Compiled from texts found in two late-medieval manuscripts, this collection was initially edited and translated by antiquarians in the early nineteenth century. While the Mabinogion collection itself might thus be regarded as a nineteenth century editorial creation, its constituent texts…
dVerse Q246 — Puppetized
(Epoch Producing Corporation) PuppetizedWatching old movies:black-white flickers totrain pupils; see pale-skinned indignities asunquestioned status quo,eyes fix postured macho,not swerved to objects;props serving patriarchy,downcast eyes, smilesor not, dependent ploysto be toyed with, stringedautomatons, machinesserving sociopaths’ greed. Punam is today’s host for dVerse’ Quadrille Monday. Punam wants us to write a poem using some form of the…
A2Z 2026 Qin Liangyu
Qin Liangyu (Chinese) In my research, I learned that Qin Liangyu was not a goddess per se, but her importance in history makes her something close. Further, Marty Noble’s coloring book has her in it as a goddess, which is good enough for me. Finally, I note that the Marty’s image of her doesn’t match…
Tao-Talk 