# continuing series (blogs) — RSS Amplifier Recent posts from the 1 feeds in the RSS Amplifier directory that cover continuing series. Page: Feed: --- ## [Larry’s Bad Surprise](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/26/larrys-bad-surprise/) _2026-08-26 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for MLMM Monday Wordle;the prompt words are shown below. cash ~ huge ~ monkey ~ much ~ grin ~ shovelbirthday ~ carry ~ took ~ back ~ trailer ~ grab It was Larry’s birthday, which meant only one thing: huge trouble. For reasons known only to him, Larry decided he needed a pet monkey… Continue reading Larry’s Bad Surprise ## [Trieste: Strambotto](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/26/trieste-strambotto/) _2026-08-26 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for dVerse Poetics – Pulling poetry from the landscape. Our host, Melissa challenges us towrite a poem inspired by one of the paintings by Austrian Expressionist Egon Schiele.I have chosen ‘Harbor of Trieste’. Tangled masts lean crosswise in the amber lightWhite hulls lie quiet on the old harbor’s breastTheir rigging crossed, drawn taut against… Continue reading Trieste: Strambotto ## [The Icing On The Cake](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/26/the-icing-on-the-cake/) _2026-08-26 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle.Here are Brenda’s prompt words: waves – cake – strays – strand – churningspot – buzz – colors – sudden – early – stirring Marcello had arrived early for his first shift as pastry chef aboard the Ocean Serenade, determined to make a good impression. By 6 a.m. he’d claimed the… Continue reading The Icing On The Cake ## [Late Spring: A Chōka](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/25/late-spring-a-choka/) _2026-08-25 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Tanka Tuesday where our host,Colleen, asks us to explore color in ourJapanese poetry as we write a poemabout our favorite season. Growth unfurls at dawntender shoots push through dark soilyoung leaves catch the lightemerald fields stretch and breathemoss softens the stoneferns uncurl in gentle raingreen deepens with joyevery branch reaches upwardnew life laughs… Continue reading Late… ## [To The Good Life](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/25/to-the-good-life/) _2026-08-25 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Fandango’s Story Starter #259 –“The river had been serene so far, but ahead,their simple raft faced some serious rapids.”Also for Gerry & Sue’s Weekly Prompts WeekendChallenge and the word “cultivated”. The old rope bridge had seen better days – much better days. Frayed hemp groaned in the canyon wind threatening to snap above… Continue reading To The Good Life ## [Overcompensation](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/25/overcompensation/) _2026-08-25 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for dVerse Poets Pubwhere our host, Punam, asksus to write a quadrille basedon the theme “I Protest”. “I’m fine,” she said,then said it twice more ….a tidy protestagainst a truthsitting quietly in her chest.She laughed too fast,smiled too wide,insisting so hard, so often,the whole muted room beganto wonder what,exactly, she was defending. NAR©202644 Words… Continue reading Overcompensation ## [Through Kaleidoscope Eyes](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/25/through-kaleidoscope-eyes/) _2026-08-25 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Reena’s Xploration Challenge.The image below is my inspiration. The wall began breathing just after midnight; one thousand painted eyes opened around me, blinking in colors I had never seen. My own face stretched across the room, splitting into masks that laughed, cried, and whispered forgotten names. I reached toward one and my fingers… Continue reading Through Kaleidoscope Eyes ## [Poet’s Excuse](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/24/poets-excuse/) _2026-08-24 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Living Poetry. Bart asksus to write a poem incorporating thetitles of six books he has chosen. I meant to write a sonnet, but I couldn’t find the hook,So I sat down to Carve the Runes in the margin of a book.My muse was unimpressed with me, she said, “For Instance, tryNot staring at… Continue reading Poet’s Excuse ## [RDP Monday: groggy](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/24/rdp-monday-groggy/) _2026-08-24 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for RDP where segoil asks usto get creative with the word “groggy”.Thanks, Heather! Stayed up too late. Granddaughter’s coming over in an hour. I’m tired, cranky, and so groggy. Want to go back to bed. Better hit the shower. NAR©2026 This is “I’m So Tired” by The Beatles Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was… Continue reading RDP Monday: groggy ## [Vaffanculo!](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/24/vaffanculo-2/) _2026-08-24 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Re-written from 2023 for Great Minds Think –The Enough Challenge. Our hosts, Sarah & Rohini,ask us to consider “when is enough actually enough?”Some of you may remember this one; it felt likethe right time to break it out again. Enjoy! “So, what brings you here today, Mr. DiNapoli?” asked Dr. Patterson. “Call me Lou. You gotta… Continue reading Vaffanculo! ## [Marketplace for AI-Powered Professionals (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/4ROZOlqc86Wz) _2026-08-24 · **Sponsored**_ Find professionals who use ChatGPT, Copilot, and Claude to deliver work faster. ## [The Bare Necessities](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/23/the-bare-necessities/) _2026-08-23 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Song Lyric Sunday –“Celebrating Go Topless Day” This week at Jim Adams’ Song Lyric Sunday, the theme is “Celebrating Go Topless Day” and our challenge is to write about a song that mentions bare, birthday suit, buff, exposed, liberated, naked, naturist, nude, or skin. I’ve chosen two numbers by a couple of guys… Continue reading The Bare Necessities ## [Ethel’s Visitor](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/23/ethels-visitor/) _2026-08-23 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Wea’ve Written Weekly.Our PoW, Judy, challenges us to writea poem inspired by this scenario: An old woman blows out 78 candles on her birthday cake, but one refuses to go out, no matter how hard she blows. It burns with a blue flame and whispers a name she hasn’t heard in 40 years.… Continue reading Ethel’s Visitor ## [Far Side Of The Moon: A SenHai](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/22/far-side-of-the-moon-a-senhai/) _2026-08-22 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for SenHai Saturday where our hostSusi asks us to write a senryu and haikuusing this image as inspiration. Senryu the moon hogs the viewearth waits its turn in the backtypical little sibling ⌘ ⌘ ⌘ Haiku airless, silent curve ….one fragile blue eye watchingfrom the dark above NAR©2026 This is “2001: A Space Odyssey… Continue reading Far Side Of The Moon: A SenHai ## [The Winter We Remember](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/22/the-winter-we-remember/) _2026-08-22 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Inspired by Max’s blog, ‘Old Steam Ships’ –SS Fleurus: The Day the Circus ShipCaught Fire, this is my ballad forShirley and Jenny. As you may haveguessed by the name of my site, I amextremely fond of elephants; theydo not belong in the circus.Please check out Max’s sitefor the story of the SS Fleurus. Foreword: Shirley… Continue reading The Winter We Remember [Listen](https://theelephantstrunknr.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/the-winter-we-remember.mp3) ## [Let There Be Light](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/22/let-there-be-light/) _2026-08-22 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for dVerse Poets Pub–MTB:Compounding the Stem. Our host,Laura, challenges us to write apoem using compound wordswhile following a specificrhyme & syllable format(see my notes below). The wick ignites, a fragile spark,and pushes back the waiting dark ….Candlelight. She spends the daytime at her post,then works the night shift, coast to coast ….Moonlighting. A joke… Continue reading Let… ## [Just Gone](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/21/just-gone/) _2026-08-21 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Haiku Fridays with J-Dub. Footprints end at the wave ….no goodbye, just salt airand a fading trail NAR©2026 This is “Remember (Walkin’ In the Sand)” by The Shangri Las Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not be used without permission. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present. ## [Consumed](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/21/consumed/) _2026-08-21 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Esther’s Writing Promptusing the prompt word ‘fire’. You walk in and the air goes thin,a match struck low against my skin.I’ve been embers, banked and slow,waiting for the wind to blow. Your hand …. a spark. Your mouth …. a flame.I forget my guarded name,forget the walls I built from ice,forget the caution… Continue reading Consumed ## [Field Of Fog](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/21/field-of-fog/) _2026-08-21 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for dVerse Poetics – Once in aLifetime. Our host, Kim, invites us towrite a poem beginning with “Once in alifetime”, making use of line breaks andcaesura, creating rhythm and emotion. Kim’s inspiration for this challenge is“The Window”, a poem by Mary Jean Chan. Once in a lifetime ….the light comes in at an unbidden… Continue reading Field Of Fog ## [Royally Screwed](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/21/royally-screwed/) _2026-08-21 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Our gracious host, Rochelle, is asking us to getcreative in 100 words or less using the photoseen below. This is Friday Fictioneers. The ex-royal’s Jaguar idled at the curb, engine purring in the cold. Under the stone arch, his aide paced, phone pressed to his ear, saying “no comment” to a line already gone dead.… Continue reading Royally Screwed ## [That’s Amore! -My Thursday Inspiration](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/20/thats-amore-my-thursday-inspiration/) _2026-08-20 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Thursday Inspiration –“I Will Follow Him” For this week’s Thursday Inspiration, Jim Adams asks us to respond to the challenge in any number of ways, including using the prompt word away, by means of the song ‘I Will Follow Him’ by Peggy March, or a foreign language song which later became a hit in English.… Continue reading That’s Amore! -My Thursday Inspiration ## [Crypto Payments, No Custody (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/eXqWtWz5Z4QE) _2026-08-20 · **Sponsored**_ Send crypto to merchant wallets via API with real-time updates and automatic fees. ## [RDP Thursday: cone](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/20/rdp-thursday-cone/) _2026-08-20 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for RDP where Brian asks usto get creative with the word “cone”. In 1993, The Coneheads movie was released. It was the story of Beldar (Dan Aykroyd) and Prymatt (Jane Curtin), an alien couple with cone-shaped heads from the planet Remulak, mistakenly ditched on earth during a scouting mission for planetary conquest. While here,… Continue reading RDP Thursday: cone ## [Between The Petals](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/20/between-the-petals/) _2026-08-20 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Sadje’s weekly question: What Do You See? Also for Melissa’sFandango Flash Fiction Challenge. A bumblebee climbed out of a crocus, dusted in gold, and shook out her wings. “You’re new,” she said, spotting the cicada perched on the daisy nearby, wings folded like stained glass. “I don’t recognize your buzz.” “Seventeen years underground will… Continue reading Between The Petals ## [The Ocean Dance: A Waltmarie](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/20/the-ocean-dance-a-waltmarie/) _2026-08-20 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Crispina’sCrimson’s Creative Challenge Three slender giants stand tall in the deep blue bay, Sleek blades spinning gracefully all morning against the moving clouds. spinning They catch the invisible breeze like dancers on a stage, fast through twirling their sleek arms above the gentle coastal grass …. soft winds a quiet, rhythmic performance that… Continue reading The Ocean Dance: A… ## [Ashes](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/20/ashes/) _2026-08-20 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for dVerse Prosery – LuminousAccountings. Our host, Dora, invites usto write a piece of prose in no more than144 words incorporating the followingline from “King of the River” by StanleyKunitz: “…and the iridescent imageswims through a mirror that flows.” The lake had a way of forgetting things at dusk. She stood at the dock… Continue reading Ashes ## [Universe of Light: A Reblog](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/19/universe-of-light-a-reblog/) _2026-08-19 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written by my dear friend, Ivor Steven, here is an awesome and inspiring tanka which is guaranteed to lighten your heart and bring joy and hope to your day. Ivor has shared some of my work on his site and it’s a great pleasure for me to return the favor. Check out Ivor’s site, my… Continue reading Universe of Light: A Reblog ## [First Day Rush](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/19/first-day-rush/) _2026-08-19 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for MLMM Monday Wordle;the prompt words are shown below. dashing ~ morning ~ bed ~ forecast ~ always sighed ~ give ~ neck ~ head ~ warmth ~ laid ~ part Mom dashing in at morning light,Clothes laid out from last night.“Five more minutes,” one sleepyhead sighed,Warmth still calling from the bedside. Check the forecast,… Continue reading First Day Rush ## [Lady In Red: A Dirk Malone Story](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/19/lady-in-red-a-dirk-malone-story/) _2026-08-19 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle.Here are Brenda’s prompt words: siren ~ chanting ~ startled ~ pulse ~ sighs ~ nightbasket ~ answers ~ heart ~ shape ~ badge ~ stay Rain hit 43rd Street like bullets ricocheting off a tin roof. My office smelled like an old ashtray, yesterday’s coffee, and discontent. Across the alley… Continue reading Lady In Red: A Dirk Malone Story ## [Shoo, Fly!](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/19/shoo-fly/) _2026-08-19 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Laughing Along With A Limerick.The prompt word is “eyes”. A silly young baker named GuyBaked onions inside a pieWith tears in his eyesHe watched with surpriseAs his pie became lunch for a fly! NAR©2026 This is “Onion Pie” by Touchstone Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated, and may not… Continue reading Shoo, Fly! ## [Being Still: A Haibun](https://theelephantstrunk.org/2026/08/18/being-still-a-haibun/) _2026-08-18 · Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬ · The Elephant's Trunk_ Written for Tanka Tuesday where our host,Yvette, asks us to write a poem about facingour fears and treading with trepidation. The pamphlet on the kitchen table describes the procedure in careful, impersonal language …. needle, fluoroscope, computer-guided, contrast dye …. words that do nothing to soften the ache already gathering at the base of my… Continue reading Being Still: A Haibun