I have been shocked and angered to learn that rare books are being bought up by AI companies, the spines broken, pages scanned, then the book destroyed. My words flowed in protest. #BlueSkyPoetry #BSPP56 #August #poetry #ShelfDust Word prompt: Shelf Dust #Verse #ECK #Wordsmith #Books #RareBooks

Your pink-bronze pendulous leaves slow dance with the admiring cool breeze Sun’s early light traces the lines of your luscious foliage Weeping dichromatic Lilly Pilly count me as one of your admirers Enchantress of the bush #Verse #ECK #poetry #Wordsmith #LillyPilly #Australiana

Tiered balls of petals Labours under harsh, still air Peony will not wilt #PaintbyWords #HaikuKigo #Haiku Word prompt: Peony #ECK #Wordsmith #Strength (No photos of peonies in my photo library. It's more of a Northern Hemisphere flower.)

#BlueSkyPoetry #BSPP56 #August #poetry Word prompt: Window Reflection #Verse #ECK #Wordsmith #Kangaroo #Australia Surprised myself where this word prompt took me. I want to write more Australian flavoured verse, this certainly went that way. I hope you see it as you read this verse.

#BlueSkyPoetry #BSPP56 #August #poetry Word Prompt: Hallway Light #Verse #Wordsmith #ECK #Love #Love'sMeasure Love is in the small things. I'm rich because I had this, and he caused me to be a better person.

When lies are loudest Truth bound by hatred and greed Goodness slides away #PaintbyWords Word Prompt - Slide #Senryū #ECK #Verse #poetry #Wordsmith #TruthAndLies

#BlueSkyPoetry #BSPP56 #August #EmptyHanger Word Prompt - Empty Hanger #ImageAndVerse #Verse #poetry #Wordsmith #Loss #Grief

Today’s #BirdOfTheDay theme chosen by @alan678.bsky.social is: #OverTheRainbow, any bird looking skyward. Alt #HedgingYourBets, any bird in a hedge or bush. Can I go for a trio? A #RainbowLorikeet looking skywards (over the rainbow, perhaps) in a bush. A girl can but try. #Birds #ECK #Photography

#BlueSkyPoetry #BSPP56 #August #poetry #Verse #Wordsmith #KitchenHush #ECK Word prompt: Kitchen Hush

It's Friday and I'm rambling, which I offer up to you. Always leave room for mystery. #Verse #Wordsmith #ECK #Rambling #Mystery #Don'tKnowItAll #PerhapsPoetry

For today's #BirdOfTheDay theme @alan678.bsky.social has declared that it's: #YourChoice - bird capture/captures you’ve been itching to post. I've gone for one of my most unusual bird photos, not a real beauty, but 'interesting'. It's the #SouthernCassowary (Not the best photo either.) #Birds #ECK

The Buck Moon illumines a slumbering, sultry night Stags rite of passage #PaintByWords #Haiku #Poetry #Poem #WordPrompt-BuckMoon #BuckMoon #Wordsmith #BlueSkyPoetry

A verse formed from gazing out my window this morning. #Verse #Wordsmith #ECK #Poetry #Shadows #WaxingLyrical

Did someone mention green? Oh @alan678.bsky.social did with today's #BirdOfTheDay theme: #EmeraldBackdrop – Images where the background colour is green. Alt: #WeatheringTheElements Somewhere in all this green is a #RainbowLorikeet My file of these birds has grown. #Birds #Photography #ECK

Of late I'm being woken at 4am by the Australian Magpie's warbling. He is somewhere nearby. I have actually come to love this early morning serenade. Shame on me for not having a photo of our Magpies. I will remedy that soon. #Verse #Poetry #ECK #Wordsmith #EarlyMornSerenade #Poem

While winter blankets Australia, there is one tree that won't be cowed by the cold ... that's our beautiful Wattle. We have a variety of them, however, it is the Golden Wattle that blooms in the heart of our winter. We are the land of the Green & Gold because of the Wattle. #Verse #Poetry #ECK

The Alt theme for #BirdOfTheDay chosen by @alan678.bsky.social is #Memories: a capture with memories The #KingParrot forever reminds me of a family friend whose funeral I conducted. He loved this bird. The day after the funeral one turned up in our backyard. The first & only time. Saying goodbye?

Do you see how the ocean is in love with the land, constantly reaching touching caressing sometimes her tempest is all consuming, raging clawing pounding yet, the land remains steadfast never retreats calming the ocean a love story as old as earth #ImageAndVerse #ECK #Poetry #Verse #Wordsmith

Tricky fella that @robcrank68.bsky.social setting the #BirdOfTheDay theme as almost impossible for us amateurs. That being: #OneTwoThreeFour, 4 photos with 1, 2, 3, 4 birds, with each photo being the same bird/s. My #LaughingKookaburras to the rescue.

I skipped a pebble Counted concentric circles Make ripples, not waves #PaintByWords #Senryū #Verse #Poetry #WordPrompt-Pebble #Pebble #Wordsmith #MakeRipples #ImageAndVerse #RiverStones

@alan678.bsky.social's chosen theme for the #BirdOfTheDay theme is: #EyeOfTheWild, piercing eye or eyes as the dominant feature of the portrait. Alt: #LastBird – The last bird/ birds on your camera roll. That #AustralianPelican the other morning was giving me 'the eye'. #ECK #Birds #Photography

Morning Dreamers Morning’s pastel glow a cloud canvas, an artist’s pallet this be the realm for dreamers no longer cocooned by night’s soft, velvety blanket drawn to walk these hallowed hours joining the company of other nubivagants #Verse #ECK #Poetry #Wordsmith (Another new word to learn)

Gosh, 'tis July, and its days are almost over. Ne'er the mind, I have crafted my tribute to this fine month before the days disappeared. #Verse #July #WordsmithAtWork #ECK #Poetry #WaterLily (The flower for July is the Water Lily - a wonderful bloom.)

The #BirdOfTheDay theme chosen by @alan678.bsky.social is: #TantalisingTextures Smooth soft feathers of any bird contrasted with rough hard surfaces. Alt: #ArtOfMotion, birds moving but not in flight. Going for the Alt. An #AustralianPelican out for a morning stroll. #Birds #ECK

Queen Anne’s Lace Nature spreads a feast Drapes Queen Anne’s Lace, white mantle Warm days - take your fill #PaintByWords #Haiku #Verse #WordPrompt #QueenAnne'sLace #EastCoastKin #Poetry #WordsmithAtWork #BlueSkyPoetry (No image. Hopefully your imagination will paint the picture.)

Interesting how grief always shows up, even when one thinks they have it sorted. Yep, grief is definitely a life companion. #Verse #WordsmithAtWork #Poetry #ECK #Grief #Loss (Image is of a piece of art I came across in the Art Gallery of New South Wales.)

Always self-reflecting. Just a bit of musing on a cold, dull day. #Verse #WordsmithAtWork #Driftwood #Adrift #BlueSkyPoetry #Poetry #Poem

Humankind may primp and preen attempting to display their beauty for all to admire, and covet, yet none can compare to the awesomeness of a freshly created day #Stunday #ImageAndVerse #Verse #Sunrise #NewDay #ECK #WordsmithAtWork

Alan, @alan678.bsky.social has chosen the #BirdOfTheDay theme as #ScreenFiller, a capture where the bird takes up a large part of the image. Alt #Migratory birds. Okay, okay I may have been a little obsessed with the #RainbowLorikeets living next door for the past 2 weeks. So bright. #ECK #Birds

No verse or poetry today ... just got home & I'm tired. However, I do have a funny photo. I've been house & cat sitting for 2 weeks. Last night when I got into bed, Bear (the cat) promptly climbed into my suitcase (which was on the bed) & went to sleep. Running away from home? #Cat #ECK #Humour