Photo: Pexels Free Great Photos: Labeled for non-commercial reuse.
Burning Inspiration—dVerse Quadrille #51
I have no idea how this Quadrille prompt came to me—it just flared up and is BURNing to play with us this week. The word, BURN, lends itself to so many uses:
• A noun: In our part of Nevada we have a number of prescribed burns to control wild fires.
• Or a verb: I burn for you, baby.
• A gerund: The wild-fire, burning out of control, was human caused.
• An adjective: The burned patch on the mountain is a sad reminder…
How about a slow burn, fast burn, heart burn, muscle burn? Have you ever been to Burning Man? That’s in my neighborhood and you don’t want to go shopping at Costco the weekend before, like I did once—it’s crawling with burners. I could go on and on but now it’s in your hands.
To join in, write your Quadrille—a poem of exactly 44 words, excluding the title—and use the word BURN or a variation thereof in the body of the poem. Post it on your blog then copy and paste the URL for your work into Mr. Linky at the bottom of this post. Include a link to the prompt in your post and on your social media sites. Then, because this is a community, return to dVerse and visit other poets, commenting on their work.
I look forward to reading each of your poems that, hopefully, will burn some poetic energy into my psyche—it needs a boost.
For dVerse Poets, this is Victoria. As a special treat today at the pub, my personal chef, David, will flame up some cherries jubilee for you to go with your choice of beverage. Too bad it’s so virtual.
For those who aren’t familiar with Burning Man, it is a counter-cultural art festival that takes place about the first week of September (Labor Day) in Black Rock Desert, about 90 miles north of Reno. Incredible art, free-spirited everything else!
dVerse 
Welcome, my poet friends. The Cherries Jubilee are ready to be flambeed while you are posting and reading some burning hot poetry and I’m off to read! Have fun.
I think burn can be so much… and I thought about the song by Neil Young… hey hey my my (into the black)… and from there came a dark burn… the way ice can burn.
Can’t wait to listen to the song–my hubby is concentrating on something at the moment. Your poem is splendid.
I really like the acoustic version of the song, if you get a chance.
Oh that has a beat. Missed a lot of music in my “other life,” this being one entire era.
https://www.newyorker.com/cartoon/kanin-2013-11-18
Dark humor about “burn.”
(Oops, meant to leave this as a general comment, not as a response!)
So funny, Amaya. Thanks.
I liked the burning man video. I’ve heard of it before, but I didn’t know there was such a variety of art as part of it.
That’s the main focus along with some truly bizarre behavior. We have received and/or purchased some of the art for our museum. When Burning Man is going on, it becomes the 3rd largest city in Nevada with some 70K participants.
If you ever need a rep to scout the art there, I have two friends that go every year, one is a glass artist and the other an attorney.
Smiles. Lots of professionals go.
Hi all! I have posted my quadrille. Good to see you Victoria. Great word. Burn has so many connotations. I think now, with all the political goings on of “fire sale”…burning down everything to create it anew.
And don’t we need something new! Glad you are here, Toni.
It is good to be in and out.
I agree with Bjorn about the Neil Young song and my poem has no fire in it at all! We are being visited by the Beast from the East at the moment and it is freezing cold here, we have travel disruption, and I hope the trains are running on Saturday – I don’t want to miss my grandson’s birth!
How exciting! I hope you make it!
Thank you, Amaya!
I hope it will work out for you, Kim.
Thank you,. Victoria.
Loved how you used burn. And I feel it, too.
Thank you, Victoria!
Oh that would be too too cruel! Here’s hoping mother nature cooperates with motherhood and grandmotherhood plans 🙂
Thank you, Lill! I’m in the middle of sewing up the second of a pair of bootees, so now I have matching suit, hat and bootees to take with e. I also have the makings of a special blankie – yellow with sheep!
Sounds adorable! 🙂 Have a wonderful wonderful visit! So exciting!
hope it goes well, Kim. how exciting!
Thanks Sarah! I’ve just seen the weather forecast and I’m not sure I’ll make it in time. 😦
I’ll be thinking of you
Hello all and thank you, Victoria, for hosting today! Have seen a documentary on the Burning Man festivities and one of my daughter’s old time friends posted images etc from the time he attended. Quite amazing!
I went a little off my usual with this prompt 🙂
Will get over to read some now…lookin’ forward to heatin’ up the room!
Don’t get too hot!
Evening all…just coming out of a seriously busy time, it is freezing here tonight ( but oh what a sky!!) and i’m burning to get a poem out. See you on the trail.
And I’m burning to read it.
Happy Monday and thanks for hosting Victoria! I will hit the poetry trail in a bit!
Glad you are here, Grace, with an amazing poem, too.
Great prompt, Victoria. What a powerful word it is.
Glad you like it Sarah.
It’s too cold to write so I’m off to read in bed. Shiver.
Here’s some hot milk to help you warm up and doze off…with a bit of honey.
Afternoon, Poets! Thanks, Victoria, for this sizzling hot prompt! 😉
You are so welcome, Frank.
😀
Hi, Victoria! Hey, y’all! I thought I’d pass by and peruse the offerings. Cheers!
Always enjoy having you drop in, Charley.
Thank you, Victoria, for being a minority voice! I’m glad to pass by and take part.
Smile.
It just occurred to me that here in Scotland, a small stream is called a burn. Shoulda coulda woulda.
That’s a call to write another, Paul! And then there’s Robbie Burns!
…and George Burns!
with his cigar.
Good evening…it’s chilly here too…so I lit a candle…thank you for the prompt Victoria.
Here’s a hot drink. Cold here too (for the desert). It’s so relative.
Definitely relative. Thanks for the toddy…just what I needed.
Perfect!
Hi, all. I am drive-by poeming, for now. Back to read later. LOVE the word, Victoria. Thank you!
Love it!
I find that a soothing ointment always helps with a burn.
And poetry can be just the balm.
Late to the bar sigh… but phew I made it!! Couldn’t bear to miss your prompt, Victoria❤️sharing my poem ‘A Gentle Tale of Lust’… hope you like it!❤️
The Quadrille remains open for some time actually 🙂 you can write more than one.
Note: I need to make WordPress payment tomorrow morning.. please visit my blog sometime later on Wednesday 😦 it’s currently unavailable …
With the enormous time difference, I’m hoping it’s back up. I’m so late today, as it always the case on Tuesday at this time of the year..
Its re-activated now 💖 Thank you for your patience 😊
I saw this prompt yesterday literally right after I saw a trailer for a new Farhenheit 451 movie. I was going to go off in an angry rant about book burning, but then went this way instead. 😉
Off to read in a minute, Merril.
This prompt touched my soul
So glad Jane.
Yes. Burning man has certainly evolved. In a way it feels like it is turning into its antithesis.
I’ve never gone–not my thing except for the art–and it seems to be for the ultra rich. Very expensive.
Ironic if that is true as it started as such a counterculture event.
Very ironic…and it’s true. Tickets: $1,200. That doesn’t count getting there and the very many things you need to survive.
?????What????? Is that what you pay to camp out there or to construct your art piece? What about just entering to look around? Ridiculous.
Victoria, I Googled it and found this: A regular ticket for the eight-day shindig is $390, plus 9% tax, plus another few bucks in handling/delivery fees, depending on how you want to claim your tickets. This year, organizers also added a $1,200 ticket tier, but they’re pretty clear in spelling out this doesn’t get you any kind of VIP perks. The extra money raised from these ticket sales goes to grants given to artists.
Thanks for taking the time to clarify. $390 not bad but all the equipment etc. still makes it $$$. There is a part of me that would love to see it, but the desert is so arid, at the time of the year the heat and wind are factors. I guess I’m just too fussy! Our museum does burning man exhibits throughout the year so there are ways to do it second-handed.
And we can experience so much through our computers as well. Cheap and so much more comfortable.. Hate to say it, but.