Here’s wishing you a happy Monday, dVerse poets, and welcome to the pub, which is now open!

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I’d like to start with two announcements:

The first is about the dVerse Anthology. You can be a part of it!

Call for Poetry Submissions: Krisis: Poetry at the Crossroads (Working Title)

In celebration of our 15th anniversary in 2026, dVerse Poets Pub invites poets from around the globe to contribute to our upcoming anthology, Krisis: Poetry at the Crossroads. Rooted in the Greek word krisis, meaning a pivotal decision point, we seek poems that explore moments of transformation, choice, and change.

Submission Period: April 1, 2025 – June 30, 2025

Full details here.

The second is a reminder that this Thursday is Open Link Night, followed by dVerse Live on Saturday June 21, 2025, to which all are welcome, whether you’re happy to read or not. The link will be included in the Thursday prompt.

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It’s Kim from Writing in North Norfolk bringing you the Quadrille, when we take any meaning of one word and transform it into 44 poetic words. Today, I want you to write a poem of exactly 44 words (not counting your title), including the word honest.

The word ‘honest’ means free of deceit, truthful and sincere, as in “I’m being totally honest with you.” It can also be used to persuade someone of the truth of something, for example, “You’ll like it when you get there, honest.” Related words are honest and honesty, and the main antonym is dishonest.

‘Honest’ is a borrowing from French and the earliest known use of the word is in the Middle English period (1150—1500); the Oxford English Dictionary’s earliest evidence is around 1330, in Of Arthour and of Merlin.

A handful of the many synonyms for ‘honest’ are: truthful, sincere, candid, frank, direct, open, forthright.

Some of the better known idioms are: honest to God/goodness; make an honest living; make an honest wo/man (out) of someone; to be honest (with you); honest broker; honest Injun.

Honesty is the common name for the plant lunaria annua, a species of flowering plant in the cabbage and mustard family Brassicaceae. It is known as honesty owing to the ‘truthfulness’ of the translucent pod revealing the seeds inside.

Back in 2016 I wrote a poem about honesty, which you can find here.

I found some other ‘honest’ and ‘honesty’ poems, the first being ‘Honesty’ by John Clare:

‘Lunaria’ by Katha Pollitt is a favourite of mine; ‘Self-Portrait at 28’ by David Berman is a poem that must be read; and ‘Shiva’ by Robinson Jeffers has to be explored.

Today we are finding different ways of being honest at the Poets Pub, so make sure your 44-word poem contains some form of the word honest.

Here’s a video of ‘Truth and Honesty’ by Aretha Franklin to get you in the groove!

How to Quadrille:

• Write a poem of exactly 44 words, including the word honest.
• Put your poem on your blog and link back to this post.
• Link it up to our Mr. Linky.
• Remember to check the box to accept use/privacy policy.
• Visit other blogs. Enjoy some amazing poets. Comment.
• Come back later this week and write another one, and visit some more. Comment some more.
• Write as many honest poems as you please. I’ll be reading all week.