happy 6th bday to THIS ASSEMBLY! this was the first collab poetry collection we did! 150+ participants. people donated words, lines, themes… some wrote poems… some helped edit… there were polls & music inspiration!
original artwork by Greg Lawhun
free PDF & audio:
tinyurl.com/thisassembly...
white square image. in center there is an image of the back cover of a digital book. the cover background has different shades of yellows and oranges. the four colors are somewhat haphazardly broken into four sections. at top left is a bright yellow color. at top right is a medium yellow-orange color. a similar color is at bottom left. & a brighter orange color at bottom right. the two sections on the right pinch together on the keft in a subtle bird shape at the middle. black bold text at bottom of back cover reads “2025 / K Weber (editor) & Friends”
white square image with black text (link underlined in blue) reads: well… that’s all for now, friends! we are at the back cover of this collection! thank you again to so many for participating in DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES! and to all who have joined me in this page-by-page walkthrough over the last few weeks… i appreciate your support! get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio 🧡💛🧡💛🧡
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthru!
we are at the back cover of this collection! thank you again to many for participating in DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES! and to all who have joined me in this page-by-page walkthrough over the last few weeks… i appreciate your support!
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. tthe title of this section, SPECIAL NOTES/PROBABLY TMI, is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text reads as follows: SPECIAL NOTES/PROBABLY TMI The cover art is by me, K Weber. I used the free version of the Pixir app and basically scribbled colors I felt fit the overall collection on a book cover-sized image. I then used various Liquify tools to gain the achieved effect. Particularly, I enjoyed utilizing the Shrink function to pull those colors together. I used Google Docs for the creation of this layout. Gentium Book Basic font is used for the cover and some page headings in various sizes. The majority of what appears throughout is Georgia font, size 12, but with some variations in poem titles and such. This collection is a free PDF. You will never be asked to pay for this compilation! With technology moving rapidly and the overwhelming chaos of AI, we have to be vigilant in ensuring our creations are not being utilized in any way other than that for which they were intended! Speaking of AI... nope! I did not use any AI tools in the creation of this project. I mentioned "no Al" as a stipulation when 1 asked for writers to take part in this, too! The authors in this collection have stand-out, unique voices and do not need a robot to generate poems for them. Authors featured in this collection are welcome to submit their daylight & tenfold orioles works for publication at other journals or for projects, collections, etc. that allow previously-published works. I just ask that this project be given credit for publishing your piece first. And I would love to hear from you if something you wrote for this project is published elsewhere! This being a one-of-a-kind project with much collaboration, there will not be any award nominations. I highly value the unique writings created for this project but also look at this effort being …
white square image with black text reads: Page 31 has everything or nothing more you needed to know about this collection. stuff like what fonts were used and the fact that AI is gross and how i created the cover art (front & back) and how these projects are always available free may not be a big deal to know. i personally think people should know where these projects stand! other good info here includes details for the authors in this collection should they wish to send their original piece elsewhere for publishing. i’m all for it! i will not be submitting any original writing for awards. i have good reasons as i feel this project has a lot of pieces and parts and people involved on a collaborative level. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 31: SPECIAL NOTES/PROBABLY TMI
tying up all the loose ends… wrapping up this collection with some final info!
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. links are underlined in blue. the first title of this section, PRAISE FOR DONATED WORDS POEM PROJECTS, is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. the second title heading, CONTACT DETAILS, is around the middle of the page in larger, bold font. text reads as follows: PRAISE FOR DONATED WORDS POEM PROJECTS daylight & tenfold orioles is one of several writing projects I have put together since 2018 that involves collaboration with many others! Hundreds of words have been gifted to me by hundreds of people to include in so many poems. Now, with this latest compilation, even more words have been included in writing by other authors! When I was working on TEAMWORDK in 2021, I asked if anyone would like to put together feedback in the form of a short quote or blurb about their participation in and readership of donated words poems. I received an abundance of responses! You can read all of these generous quotes in this supplementary document: https://tinyurl.com/donatedquotes This will remain a "living document" to which I will continue to add write-ups about our collaborative poetry projects! If you would like to share your experiences and thoughts on these poetry projects, you can connect with me through email and social media under CONTACT DETAILS below! So much gratitude to all who have provided me with lovely words and perspective! CONTACT DETAILS I do these collaborations on a whim sometimes and other times it is more structured. The best way to get in touch is through my social media and email. Instagram is my preferred social media app. Find me at instagram.com/midwesternskirt! I am also on Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/donatedwords.bsky.social You can email me at donatedwords@gmail.com if you like. Or just go to my website and click "Contact Me" kweberandherwords.com page number 30 is at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: the first part of Page 30 is where you can find a document i have been keeping the last few years. it includes quotes & blurbs people have written about their experiences with the donated words projects. i’d love to add more! DM if you’d like to share a few words (or more!) about your participation! the second part of Page 30 lists all the contact details you need if you’d like to reach out or follow on various social media platforms! get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthru!
PAGE 30: PRAISE FOR DONATED WORDS POEM PROJECTS & CONTACT DETAILS
blurbs & quotes by participants! like to add a few words about your experience? reach me via the CONTACT DETAILS… all listed on this page! NOTE: i don’t use DMs on bsky
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. links are underlined in blue. the title of this section, MORE DONATED WORDS PROJECT INFORMATION, is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text reads as follows: MORE DONATED WORDS PROJECT INFORMATION COLLECTIONS • daylight & tenfold orioles (2025) is the 8th donated words poetry (& more!) collection! All of the pricts in this ties ine alable sa fing a Ss alot the can re colla mustions also look for an update at kweberandherwords.com if/when that is made available. • A Sum of Our Poetic Parts: Vol. 3 (2024) • Free PDF: tinyurl.com/2024asoopp3 • SCREAMWORDK (2023) • Free PDF: tinyurl.com/screamwordk2023 • Reunion Fruit Synergy (2023) Free PDF: tinyurl.com/rfs2023 • A Sum of Our Poetic Parts: Vol. 2 (2023) • Free PDF: tinyurl.com/2023asoopp2 • A Sum of Our Poetic Parts: Vol. 1 (2022) • Free PDF & audio version: tinyurl.com/2022asoopp1 • TEAMWORDK (2021) • Free PDF & audio version: tinyurl.com/teamwordk2021 • This Assembly (2019). • Free PDF & audio version: tinyurl.com/thisassembly2019 PRESENTATION I was fortunate to give a presentation in July 2024 about collaborations in writing and other methods I use to play around with words. It covers some of the details of the 7 previous donated words collections! You can find it at tinyurl.com/kw2024nbp page number 29 is at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Page 29 has information on all of the free, online collections featuring donated words poems (& more!). there is mention of which collaborations have an audiobook version. a link to materials i presented on Zoom last year regarding writing collaboration and these projects is also available! get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 29: MORE DONATED WORDS PROJECT INFORMATION
info on all past donated words collaborations. you can also find a link to donated words/collab poetry presentation materials for a Zoom i did about this subject last year!
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of this section, THANK YOU, is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text is centered and reads as follows: THANK YOU Thank you so very much again to all who participated in the creation of the 18 works - 17 poems and 1 microfiction piece - that comprise this collection! A total of 17 authors were involved! 39 words were donated to these pieces by 37 people. 16 more words come from authors who participated in the addition of a challenge word. 55 words were contributed in total! Several people took part in more than one aspect of this compilation. Overall, 49 people made daylight & tenfold orioles happen! This has been a great group to have involved in the creation of such a satisfying project! This whole thing took a year and a few months to come together so I’d also like to express really big thanks for being patient with me as I really wanted to compile something special and not rush the process! I want to send and reiterate extra-special thanks to those 16 other authors who took on the task of writing a new poem or microfiction piece! Every single person who initially signed up to write for this was able to contribute. To have each of you involved from start to finish throughout the months has been very inspiring! I am so glad you trusted me with your words! Preston Danvers and Norb Aikin have been with me since almost day one with every zany writing experiment I put together and I hope they will continue along with me for the long haul! Melinda Farrar, Kim Mannix, Kiley Lee, Misty H, Millie H and Sara Matson are poets/artists/friends involved with daylight & tenfold orioles who have contributed to a vast majority of the donated words projects since we started and it makes me so happy to see their names take up so much real estate in my long-winded donated words data spreadsheet! As always, I’d like to shout sp…
white square image with black text reads: on page 28, i attempt to thank EVERYONE! from this project’s word donors and authors to all the people who have ever been involved with and/or supported these projects since 2018 to the people who have contributed the most or even once…you WILL be thanked!😊i also put out some statistics because a lot of people and written works and donated words (& more!) have been involved in the creation of these projects! in case i hadn’t mentioned it… THANK YOU!!! get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio link is in blue underlined text
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 28: THANK YOU
so much to be thankful for. here is where i thank everyone who has been a part of these collabs since 2018. i share some stats too!
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
@prestonspantry.bsky.social
@saramatson.bsky.social
Sarah O’Brien
@salvius23.bsky.social
@spookyspatters.bsky.social
@bythiswillalone.bsky.social
@tiffanysciacca.bsky.social
Julie Luepke
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social
@kileylee.bsky.social
@mishiepoet.bsky.social
@melissacuisine.bsky.social
@grousehollow.bsky.social
Millie H
Misty H
@opwriter.bsky.social
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of this section, AUTHOR BIOS is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text is as follows: AUTHOR BIOS Julie Luepke is a reader, poet, and composer who lives in the Midwestern US, at the meeting of two rivers. K Weber obtained her BA in Poetry from Miami University. Her words have been featured in publications such as Stone Circle Review, Exacting Clam, Writer’s Digest, Memoir Mixtapes, HNDL Magazine and more! Including daylight & tenfold orioles, K has self-published 12 free, PDF-based writing collections (some have audio versions with original soundscapes and K reading aloud). 8 of these are online projects featuring donated words (& more!) in collaboration with hundreds of people since 2018. Her publishing credits and online books are at kweberandherwords.com. She has recently been a featured guest on several episodes of the They’re Just Records podcast. Karen Steiger is a poet, fiction writer, and breast cancer survivor living in Schaumburg, Illinois, with her beloved husband, Matt, and two dogs, Horus and Lexi. Her work has been published in The Wells Street Journal, Arsenika, Black Bough Poetry, Ang(st), Perhappened, Kaleidotrope, Mineral Lit Mag, Rejection Letters, Versification, Sledgehammer Lit, Bombfire Lit, Lamp Lit, and others. Her debut collection, Clean Margins, is available through Kelsay Books and Amazon. Kiley Lee is a Pushcart-nominated poet and artist, with work in multiple publications and exhibitions across the United States. She lives in the Appalachian foothills with her family and loves staring at the clouds. For more information, including a list of current and previous publications, please visit: linktr.ee/kileylee A Pushcart Prize nominee, Marie Marchand is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, WA. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, Crannóg Magazine, Catamaran Li…
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of this section, “AUTHOR BIOS (cont’d)” is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text is as follows: AUTHOR BIOS (cont’d) Millie H (she/her) is a freshman in high school who loves music, playing the piano, her dog Monty, baking, and much more, which would take forever to name. She keeps herself busy with lots of activities, namely marching band, A Cappella Choir, and her school's engineering club. Misty H is an up-and-coming pentagenarian fueled by naps, Coca-Cola, and fiber crafts. She travels through space and time with Millie, her boundary-setting badass of a daughter, and Monty, the dog who doubles as comic relief and emotional support. Misty weaves a life of comfort, curiosity, and mischief. Oswald Perez, aka OP Writer is a writer and a poet from New York City known for the poetry book A Poetic Journey, Staying at Home. He had his set of poems, "An American Tourist In Italy," published in the 2020 edition of the literary anthology, Groundwaters. His second book of poems, The Dawn of A Poetic Summer was released in paperback in the summer of 2025. He was a 2025 writer-in-residence for the International Artists and Writers Residency at the Chateau d'Orquevaux, France. Preston Danvers (he/him) is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with an MA in English literature. He can be found on Instagram @prestonspantry talking about baking, poetry, and fairy tales. He has two chapbooks (RED ROVER, RED LOVER and JOAN:ARC), and his work appears in Fairy Tale Review, Tilde, and Perhappened, among others. Sara Matson (she/her) is a poet in Chicago and host of the seasonal online reading series, Words // Friends. Her microchap, Ardently, is part of the Ghost City Press Summer Series and available now. Find her on Instagram @skeletorsmom or Bluesky @saramatson.bsky.social Sarah O'Brien is a poet, painter, and comedian from W…
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of this section, “AUTHOR BIOS (cont’d)” is at the top center of the page in larger, bold font. text is as follows: AUTHOR BIOS (cont’d) Tiffany Sciacca works in Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Pidgeonholes, and Blink-Ink. When not writing microfiction, she loves to watch horror movies and haunt her local thrift stores. Will Davis is a native plant in their bluegrass and works as a nurse. They remain gleefully unemployable as a poem scribbler. Favorite side hustle: immutable fire escape. More scribbles @ByThisWillAlone. page number 27 is at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: all the bios for the 17 authors who created original pieces for this collection are on pages 25-27! you can return to previous posts to read each work as i walk-through DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES! thanks again to Julie Luepke, Karen Steiger, Kiley Lee, Marie Marchand, Melissa Flores Anderson, Michael Metivier, Millie H, Misty H, Oswald Perez, Preston Danvers, Sara Matson, Sarah O’Brien, Scott Nickell, Steph Patterson, Tiffany Sciacca, and Will Davis for joining me in writing new poems and microfiction for this unique collaboration! get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGES 25-27: AUTHOR BIOS
all the bios for the 17 authors who created original pieces for this collection! you can return to previous posts to read each work!
credit in thread!
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Twinkling,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Twinkling I siphon all the beauty I can from this evening at the ocean. Any shreds of goodness, I tuck away for rainy days— the kind words, head tilt the sun, the sun, the sun glinting on vanilla cream waves, a cool frothiness my toes can taste. I am a creature swimming in the deep womb of the universe. Though half-drowning, perpetually, I twinkle to the frequency of stars waiting to be born. Marie Marchand long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: siphon womb frequency and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to flavor" and the author’s word choice: vanilla page number 24 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: A Pushcart Prize nominee, Marie Marchand is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, WA. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, Crannóg Magazine, Catamaran Literary Reader, California Quarterly, and Tikkun Magazine. She is the author of Gifts to the Attentive (2022) and Mostly Sweet, Lovely, Human Things (2025). She is a graduate of Naropa University and The Iliff School of Theology where she studied psychology, religion, and peacemaking. Her two passions are poetry and mental health. She enjoys living on the sunny side of Washington with her two rescue min pins, Benny and Joon.
white square image with black text reads: Page 24 features the poem, “Twinkling” by Marie Marchand. Marie incorporated the following words into this piece: SIPHON donated by Genevieve DeGuzman WOMB donated by Kashiana Singh FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach word challenge: flavor word choice: vanilla i just realized thst this collection is bookended by poems featuring beaches! the final poem, “Twinkling,” offers us the look and sensation of nighttime at the ocean. reading this poem is like taking in one, big breath; basking in the good things offered in our surroundings. as we breathe out, we welcome these feelings to stay so that we can return to them in more difficult times. i love how Marie incorporated the flavor challenge which gave us “vanilla cream waves.” there is hope in this poem - we have a nightful of stars and the sounds of nature - even when we are in the toughest ruts.
white square image with black text reads: A Pushcart Prize nominee, Marie Marchand is the Inaugural Poet Laureate of Ellensburg, WA. Her poetry has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review, Crannóg Magazine, Catamaran Literary Reader, California Quarterly, and Tikkun Magazine. She is the author of Gifts to the Attentive (2022) and Mostly Sweet, Lovely, Human Things (2025). She is a graduate of Naropa University and The Iliff School of Theology where she studied psychology, religion, and peacemaking. Her two passions are poetry and mental health. She enjoys living on the sunny side of Washington with her two rescue min pins, Benny and Joon.
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 24: “Twinkling” by @mishiepoet.bsky.social
donated words
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON
Kashiana Singh WOMB
@elderflowersour.bsky.social FREQUENCY
word challenge: flavor
word choice: vanilla
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “desired outcome,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: desired outcome in its jacket, prolix and battered— a blossoming deified an ocean placed upside down and strung in playful disarray, almost a torrent, a babble reaching a symphonic corpse in its regards to light exposure the most jaded, left exposed wandering mostly in the bite of a brittle sun— the search in a chilled field leafing for apricity’s address through a prayer book & hymnal Will Davis long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: prolix symphonic apricity and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word that is a palindrome" and the author’s word choice: deified page number 23 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Will Davis is a native plant in their bluegrass and works as a nurse. They remain gleefully unemployable as a poem scribbler. Favorite side hustle: immutable fire escape. More scribbles @ByThisWillAlone.
white square image with black text reads: Page 23 features the poem, “desired outcome” by Will Davis. Will incorporated the following words into this piece: PROLIX donated by Meesh Montoya SYMPHONIC donated by Patrick Dorsey APRICITY donated by Marie Marchand word challenge: palindrome word choice: deified i really appreciate Will’s ability to use language and imagery in unexpected ways. the lines placed further to the right on the page read almost as their own poem. “desired outcome” echoes with a creative spotlight on each donated word and i love how the word “leafing” is used, how an ocean is upside -down, the quiet mystery and subtlety that exists if you let it. this poem, to me, could be about a corpse flower, a tribute, life and death. it lingers long after reading.
white square image with black text reads: Will Davis is a native plant in their bluegrass and works as a nurse. They remain gleefully unemployable as a poem scribbler. Favorite side hustle: immutable fire escape. More scribbles @ByThisWillAlone. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 23: “desired outcome” by @bythiswillalone.bsky.social
donated words
Meesh Montoya PROLIX
Patrick Dorsey SYMPHONIC
@mishiepoet.bsky.social APRICITY
word challenge: palindrome
word choice: deified
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
Big shoutout to the lovely and talented @midwesternskirt.bsky.social and her ongoing Donated Words projects!! Check out the whole shebang FREE on her website!! ##WritingCommunity #Poets #Poetry #Authors
01.12.2025 17:12 — 👍 5 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 1thank you so much, norb! i look forward to crossing paths with you in future collabs🧡 i love that your word was not just in 3 poems in the collection but also in one of the poem titles! your contributions to these projects mean so much!!!
02.12.2025 00:05 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the poem is centered on the page. poem text is as follows: A heartsick plea To the universe and all the deities For permission to seek out love Letting go of my hangups The shyness, the lack of self-belief A simultaneous, silent release To kindle the sparks needed Letting my heart roam free Maybe, I’ll find that person Whether it be another girl Or, embracing all of me This is my plea to the universe It’s time now, to set it free To see where in the world An opened heart and soul leads me Oswald Perez long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: heartsick permission simultaneous and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to heat" and the author’s word choice: kindle page number 22 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Oswald Perez, aka OP Writer is a writer and a poet from New York City known for the poetry book A Poetic Journey, Staying at Home. He had his set of poems, "An American Tourist In Italy," published in the 2020 edition of the literary anthology, Groundwaters. His second book of poems, The Dawn of A Poetic Summer was released in paperback in the summer of 2025. He was a 2025 writer-in-residence for the International Artists and Writers Residency at the Chateau d'Orquevaux, France.
![white square image with black text reads:
Page 22 features an untitled poem beginning with “A heartsick plea” by Oswald Perez. Oswald incorporated the following words into this piece:
HEARTSICK donated by K Weber
PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar
SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin
word challenge: heat word
word choice: kindle
today just happens to be Oswald’s birthday! happiest birthday wishes to you, friend! this is a poem for pining, reflecting, hoping and reassuring. love comes in many forms. but when the love we want most seems out of reach… do we keep searching or do we settle for the beauty that is the love of self and basic joys? the ideal might be to have all of these things, but it doesn’t hurt to send a wink and a nudge to the universe in hopes that we might find deeper and lasting connection with others. even though this is “[a] heartsick plea…” i think this poem is very much a heartfelt, heartwarming one as well!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tdrguiofeghtzasq6rpwyjbv/bafkreice5byh5e4dd3ngp3uk47uaivzqgxbvzkemo5ccnjco7pey3lv4gu@jpeg)
white square image with black text reads: Page 22 features an untitled poem beginning with “A heartsick plea” by Oswald Perez. Oswald incorporated the following words into this piece: HEARTSICK donated by K Weber PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin word challenge: heat word word choice: kindle today just happens to be Oswald’s birthday! happiest birthday wishes to you, friend! this is a poem for pining, reflecting, hoping and reassuring. love comes in many forms. but when the love we want most seems out of reach… do we keep searching or do we settle for the beauty that is the love of self and basic joys? the ideal might be to have all of these things, but it doesn’t hurt to send a wink and a nudge to the universe in hopes that we might find deeper and lasting connection with others. even though this is “[a] heartsick plea…” i think this poem is very much a heartfelt, heartwarming one as well!
white square image with black text reads: Oswald Perez, aka OP Writer is a writer and a poet from New York City known for the poetry book A Poetic Journey, Staying at Home. He had his set of poems, "An American Tourist In Italy," published in the 2020 edition of the literary anthology, Groundwaters. His second book of poems, The Dawn of A Poetic Summer was released in paperback in the summer of 2025. He was a 2025 writer-in-residence for the International Artists and Writers Residency at the Chateau d'Orquevaux, France. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 22: “A heartsick plea…” by @opwriter.bsky.social
donated words
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social HEARTSICK
Melinda Farrar PERMISSION
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
challenge: heat
word choice: kindle
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Song of the Seasons,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Song of the Seasons Blooms all around, bursting with life Wonders and miracles ever free of strife Growing and sprouting, soft to the touch Relaxing then done, claimed by the bunch The frequency of the buzz that the bees left behind Flying through the flowers with a goal in mind Warmth and pollen floating through the air Laughter and giggles flowing without a care Leaves on the ground, bare trees around Calm and collected, graced by the sound Of animals burrowing and migrating To homes where they can't be found Missing the seasons that you can't go back to Heartsick and frozen from the snow that surrounds you Gather near the hearth with people you love Staring through the window at the stars up above Millie H long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: miracle frequency heartsick and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to an animal" and the author’s word choice: burrowing page number 21 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Millie H (she/her) is a freshman in high school who loves music, playing the piano, her dog Monty, baking, and much more, which would take forever to name. She keeps herself busy with lots of activities, namely marching band, A Cappella Choir, and her school's engineering club.
white square image with black text reads: Page 21 features the poem “Song of the Seasons” by Millie H. Millie incorporated the following words into this piece: MIRACLE donated by Karen Steiger FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach HEARTSICK donated by K Weber word challenge: animal word word choice: burrowing “Song of the Seasons” is a wonderful, rhymed poem from a young writer who has been participating in the donated words projects since 2019! it’s a treasure to read these observant and thoughtful lines by Millie H! traversing the seasons with a keen eye, Millie gives us some of the best images and fondest memories throughout the year!
white square image with black text reads: Millie H (she/her) is a freshman in high school who loves music, playing the piano, her dog Monty, baking, and much more, which would take forever to name. She keeps herself busy with lots of activities, namely marching band, A Cappella Choir, and her school's engineering club. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 21: “Song of the Seasons” by Millie H
donated words
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social MIRACLE
Julia Beach FREQUENCY
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social HEARTSICK
word challenge: animal word
word choice: burrowing
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Keep the Change,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Keep the Change You and me were talking like static on the sea. – Hello June Some June tune carries the phasing out and in of every miracle season just following along the settled way of doing things Symphonic tones fill spaces and lines constantly pleading to only be understood— If only listening were the true intent Sensing frequency is a gift, kerfuffle simply means willfully adjusting the dial Kiley Lee long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: miracle symphony frequency kerfuffle and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a month of the year" and the author’s word choice: June page number 20 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Kiley Lee is a Pushcart-nominated poet and artist, with work in multiple publications and exhibitions across the United States. She lives in the Appalachian foothills with her family and loves staring at the clouds. For more information, including a list of current and previous publications, please visit: linktr.ee/kileylee
white square image with black text reads: Page 20 features the poem “Keep the Change” by Kiley Lee. Kiley incorporated the following words into this piece: MIRACLE donated by Karen Steiger SYMPHONIC donated by Patrick Dorsey FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach KERFUFFLE Elizabeth Fletcher word challenge: month word choice: June yes, you read that correctly: Kiley was assigned 4 donated words for this collection instead of 3! and Julia Beach’s “frequency” word contribution was used in 4 poems. how or why did this happen? well, mostly it’s because my brain works in very unusual ways. Kiley wrote an original poem for my first collab collection, THIS ASSEMBLY, in 2019. when she offered to write a poem for this project, i knew she could take on a bit of extra credit and i was so excited to see what she would create! this poem and Kiley’s participation through the years means so much! and even though it was chosen at random to be used a 4th time… i love that “frequency” was the most frequently implemented word in this book! check out Kiley’s debut book of poems, “looney birds blooming”🧡
white square image with black text reads: Kiley Lee is a Pushcart-nominated poet and artist, with work in multiple publications and exhibitions across the United States. She lives in the Appalachian foothills with her family and loves staring at the clouds. For more information, including a list of current and previous publications, please visit: linktr.ee/kileylee get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 20: “Keep the Change” by @kileylee.bsky.social
donated words
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social MIRACLE
Patrick Dorsey SYMPHONIC
Julia Beach FREQUENCY
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
word challenge: month
word choice: June
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. it is the first page of a poem. the title, “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body The windows of the body of the house watch as I approach the rotting threshold, They have watched me before as I howl at the moon, Pain floating across my body in a haze, This time I approach on human legs drawn inside like an inhale, The walls are raw and embracing me with bleeding arms, Whispering for me to continue into the belly of the halls, There, horned demons wreaking havoc, ripping insulation from the walls, Continuing on to the hall of mirrors, ghosts of who I’d been before reflected vanishing, one by one, when I go near, Their whispered words continuing through lips of vapor, An endless prolix chatter hisses in my ears telling me I cannot turn back, I feel like I’m being buried alive in ectoplasm, I claw my way back towards the front of the manor, To enter an unnecessarily opulent ballroom clad in spiderwebs and corpses, Undead dancers swirl out of tune Both time and space suspended, The dancers bump and fuse together, randomly creating masses of grotesque melded matter, Those masses follow my every movement, They will not leave me alone, There are no miracles here in this nightmare sentient house, page number 18 is in black text at bottom center of page
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. it is the second page of a poem “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body.” poem text is as follows: I cannot verify where my body ends and this house begins, We breathe as one, The odds are that I will stumble around the innards of this crumbling estate until the next full moon. Steph Patterson long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: prolix miracle verify and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to a game" and the author’s word choice: odds page number 19 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Steph Patterson (she/her) is a writer from Delaware with a love of horror and dark fantasy. She's a chronically ill ghoul that identifies as bi. When she's not conjuring strange tales, she devours books, tends to familiars, or connects with her coven. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Alien Buddha Press, Scavengers Literary Magazine, HNDL Magazine, The Morgue Literary Magazine, Suburban Witchcraft Magazine, and others. She lives with her family in their cozy home on the edge of the forest. You can find her on Instagram and Threads: @spookyspatters
white square image with black text reads: Pages 18-19 feature the poem “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body” by Steph Patterson. Steph incorporated the following words into this piece: PROLIX donated by Meesh Montoya MIRACLE donated by Karen Steiger VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix word challenge: game word word choice: odds reading this poem, you will step into the spooky corners and nervous hallways of life with chronic illness. there is no relief here, the rooms don’t have pretty or soft edges, and this house of the body offers no respite. as a chronically ill person myself, i appreciate this vantage point. often our conditions make us feel isolated and unsteady. online (and in-person!) we might present ourselves as “well” people so we don’t get left behind. then we might end up flared-up for days after trying to do something seemingly simple, social or physical. the truth is that having symptoms & diagnoses that are painful, exhausting and life-altering can be mortifying! and it’s ok to look at it through that lens!
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGES 18-19: “Entering the Haunted Manor of My Chronically Ill Body” by @spookyspatters.bsky.social
donated words
Meesh Montoya PROLIX
@karenmsteiger.bsky.social MIRACLE
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
challenge: game word = odds
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Cnut,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Cnut The tide is out of joint; though once the flood would warm and feed the pools where urchins crawl, the ebb now leaves a bruise of brackish mud, the stench of fish or kings hangs over all. This unwound frequency of spring and neap desiccates the nurseries of love. Too many are content to bask and sleep, heedless of the heat of hate above. Those who slumber dream themselves exempt, exonerated from the headsman's axe. But those who wither in the sun's contempt, tied to the tides, can verify these facts: The years of drought deliver shriveled knives unless we heal our dehydrated lives. Scott Nickell long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: tide frequency verify and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to scent" and the author’s word choice: stench page number 17 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Scott Nickell (he/him) lives in Watertown, Wisconsin. Working in software quality engineering and technical support, he spends his free time at home with several furry animals. His work has previously appeared at abyssapexzine.com and in Lester Smith's series of Halloween anthologies from Popcorn Press.
white square image with black text reads: Page 17 features the poem “Cnut” by Scott Nickell. Scott incorporated the following words into this piece: TIDE donated by Kris Lindbeck FREQUENCY donated by Julia Beach VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix word challenge: scent word choice: stench hooray for a sonnet! this form pairs so nicely with some historical storytelling related to an 11th-century king… or is it really about an 11th-century king? i must applaud Scott for that title… Cnut… it is a form of the name Canute (the aforementioned king) but it could be a nod to certain misspelling of a word most would not dare utter or type. the poem—with its lilting, musical form—presents a clever lyric but also a very heavy metaphor! something about how kings are not gods perhaps?
white square image with black text reads: Scott Nickell (he/him) lives in Watertown, Wisconsin. Working in software quality engineering and technical support, he spends his free time at home with several furry animals. His work has previously appeared at abyssapexzine.com and in Lester Smith's series of Halloween anthologies from Popcorn Press.
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 17: “Cnut” by @salvius23.bsky.social
donated words
@krislindbeck.bsky.social TIDE
Julia Beach FREQUENCY
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
word challenge: scent word
word choice: stench
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Sheltered,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Sheltered Beyond the hill the shed sits drab. Tilted to sun- up, the rough roof wears worn sandpaper. No garnet. This less-gem was once gun-struck. Saw gardens in full green dotted with daisies, tomato orange and wilted peppers and smelled dead dog under the dirt lump. Basked in February’s apricity that baked and cooled old wood until bowed, swollen, eased again, then splintered. Youth climbed out of the lea’s womb onto the eyes of it; seated upon great panes. Masts, swells and monsters floated the grassier seas of spring. The mission was no permission and true dare: jumped and hid the spoiled apples of kneecaps scraped by scraps in escape from the family’s branch. K Weber long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: apricity womb permission and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to cold" and the author’s word choice: cooled page number 16 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: K Weber obtained her BA in Poetry from Miami University. Her words have been featured in publications such as Stone Circle Review, Exacting Clam, Writer's Digest, Memoir Mixtapes, HNDL Magazine and more! Including daylight & tenfold orioles, K has self-published 12 free, PDF-based writing collections (some have audio versions with original soundscapes and K reading aloud). 8 of these are online projects featuring donated words (& more!) in collaboration with hundreds of people since 2018. Her publishing credits and online books are at kweberandherwords.com. She has recently been a featured guest on several episodes of the They're Just Records podcast.
white square image with black text reads: Page 16 features the poem “Sheltered” by K Weber. I guess that’s me! I incorporated the following words into this piece: APRICITY donated by Marie Marchand WOMB donated by Kashiana Singh PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar word challenge: cold word word choice: cooled sheds were so mysterious to me as a child. we were told not to go inside for fear of getting hurt by the contents within. but outside, we played all around, and sometimes on top of, these little unsteady buildings. this isn’t the first poem i have written about a shed on my grandparents’ property! they had 3 sheds total and each was a little more dilapidated than the other! i breached 2 of them but only got a quick peek. trying to write a poem about foggy memories is interesting because some of the fiction feels pretty real. and play as a child lets the imagination pulse so vividly. i was always storytelling myself. some of the unreal has become half-truth in my poetry. thank goodness for poetry to encapsulate some of that good stuff.
white square image with black text reads: K Weber obtained her BA in Poetry from Miami University. Her words have been featured in publications such as Stone Circle Review, Exacting Clam, Writer's Digest, Memoir Mixtapes, HNDL Magazine and more! Including daylight & tenfold orioles, K has self-published 12 free, PDF-based writing collections (some have audio versions with original soundscapes and K reading aloud). 8 of these are online projects featuring donated words (& more!) in collaboration with hundreds of people since 2018. Her publishing credits and online books are at kweberandherwords.com. She has recently been a featured guest on several episodes of the They're Just Records podcast. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 16: “Sheltered” by @midwesternskirt.bsky.social
donated words
@mishiepoet.bsky.social APRICITY
Kashiana Singh WOMB
Melinda Farrar PERMISSION
word challenge: cold word
word choice: cooled
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
Feels right that my donated word (kerfuffle) was woven into a melancholy-tinged poem as part of the @donatedwords.bsky.social project
21.11.2025 14:21 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 1 📌 0thank you elizabeth! your word was featured in one microfiction piece & 2 poems in this collection! such a fun word & it’s been rewarding to see where these donated words landed! stay tuned next week for another poem that incorporated “kerfuffle”🧡 such a fun word!!!
21.11.2025 15:32 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Tapestry of the Living,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Tapestry of the Living I will no longer weave my days on the loom of loss. No more warps of memory, no more wefts of sorrow. Gossamer threads— delicate to the eye, heavy as lead to the heart— I set them down. No one can verify love by circling dates in ink. Grief is not proof of devotion; living is not betrayal. I honor the gone by laying aside muted threads, and weaving now with brighter hues: my child’s hums, her songs like sunlight, her laughter the bright strand that carries my shuttle forward. Line by line. Color by color. The rhythm is life. The cadence is breath. Let there be no kerfuffle over how I remember. Trust that I do. If I must walk back through the shadow, I will ask. Until then— I choose the vibrant strands, the living threads, the tapestry still on the loom. Misty H long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: gossamer verify kerfuffle and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to music" and the author’s word choice: rhythm page number 15 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Misty H is an up-and-coming pentagenarian fueled by naps, Coca-Cola, and fiber crafts. She travels through space and time with Millie, her boundary-setting badass of a daughter, and Monty, the dog who doubles as comic relief and emotional support. Misty weaves a life of comfort, curiosity, and mischief.
white square image with black text reads: Page 15 features the poem “Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H. Misty incorporated the following words into this piece: GOSSAMER donated by Linda Crate VERIFY donated by Kim Mannix KERFUFFLE donated by Elizabeth Fletcher word challenge: music word word choice: rhythm i love the metaphor of the loom and weaving as a symbol for continuing to be present in life and gathering positives. it seems so easy to just stop or give up when things hit or hurt the most. but what makes life so special are all the little and big moments we accumulate and carry with us. this poem reminds me of those year-around blankets people knit or crochet where each row is a color that corresponds to how a person felt that day or the weather/temperature. we don’t let the bad or sad engulf us entirely: we take those experiences, learn from them and press on. i love how personal the poem feels while being accessible to most peoples’ lived experiences.
white square image with black text reads: Misty H is an up-and-coming pentagenarian fueled by naps, Coca-Cola, and fiber crafts. She travels through space and time with Millie, her boundary-setting badass of a daughter, and Monty, the dog who doubles as comic relief and emotional support. Misty weaves a life of comfort, curiosity, and mischief. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 15: “Tapestry of the Living” by Misty H
donated words
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
@kimmannix.bsky.social VERIFY
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
word challenge: music word
word choice: rhythm
PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Shadowcast,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Shadowcast Siphon the heat of the day Into the palm of your hand Close your fingers around the warmth Press it to my skin To ward off the desert dip down The glow once stayed through the night But now fades before dawn returns And I shiver in the gray, gleaning The sun rises across the foothills Casts symphonic shadows Across the plaster that holds the walls intact Hollow inside, termites eating through the studs A sluggish harbinger of destruction It is not us entangled Just the outline of empty bedsheets Miniature dunes of dust along the baseboards Melissa Flores Anderson long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: siphon symphonic harbinger and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to light" and the author’s word choice: dawn page number 14 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Melissa Flores Anderson's work has been featured in more than 40 literary venues and anthologies, including swamp pink, Chapter House and HAD. Her flash "Nesting Doll" has been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Best Small Fictions Anthology. She is the EIC of the Broken Hearts Gallery Literary, an Instagram project that features photos and micro stories (@brokenheartsliterary) and a reader/editor with Roi Fainéant Press. Her first full-length short story collection All and Then None of You is out now (Cowboy Jamboree). Follow her on Twitter/Bluesky @melissacuisine or IG/Threads @theirishmonths. Read her work at melissafloresandersonwrites.com
white square image with black text reads: Page 14 features the poem "Shadowcast" by Melissa Flores Anderson. Melissa incorporated the following words into this piece: SIPHON donated by Genevieve DeGuzman SYMPHONIC donated by Patrick Dorsey HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley word challenge: light word word choice: dawn "Shadowcast" has such fresh imagery. there's much warmth throughout and the landscapes and surroundings are rich with abundant detail. there is also a sense of safety and beauty and illumination in many forms. then, the poem takes a turn and not just in tone. sudden, surprising moments reflect a coolness in temperature and emotion. the poem becomes a meditation on opposites. that final image of "dunes of dust" is so striking. it takes us a long way from the glow and welcome heat that was introduced at the beginning.
white square image with black text reads: Melissa Flores Anderson's work has been featured in more than 40 literary venues and anthologies, including swamp pink, Chapter House and HAD. Her flash "Nesting Doll" has been selected for inclusion in the 2025 Best Small Fictions Anthology. She is the EIC of the Broken Hearts Gallery Literary, an Instagram project that features photos and micro stories (@brokenheartsliterary) and a reader/editor with Roi Fainéant Press. Her first full-length short story collection All and Then None of You is out now (Cowboy Jamboree). Follow her on Twitter/Bluesky @melissacuisine or IG/Threads @theirishmonths. Read her work at melissafloresandersonwrites.com get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 14: “Shadowcast” by @melissacuisine.bsky.social
donated words
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON
Patrick Dorsey SYMPHONIC
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER
word challenge: light word
word choice: dawn
free PDF collection: tinyurl.com/2025daylight
thanks for being a part of another collab! 3 poems that include your word donation were written for this collection!🧡
20.11.2025 02:44 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Absorption,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Absorption We thought we were pretty special here, til the Earth was swallowed by a giant floating space amoeba. It loomed, translucent and pearlescent, pink and amorphous in the sky above. The tides lurched drunkenly from coast to coast; simultaneously an eerie wind raged. We all felt a pressure change deep in our chests, and a sick certainty deep in our souls. It extended itself and engulfed us, and all the fifth graders told us this was called phagocytosis. There had been no omen or harbinger of this calamity. Everyone was preoccupied with matters terrestrial, except for one scientist in Peru who had been trying to raise the alarm for 15 years, but no one listened to her then, and no one listened now. The president was sure mad about it. The alien that had conquered our world was some enormous single-celled, brainless organism. It could not be bargained with or threatened. It wanted no money, glory, weapons, or power. It swallowed us whole and kept moving through the galaxy. Instant planetary defeat, very hard on the morale. The good news is that it also devoured our sun, moon, and the rest of our solar system. And relative to us, everything is pretty much where it had been before. The air now has a kind of a murky rosy glow, like a permanent sunset, which has devalued the poetry of sunsets, but it could be worse. If we’re being digested, it will probably take a very long time. So we still have to go to work. We still have to figure out what’s for dinner and pay for things with money. We still have to see political ads and ingest microplastics and watch our carbs. Of course, some people have made a cult of it. Be one with Mother Amoeba, they tell us. Like we have any fucking choice. …
white square image with black text reads: Karen Steiger is a poet, fiction writer, and breast cancer survivor living in Schaumburg, Illinois, with her beloved husband, Matt, and two dogs, Horus and Lexi. Her work has been published in The Wells Street Journal, Arsenika, Black Bough Poetry, Ang(st), Perhappened, Kaleidotrope, Mineral Lit Mag, Rejection Letters, Versification, Sledgehammer Lit, Bombfire Lit, Lamp Lit, and others. Her debut collection, Clean Margins, is available through Kelsay Books and Amazon.
white square image with black text reads: Page 13 features the poem “Absorption” by Karen Steiger. Karen incorporated the following words into this piece: TIDE donated by Kris Lindbeck SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley word challenge: scientific term word choice: phagocytosis if you never considered the possibility of the universe being swallowed whole (or even if you have!), “Absorption” by Karen Steiger is a must-read. combining science-fiction with tell-it-like-it-is, relatable narration, Karen’s poem slowly takes the reader right into the figurative belly of the whale. as the world as we know it is being digested by something peculiar, our humdrum days move on… we still must show up for work… we still must make small talk. i really get a sense of major apathy for the situation throughout this poem. it’s eerily similar to how a lot of weird or bad things happen in this world and days just keep rolling along as though business is as usual.
white square image with black text reads: Karen Steiger is a poet, fiction writer, and breast cancer survivor living in Schaumburg, Illinois, with her beloved husband, Matt, and two dogs, Horus and Lexi. Her work has been published in The Wells Street Journal, Arsenika, Black Bough Poetry, Ang(st), Perhappened, Kaleidotrope, Mineral Lit Mag, Rejection Letters, Versification, Sledgehammer Lit, Bombfire Lit, Lamp Lit, and others. Her debut collection, Clean Margins, is available through Kelsay Books and Amazon. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 13: “Absorption” by @karenmsteiger.bsky.social
donated words
@krislindbeck.bsky.social TIDE
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER
word challenge: scientific term
word choice: phagocytosis
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. untitled poem is in the center of the page with text as follows: She's heartsick And doesn't know why. In her womb She bears The harbinger Of future doom. Julie Luepke long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: heartsick womb harbinger and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. page number 12 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Julie Luepke is a reader, poet, and composer who lives in the Midwestern US, at the meeting of two rivers.
white square image with black text reads: Page 12 features an untitled poem by Julie Luepke. Julie incorporated the following donated words into this piece: HEARTSICK donated by K Weber WOMB donated by Kashiana Singh HARBINGER donated by Madeleine Corley it amazes me when a poem packs a memorable feeling, moment, or emotion in just a few short lines. the donated words are used so succinctly and punctuate every beat of the poem so very well. the "future doom" ending is such an unexpected and terrifying reveal! Julie Luepke is a reader, poet, and composer who lives in the Midwestern US, at the meeting of two rivers. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 12: an untitled poem by Julie Luepke
donated words from:
@midwesternskirt.bsky.social HEARTSICK
Kashiana Singh WOMB
@madelinksi.bsky.social HARBINGER
full PDF collection:
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Buoyant / Flamboyant,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Buoyant / Flamboyant after Maud Lavin's Mermaids and Lazy Activists: A Lake Michigan Tale This morning, the storm passed, and a rainbow stretched over Lake Michigan like Chicago's somehow-gayer aurora borealis, scarlet and violet temporarily covering mucus-colored algae. Daylight was gossamer under the veil of apricity / at any moment we might freeze every inhibition like the rocks we skipped, dipping in time until some wayward mermaid shimmies to the surface, grins at a technicolor sky never seen before, and decides to write in tender splashes a resignation to the indigo that's buried her. Preston Danvers long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: daylight gossamer apricity and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to a hobby" and the author’s word choice: write page number 11 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Preston Danvers (he/him) is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with an MA in English literature. He can be found on Instagram @prestonspantry talking about baking, poetry, and fairy tales. He has two chapbooks (RED ROVER, RED LOVER and JOAN:ARC), and his work appears in Fairy Tale Review, Tilde, and Perhappened, among others.
white square image with black text reads: Page 11 features the poem "Buoyant / Flamboyant" by Preston Danvers. Preston incorporated the following donated words into his poem: DAYLIGHT donated by Oswald Perez GOSSAMER donated by Linda M. Crate APRICITY donated by Marie Marchand word challenge: use a word related to a hobby word choice: write this is a poem where you really get to revel in color! it is an "after" poem, but it never feels like you can only relate or regale in its watery, dazzling shine if you have read the writing that inspired it. BUT i must say that reading this poem has made me curious to read the words by Maud Lavin that came before! Preston has been a long-time contributor to the donated words poetry projects the last 7 years. his work gets better and better. the mermaid imagery, even in its fleeting moment on the page, nods to a forever... after.
white square image with black text reads: Preston Danvers (he/him) is a Pushcart Prize-nominated poet with an MA in English literature. He can be found on Instagram @prestonspantry talking about baking, poetry, and fairy tales. He has two chapbooks (RED ROVER, RED LOVER and JOAN:ARC), and his work appears in Fairy Tale Review, Tilde, and Perhappened, among others. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 11: "Buoyant / Flamboyant” by @prestonspantry.bsky.social
donated words
@opwriter.bsky.social DAYLIGHT
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
@mishiepoet.bsky.social APRICITY
word challenge: hobby word
word choice: write
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a microfiction piece, “Forever the regent of my heart,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Forever the regent of my heart There is a kerfuffle in the garden, the hummingbird chirps inside the Monarda. There is something digging in the soil, the back of a hoe hitting rocks and clay, digging further than needed, searching for something no longer there. To make purpose of this daylight, unseen for 23 years. A shift, pale blue, tiny red roses, drags across soil. She hums, content in movement, at times standing still, hand on hip, taking in, taking in, my little plot of land. Dad would never believe of course, but maybe he'd forgotten when I first put the Monarda in the soil, the way I felt her in the roots, in the stalk, and stem. How the red beat in my hands, beat in the air. Of course, that was last year. But who are we to say when our ghosts will visit? In the movies, it happens in a blink. They come when needed, when missed, sometimes, they come when they come. But Maggie comes as she can, mostly when I'm asleep, or the house still, because she's only checking in, the visits, peace above the stillness, if you know, you know, Tiffany Sciacca long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: regent kerfuffle daylight and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word related to sound" and the author’s word choice: chirps page number 10 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Tiffany Sciacca works in Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Pidgeonholes, and Blink-Ink. When not writing microfiction, she loves to watch horror movies and haunt her local thrift stores.
white square image with black text reads: Page 10 features the microfiction piece “Forever the regent of my heart” by Tiffany Sciacca. Tiffany incorporated the following donated words: REGENT donated by m klein KERFUFFLE donated by Elizabeth Fletcher DAYLIGHT donated by Oswald Perez word challenge: use a word related to sound word choice: chirps i am so pleased to have our very first donated words microfiction in this collection! Tiffany was one of the first people i met on “poetry twitter” in 2018 and i have enjoyed her writing, insight, collaboration and camaraderie so much through the years! in this piece, planting and being rooted while growing are juxtaposed with visits from the ghost of a loved one whose presence is made known. the hummingbirds, the extreme red color of beebalm, the pulsing of life despite death… these are just a few memorable images that stayed with me after reading “Forever the regent of my heart.”
white square image with black text reads: Tiffany Sciacca works in Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Pidgeonholes, and Blink-Ink. When not writing microfiction, she loves to watch horror movies and haunt her local thrift stores. get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 10: "Forever the regent of my heart” by @tiffanysciacca.bsky.social
donated words
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
@esfletcher.bsky.social KERFUFFLE
@opwriter.bsky.social DAYLIGHT
word challenge: sound
word choice: chirps
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Birthday Wish,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Birthday Wish Orange gossamer curtains adorn the window. Another day unfolds like a love note. The man biking by precariously asks the time. The girl walks her gray pitbull as he sniffs the ground. My boyfriend ambles to the gas station next door. Permission to break down, on the brink of revolution? God wanted me to form a diamond from dust. I cut strawberries for my daughter’s snack. My baby sleeps the morning away, her tiny body Curled like a lima bean in the corner of her crib. There is no regent for today, happening to me In this most specific manner: a yawn from Trinity, A sip of water, a ghost, an exchange about the mundane. I want to be human again, and again. I want this searing pain if there’s that melody playing. I dreamt I died in an abduction, then a break-in, then a fall. I wish on a candle as if it’s my birthday: I’m not dead. I can evolve, erupt, enjoy. I can kiss my karma. The scent of lemon brings me back to here and now. If nothing else, remember me for my good heart. Sarah O’Brien long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: gossamer permission regent and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a shape" and the author’s word choices: unfolds, form, diamond & curled page number 9 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Sarah O'Brien is a poet, painter, and comedian from Woburn, Massachusetts, now living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She published two books of poetry: Shapeshifter and Lover Sar. She also authored six chapbooks. She is working on a debut novel called Twin Flames. She loves her daughter Trinity even more than sunsets and chocolate. Follow her @fluent_saracasm on social media to learn more.
![white square image with black text reads:
Page 9 features the poem “Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien. Sarah incorporated the following donated words into her poem:
GOSSAMER donated by Linda M. Crate
PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar
REGENT donated by m klein
word challenge: use a word that is related to shape
word choice: unfolds, firm, diamond, curled…
“Birthday Wish” is peppered with vivid imagery that shows how one can stop to notice the simple joys while also looking at some of the bigger questions in life. Life often hands us difficult or challenging situations and we do our best to power through and make things look easy or beautiful within our means. Sarah really took on the shape word challenge so well in the midst of tackling the aforementioned details, too… you’ll find her daughter “[c]urled like a lima bean in the corner of her crib” after a mention of how “God wanted [the narrator] to form a diamond from dust.” Really great words here!](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:tdrguiofeghtzasq6rpwyjbv/bafkreiahckcse7bpz7oo6alrkur2l4g6t4l75zrcyl3rqxcg5nmy6kxk6u@jpeg)
white square image with black text reads: Page 9 features the poem “Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien. Sarah incorporated the following donated words into her poem: GOSSAMER donated by Linda M. Crate PERMISSION donated by Melinda Farrar REGENT donated by m klein word challenge: use a word that is related to shape word choice: unfolds, firm, diamond, curled… “Birthday Wish” is peppered with vivid imagery that shows how one can stop to notice the simple joys while also looking at some of the bigger questions in life. Life often hands us difficult or challenging situations and we do our best to power through and make things look easy or beautiful within our means. Sarah really took on the shape word challenge so well in the midst of tackling the aforementioned details, too… you’ll find her daughter “[c]urled like a lima bean in the corner of her crib” after a mention of how “God wanted [the narrator] to form a diamond from dust.” Really great words here!
white square image with black text reads: Sarah O’Brien is a poet, painter, and comedian from Woburn, Massachusetts, now living in Lincoln, Nebraska. She published two books of poetry: Shapeshifter and Lover Sar. She also authored six chapbooks. She is working on a debut novel called Twin Flames. She loves her daughter Trinity even more than sunsets and chocolate. Follow her @fluent_saracasm on social media to learn more. get the full PDF of DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES here (free!): tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 9: "Birthday Wish” by Sarah O’Brien
donated words
@authorlindamcrate.bsky.social GOSSAMER
Melinda Farrar PERMISSION
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
word challenge: shape word
word choice: diamond (& more!)
full PDF (free!)
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
square image with black background and black border. a digital book page is at the center. the page is white with black text. the title of a poem, “Simultaneous Fields,” is at the top left of the page. poem text is as follows: Simultaneous Fields for Sadie It’s good to be with you, listening to the simultaneous fields— the warbler-filled meadow that yields alder saplings and milkweed glistening on May mornings, and the back forty of the old prison now dotted with nest boxes where swallows invest flies and winged ants from sortie after sortie. And between them the road with lines for the kestrel to perch like a regent, surveying the birch thicket the wind maybe sowed the year I was born. What does this age mean in your eleventh year, I wonder, which has yielded fear for my part—Thomas’s rage notwithstanding—since my own dad flew the world: time, grief-filigreed, dreaded siphon. But today I read in purple ink on your yellow legal pad: scarlet, indigo, black-throated blue, the colors that start and end our days, and the sorrow subsides. It will always be good to be with you. Michael Metivier long rectangular box, longer horizontally, is at the bottom of the page. has a black border and white background. black text reads the donated words author used: simultaneous regent siphon and then a blue underlined jump link to the donated words list. then the name of the challenge “include a word that is the opposite of one of the words suppliedl” and the author’s word choice: filled page number 8 is in black text at bottom center of page
white square image with black text reads: Michael Metivier (he/him) is a poet and editor from Vermont. He is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster and his website is michaelmetivier.com
white square image with black text reads: Page 8 features the poem "Simultaneous Fields" by Michael Metivier. Michael incorporated the following donated words into his poem: SIMULTANEOUS donated by Norb Aikin REGENT donated by m klein SIPHON donated by Genevieve DeGuzman word challenge: use a word that is the opposite of an assigned word word choice: filled "Simultaneous Fields" covers so much beautiful ground. there is magic in small moments witnessed. the reverence in the identification of birds, trees, bugs and landscapes shared among loved ones is so special. within these lines we are so fortunate to witness grief turn from searing pain to a cooler balm. the bliss of finding a small echo of yourself in someone else as an overall theme is pure sweetness.
white square image with black text reads: Michael Metivier (he/him) is a poet and editor from Vermont. He is a lexicographer at Merriam-Webster and his website is michaelmetivier.com get the free PDF here: tinyurl.com/2025daylight or via the link in my bio
DAYLIGHT & TENFOLD ORIOLES walkthrough!
PAGE 8: "Simultaneous Fields” by @grousehollow.bsky.social
donated words
@norbaikin.bsky.social SIMULTANEOUS
@stonespiral.bsky.social REGENT
@gendeguzman.bsky.social SIPHON
challenge: opposite of assigned word
choice: filled
tinyurl.com/2025daylight
