
Marion’s prompt guidelines
Inspired by the image of a field of sunflowers in the poem “Fields Will Nod” (above), we turn our gaze outward—to scapes. Your scape might be a landscape, seascape, cityscape, dreamscape—any view that stirs something in you.
It could be drawn from memory or daily life, from a photograph or a painting, from what still stands or what’s long gone.
Write in any form that helps you say what you need to say. Somewhere in your piece, be sure to include the word scape.
Lastingscape
A beautiful cityscape beyond a sprawling landscape
Buildings reach into the sky while clouds hug the hills
Serene and quiet, the hills hiding the noise of the city
Green camouflages the greys of the metropolis
Which came first, the hills or the skyscrapers?
Which will last, the city streets or fields and trees?
©2025 CBialczak

hi, Christine 💕
Just wanna let you know that this week’s W3, hosted by our brilliant Ben Tonkin, is now live:
https://skepticskaddish.com/2025/07/16/w3-prompt-168-weave-written-weekly/
Enjoy❣️
Much love,
David
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Thanks for the reminder. Seems I forgot a lot today and now that my son’s absence is on my mind this will be good to keep my mind from crumbling.
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🤗 🤗 🤗 🤗 🤗
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Every day is a battle against jungle invasion for me. I know which one will last.
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I was happily surprised when my husband got a letter a week or so ago from some organization, I’m not even really sure who, but it was to notify him that a tree was being planted for his father who passed last year. If we did that each time someone died we’d get some of our world back.
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China’s doing a pretty good job of planting trees in their effort to stop the encroaching deserts there.
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That’s smart really smart
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Good question. I enjoyed the contrast of the different scapes.
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Its not too far from reality
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Christine, your closing question—“Which will last, the city streets or fields and trees?”—feels especially resonant to me. It quietly challenges our assumptions about permanence and progress.
~David
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You know around where we live now every time you drive through the more “quiet” parts of towns, there are continuously condos being put up in abundance. There is nothing green in this part of Florida anymore. Last week I went to visit an old student of mine who lives south of me in Bonita Springs and I texted my David to tell him that that was the old Florida…Palm trees, walkways, low one story buildings…It was really pretty. But now around us its beginning to be nothing but buildings.
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Those questions persist – even as forests fall to mankind’s “progress” and yet the cities are falling into ruin and the weeds are taking over the unused parking lots!
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It is absolutely amazing that David and I have been house hunting and there are SOOOOOOOO many houses sitting empty. Some of the ones that are reasonably priced are priced that way because they are on main roads or in “bad” neighborhoods. I saw a house last night that I loved. When you look at the street view its awful. I don’t want to live there…
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When my sons were house hunting Son#1 fell in love with a house – it was VERY cheap not because the house was in bad shape (it was immaculate and so well appointed) but there were many abandoned homes and derelict properties. The city had just started the 1000 homes in 1000 days initiative (thanks Mayor Pete) where the owners were required to either fix the houses or the city would bulldoze them and charge the property owners. Amazingly several houses were brought up to code. Now that neighborhood looks good! Too bad they passed on that property.
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I want Mayor Pete for President!
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Me too! He is well spoken, smarter than he needs to be for politics, has a good grasp of foreign policy, and would I’m pretty sure do a great job!
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I was voting for Mayor Pete from the first debate!!!!
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I have a Pete for President hair scrunchy that I want to wear again!!
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Well, if he runs again I’ll get one too!
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I can only hope he does!
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we just terminated our second contract and we are out about $7K with all the inspections, due diligence (which we didn’t have to pay, but our realtor said we did). Anyways, if we have to but $30K into a house I’d rather it be a house that costs $270,000 rather than $375,000
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I know. Son#1 is in the house they bought 12 yrs ago for $48,000. The current price on Zillow says $120,000! He’d sell it but then he’d have no where to live as he can’t get a house better than what he has for what would be his half of the money… Sad but true. I’m guessing he’ll be in that house forever!!
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We just contacted a new realtor and are heading to look at a house Sunday! OMG this place is a blast from the past but the realtor went and said it has good bones and seems to be in pristine condition for its age. It was built in the 60’s maybe. Totally funky but we fell in love with it and when the realtor called today to tell us that it is not a complete dump we decided to go look at it!
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Good luck! I hope it is a beauty and with a little paint and new carpets will be perfect for you!
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So we love the house! We put an offer in and they accepted. We spent a ton of time there and the previous owner disclosed everything so we aren’t doing a formal inspection on this one. This one is on a regular block foundation, completely all above ground so you can see the sill plate of the house. No plants around the house. No water damage…The guy built most of it himself! It has this curvy long staircase in the entry. It is beautiful! We found that after the last two houses and going through inspections on those, we know what to look for and nothing was hidden. We will need a new roof within a year but the price was good!
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That sounds wonderful!! I love an elegant staircase!! I hope you have a quick and happy closing day!!
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So interesting how you turn the popular conception of city versus countryside on its head in the first line. Beauty versus sprawl. Then you turn it back on its head again with the hills’ serenity versus the city’s noise, their green versus city’s grey. What a frightening thought that one day mankind won’t remember which came first. I love this thought-provoking poem.
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Thank you. It brings me back to being a kid and watching the jetsons.
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Oh my goodness – yes, I remember watching that!
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A lovely poem Christine
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That last line/question is so powerful! If we’re not careful, nothing will last.
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I think there are too many people who don’t care that it won’t matter in the long run.
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I vote for the hills and the trees! Beautiful vey.
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thank you
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Cheryl I love this free-verse, the opening – vast nature meets human creation, and ending with the questions, gently shifts the tone from descriptive to reflective💕
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I love the contrast in your poem.
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Isn’t that seem like our world now? One or the other. Thanks for reading
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Very true.
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