Belle Went to a Burger Joint

‘Twas midday at the burger joint 
she sauntered in with flair
dressed in a tattered yellow gown
her entrance, well, it caused a stir

the kid behind the register 
pretended not to see her
the patrons grumbled at the sight
when someone called the manager

“how can we help you ma’am?” he said
onlookers watched, aghast
“send her away, you know she can’t pay!”
but the manager held fast

“Ignore the menu overhead,
ma’am, this is just for you.”
She smiled at him, a toothless grin,
as he filled a tray with food

I present to you, sandwich au beouf 
with a savory side of frites
for dessert I give you tarte aux pommes
and a beverage bubbly sweet

her eyes grew wide in disbelief
“But sir, I cannot pay…”
the manager kindly reassured,
“You are our guest today.”

~kat

Well, that’s a wrap. NaPoWriMo 2024 has come to an end! It’s been a challenge, but one I have thoroughly enjoyed.

I chose Belle from Beauty and the Beast as my inspiration for today’s prompt. See below.

NaPoWriMo 2024 Day 30 Challenge: write a poem in which the speaker is identified with, or compared to, a character from myth or legend, as in  Claire Scott’s poem “Scheherazade at the Doctor’s Office.”

mercurial 
(a trip to market gone horribly wrong!)

how swiftly casual conversation may
turn ugly in these troubling times
a simple “hi, how are you” may devolve
into a hateful, caustic diatribe

“I’m awful, things are terrible, right now
you know exactly what I mean!”
I regret I even asked, backing away
trying, but failing, to make a scene

it’s too late once the switch is flipped
their anger bursts into an ugly rage
I smile, say “I’m sorry” while turning 
cautiously, I try to get away

regretfully, I failed to see his MAGA hat
before exchanging pleasantries 
this is a dog you should never poke 
don’t smile, avoid eye contact, let them be!

~kat

NaPoWriMo 2024 Day 29 Challenge: And now for our optional prompt. If you’ve been paying attention to pop-music news over the past couple of weeks, you may know that Taylor Swift has released a new double album titled “The Tortured Poets Department.” In recognition of this occasion, Merriam-Webster put together a list of ten words from Taylor Swift songs. We hope you don’t find this too torturous yourself, but we’d like to challenge you to select one these words, and write a poem that uses the word as its title.

Mercurial

Song Title/Album: “illicit affairs” / folklore

Lyric: “Take the words for what they are / A dwindling, mercurial high”

Definition: very lively and quick, or changing moods quickly and often