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#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #POETSCHOICE @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Acrostic

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Hi everyone! Today, I’ve joined Colleen’s weekly TankaTuesday challenge and have written an Acrostic verse. An Acrostic poem is a form not requiring rhyme, but requiring letters or words to form word(s) or messages when read from consecutive lines.

You can find Colleen’s post HERE.

This week’s challenge is poet’s choice with no prompt to follow.

Denied Access

This poem is inspired from my own recent difficulties when venturing out on my mobility scooter and the news today that an Israeli Minister was unable to attend the COP26 due to a lack of accessibility. The word formed at the start of each line forms ‘Disabled’.

Muddied disabled parking sign
Image courtesy of Matt Artz on Unsplash

Denied access

Inadvertent or deliberate?

Sad in this day and age

Alone and marginalised still

Because of things not our fault

Less able doesn’t mean

Extraneous

Deftly different, more like

34 Comments on “#TANKATUESDAY Weekly #POETRYCHALLENGE #POETSCHOICE @SyllabicPoetry @ColleenChesebro #Acrostic”

  4. We are all differently abled. We need to make all buildings assessable.
    There have been great strides made. Just last year a busy (small town) intersection was updated (twice because the first time they got it wrong) – with slopes and assessable traffic light buttons.

    May we continue to see beyond each others limitations, whatever they may be. 💕

  6. Powerful message in these words. Too many people take things for granted and brush aside those who have limited mobility. I used to never give being able to walk without support a second thought. My knee problems have humbled me and given me a better perspective for those who are less fortunate than I am.

    • One of my friends changed her perspective once she needed a hip replacement. I’m sure this is common. Thanks, Joan 🙂

  7. Wonderful poem, Harmony! I have a friend who has MS and is now in a wheelchair. She travels the world in her motorized wheelchair, sometimes alone. She blogs and writes books about her journeys. She is living life more than most able-bodied people. Still, there are too many places and companies that refuse to make their spaces accessible. She is always calling them out on it. I’m happy you brought attention to this today. 🙂

  8. A powerful and deftly written acrostic, Harmony. It does seem unbelievable in this day and age that we haven’t solved accessibility for all. <3

  9. Powerful, dear Harmony. In just a few words, you captured the struggle and the inequity, too often not seen by those who don’t face the same. 💖

  11. Beautifully said, Harmony, about a subject most people like to ignore, unless it effects them.

  13. I remember not being able to attend an event because I couldn’t enter the building. The walker I was using required either low-rise stairs or a ramp. The owner of the building, a commercial building, by the way, stood by dumb and simply ignored me and the friends who had invited me. So brava for reminding us that we will not be ignored!

    • The times I get stuck on a busy road with fast traffic because I can’t get up the curb on the far side. Hard to believe this happens still. Sorry you experienced that, Annette. Hugs 💕🙂

  14. “Deftly different” is a brilliant way to put it. I love this poem, Harmony. What a creative way to shed light on an issue too long left in darkness.

  16. Harmony, your poem brings attention to the issue of empathy that is so lacking in our society today. I’m so sorry people just don’t get it. Hugs and love to you, my friend. ❤️

    • Thanks, Colleen. It gets frustrating well as dangerous at times. Hugs and love 💕🙂