I get out of bed
Begin the day
Clinging to what I have
Thinking that is tenacity
But if the coffee wakes me up
I remind myself to find a way
To reach a little further
Climb a little higher
Take another step forward
To remain where I am
Safe but confined
Is losing ground
Where is the tenacity
In a self-imposed stop sign?
Simpson Desert
Northern Territory, Australia
Taken during travels, 1994
Each week I provide a photograph of mine along with a single word. The challenge? Use the pic and/or word as points of inspiration to create something — a photograph, a painting, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, longread or just a few words. You are welcome to use these two elements (photograph and word) literally, thematically or metaphorically. If you create both images and words, all the better.
To participate:
- Use any title you like.
- Your response can be words and/or an image
- Better if the words are your own
- You may use my image in your post, or any image you have created.
- Place the challenge’s Pic (if you use it for inspiration) and Word prominently in your post
- Mention that you are responding to the Pic and a Word Challenge
- Add a link to this post in your response
To help us find your response, you can also:
- Add a comment on this post to announce your response
- Apply the tag “Pic and a Word Challenge” to your post
Each week, I’ll list the previous week’s responses at the end of the new challenge. I may also share some on my social media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr, etc.
Last week we sought our patience, our ability to wait… This week, explore the state of grit and determination.

The word for last week’s Pic and a Word Challenge #19 was Waiting, along with this photograph of longtails waiting for passengers in Krabi, Thailand.
Five wonderful posts this week. Thanks everyone!
- Waiting, by LadyLeeManila
- Eternity, by Dancing Echoes
- Waiting, by in media res
- Pit Stop, by Elusive Trope
- Moored, by WritersDream9