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Writer's pictureEmma Major

Inktober 2024 Paintings and Poems


The Inktober prompts for 2024 were quite similar to each other, mostly on a theme of travel or adventure, but I've enjoyed creating inspired by them. The video above shows all the paintings which I created, they are also included as images in the gallery below.

But first let me share the poems and see if you can match the poetry to the artwork. And yes, sometimes I created more than one painting for a prompt if it inspired me.



Day 1 Backpack

In shadows deep, a sturdy pack awaits,

Its fabric soft yet built to bear the load.

Each pocket whispers secrets of your fates,

While zippers hum like tyres on the road.


With care you cradle dreams and maps within,

A guide through wilds where sun and stars collide.

But heed this truth: too much can break your skin,

The weight you carry shapes the heart's own tide.


So fill it with what matters most to you,

A journal’s sprawl, a photo worn with love.

Leave space for air; let freedom’s light slip through,

For burdens shared are blessings from above.


In balance, find your journey's gentle song:

Pack light in heart; it's there we all belong.



Day 2 Discover

In shadows cast by doubt, the door awaits,

A threshold to new realms of whispered dreams.

Stand ready at the threshold of your future's gate,

Excitement wrapped around you like warm sunbeams.


With trembling hands reach out for what is nigh,

Beyond this frame where comfort’s grip abides.

The fear brings courage, let your spirit fly;

For truth resides where trust and faith collide.


God walks ahead through paths yet unexplored,

Each step a promise woven in loves grace.

What lies beyond is yours to be adored,

Embrace the journey as your soul finds place.


Now open yourself to those waiting days,

Discover life unfolding in yet unknown ways.



Day 3 Boots

In rugged earth or polished floor, they stand,

A sturdy friend for paths both wild and grand,

For journeys whispered beneath the starlit sky,

Or twirling softly as the hours fly by.


With every step that echoes through the night,

Their soles tell stories of dances bathed in light.

From mountain peaks where silence reigns supreme,

To city blocks alive with laughter's gleam.


They promise dreams beside an endless sea,

Adventure calls; it’s here they'll let you be!

From muddy trails where quiet thoughts take root,

To vibrant nights where rhythms follow suit.


So slip them on and feel your spirit rise,

These boots, the path to life’s endless surprise.



Day 4 Exotic

In shadows deep where silence once held sway,

A flash of colour breaks the weary grey.

With plumage bright that dances on the breeze,

An exotic bird weaves through the emerald trees.


Its feathers flutter whispers through the air,

Painting rainbows across a world so rare.

Joy spilling from it's call, a melody clear,

Echoing splendour far and near to hear.


From unknown lands it graces vibrant skies,

A fleeting vision where wild beauty lies.

Through tangled branches resonant and free,

It sings of wonders rarely ever seen.


In vibrant strokes upon this canvas wide,

The heart takes flight; with wonder as our guide.



Day 5 Binoculars

see you seeing me through those large glass eyes,

Curious, distant, what a strange sort of gaze,

You human beings with your whispered sighs,

Tracing our paths through the forested maze.


In frames of metal and polished lens flare,

You come as visitors wrapped in your thoughts;

Staring, instead of breathing this air,

While chaos encroaches on all that you’ve sought.


Couldn’t you join us in harmony’s dance?

Put down your greed, join nature's embrace?

Instead of mere watchers just taking a glance,

Step closer to life, not just glimpse at our space.


Here I remain, a parrot profound,

While limbs fall to silence without any sound.



Day 6 Trek

With trembling hands, we climb the mountain high,

To greet new horizons, where adventures merge;

The peaks embrace the clouds, that drift and sigh,

Revealing treasures, on each sweeping verge.


In silence bound, we sail through cosmic seas,

Where galaxies swirl between dreams in flight;

Each twinkling star whispers ancient keys,

Unlocking wonders woven into night.


Yet deeper still lies realms within my mind,

Dimensions dancing where thought can freely roam;

Imagination’s spark ignites ideas to find,

A universe crafted in creativities dome.


So let us trek, this vast expanse together,

To chart our paths, through endless stars forever.



Day 7 - Passport

Eyes, a passport to the world's embrace,

Widening in wonder as horizons shift,

In every glance, new realms we face,

A kaleidoscope where dreams aloft drift.


Yet when we focus on the wider world, rustling leaves,

The laughter hidden within whispered air;

Each sense reveals what memory believes:

A tapestry woven with colours laid bare.


Because sight alone can't capture morning's song,

The scent of earth kissed by gentle rain,

The warmth of sunbeams where we belong;

The taste of sweetness wrapped in summer's gain.


So let us roam with heart and senses combined,

For experience transcends the sighted mind.



Day 8 Hike

In autumn's grace, I weave my time anew,

The rustling leaves whisper of rest divine.

Each orange glow, a crispness in the hue,

Calls me to pause beneath an ancient pine.


Creature comforts wrap around, a warm embrace,

A soft quilt drawn close against winter’s chill.

I gather strength in solitude’s sweet space,

Where echoes of the heart find room to fill.


These thin places breathe with stories yet untold,

On hallowed ground where spirits intertwine;

Connection blooms amongst the trees grown old,

As nature sings her melody's design.


So let me hike through this natural maze,

And find my peace within these autumn days.



Day 9 Sun

Under the hunter's moon, shadows intertwine,

A poor summer child mourns their beauty unclaimed,

Too radiant for youth yet forever confined,

Ignored in the gathering where women are named.


The body betrays hope, a trembling refrain;

In retreat now descend to imagination’s embrace.

Autumn winds hum lullabies soft and arcane,

Leaves drift like letters from love’s hidden place.


Love bloomed under skies of summer sun's glare,

Grew even more dear as embers glow low;

Moonlit elegies whisper what hearts cannot share,

Sepia toned moments in saffron’s last show.


Though untouched by your gaze on this sorrowful night,

The stars pulse with longing, a flicker of light.



Day 10 Nomadic

In bleak bastions where shadows softly tread,

Blighted by diaphanous dreams unfurled,

Creative carnage whispers what is said,

As glacial silence veils the waking world.


Crimson clouds bleed into a fading sky,

Outlined in silver strings that shimmer low;

No borders bind us to this black and white lie,

We spiral free through dusk’s encompassing glow.


Emotions swirl like leaves in autumn's dance,

A symphony of change beneath the trees;

With sage kissed air that draws us to romance,

While twilight tumbles on a gentle breeze.


In graceful resignation we join, entwine,

Transcending, where limits dare not confine.



Day 11 Snacks

A celestial bloom casts shadows in the dawn,

As mouths stained in blackberry juice find their ease,

In sacred moments, love’s essence is drawn,

Where badgers gather goodness from the leaves,


Leaf covered dreams intertwine with despair,

Lost and found in autumn's fleeting grace;

With each crisp sigh filling the now cool air,

The colours bleed memories we can't erase.


I need you more as russet leaves descend,

Each fluttering fall a reminder of time;

Two souls entwined where nature can’t pretend,

Your presence an anchor through the winter climb.


As twilight steals daylight’s gentle embrace,

We gather our snacks within this sacred space.



Day 12 Remote

In remote places, where whispered secrets lie,

A sanctuary provided for the trusted few,

With every heartbeat echoing their sighs,

These hidden truths become the light I strew.


No longer chasing youth’s elusive flame,

This middle age entwines both grit and grace;

I seek not spaces where love feels like blame,

But bloom in open rooms that know my face.


The rain may fall to dampen all you’ve planned,

Yet from it's tears arise a rainbow bright;

Each arc a promise, that on stony ground,

You'll find joy, waiting beyond your sight.


So here I stand with stories soft and raw,

Embracing life’s sweet chaos and its awe.



Day 13 Horizon

You are my mirror

with a different reflection,

fractured light bending around you,

echoes of laughter and shadows of silence,

the sun dances in your smile.

Opposites attract, they say,

yet here we are: two polars on a compass,

pulling each other close,

while the world spins wildly.


If I cut the strings that tie us together,

fragile threads woven from whispered dreams,

I fear I will fly away, lost in uncharted skies;

a tumbleweed caught in an endless breeze.

What if I spiral down into sadness?

A vacuum where echoes drown out the music;

where colours bleed into grey, stretching out time,

and hope becomes just another forgotten word?


But as long as we stand side by side,

your chaotic beauty cradling my delicate order,

we hold our universe intact,

our mismatched puzzle pieces fitting somehow right.

So let me be tethered to your orbit;

in this dance of fire and water,

together, igniting storms,

dancing together at sunset.



Day 14 Roam

In golden grasses where the shadows play,

A majesty in silence prowls the land,

The male lion strides with a regal sway,

Fearsome father guarding his noble band.


Marauder of night under velvet skies,

His roar echoes through the ancient trees;

With piercing gaze that holds both wisdom and ties,

He shapes the fate of kingdoms on the breeze.


Strong yet silent, he reigns without a crown,

A leader forged in battles fought and won;

Through trials faced beneath sun’s heavy frown,

He guides his pride until the day is done.


In every heartbeat of this sovereign king,

The pulse of wild and untamed spirits sing.



Day 15 Guidebook

The weight of an empty chair lays heavy,

As what-ifs echo off the walls.

I remember the sparkle in your eyes, reflecting sunsets,

Stars catching your wonderment, dreams leaping on your laugh.


But I will not stagnate here trapped within this pain.

There are myriad reasons to hold on:

The dawn that whispers each morning with hope,

Friends as guides whose laughter fills the void.


I reach out honestly,

sharing the truth of me;

Learning the art of unburdening

Trusting others to understand, gripping my hand

With a warmth that breaks through shadow.


One day at a time I will live and love…

Until the day arrives unexpectedly;

When memories soften like dusk’s embrace,

Where sorrow transforms into gentle gratitude.




Day 16 Grungy

A speck of dust

lodges deep,

a grain in the swell of my heart,

grungy with longing, awaiting unspoken words.


Birdsong rises unseen,

dancing among leaves,

sharp as a knife’s edge, and I wonder:

who cuts deeper?


Velleity of summer fades,

pulled apart like threadbare dreams;

the days shorten, shadows stretch,

time folding into itself.


An owl casts its vision in gloom,

caught beneath rain’s gentle hammering;

wings heavy with secrets that shimmer

in the damp hush, all is still.



Day 17 Journal

On whispers of adventure, let's embark anew,

Over mountains steep, where shadows dance and sway.

Side by side, our tales will every hour renew,

Until exhausted we sleep, waking at the fresh new day.


The sea waits to meet us, at our journey's end,

The waves will observe the stories we have delicately spun;

Each memory a treasure we will carefully attend,

A tapestry of life, lived beneath the endless sun.


With open hearts we'll journal each breath, sound and glance,

In inks of joy we'll record, our slowly run race;

From twilight's glow to dawn’s welcoming dance,

We'll record every secret in this sacred space.


Together we will ride through nature's heartfelt scheme,

Together weaving love, a never forgotten dream.



Day 18 Drive

Mini green cocoon

Possibilities emerged

Driving the future



Day 19 Ridge

Mountain ridges tempt

Adventures beyond freedom

Always moving on



Day 20 Uncharted

Iron carriages full of adventurous hearts,

Whistle through cold mountain passes,

Old tracks unravelling ancient promises,

Reflect rhythmically in travellers excited glances.


Puffs of smoke curl and swirl into forests,

As the train balances on perfectly engineered steel;

Excitement thrums to the rhythm of the tracks,

Promising secrets that only imagination can feel.


Shadows of the past squeal with excitement,

Whilst apprehension spills from each echoing sound.

Traversing the space between hope and exhaustion

Uncharted routes emerge from the ground.


Onward steam the trains through night and day

Propelling the dreamers along their way.



Day 21 Rhinoceros

In the sun drenched plains of Africa,

Golden grasses whisper warily,

Hearing your footsteps, gentle, yet heavy,

Rhinoceros, an armoured beauty.


You stand resolute across the generations,

An essential element of the eco system,

The bass line of ancient natural wisdom,

We can not start to imagine your requiem.


Yet from the shadows predators appear,

Determined to destroy what is held most dear,

Unmoved by the peace whilst your baby feeds,

Money, the beast that fuels their greed.


Is it possible to stop this slaughter so rife?

To honour your part in the circle of life?

Your grief may be raw but you stand defiant,

Inspiring us to protect you, oh gentle giant.


An army of protectors will form a shield,

Across the savannahs of long scorched fields,

Your tale won't end without a fight,

We will raise our voices to share your plight.



Day 22 Camp

You are invited

To make camp within my heart

Connected as one



Day 23 Rust

Along this railroad, rusty and worn,

We travel together, into the dawn,

We've heard the rumours of what we will find,

But until we get there we follow the grind.


Orangey sunsets promise fine days,

Russet red mornings make us afraid,

Yet no matter the colour, we travel as one,

Whatever the future, it's not yet begun.


Our joints now rusty, creak like the track,

Should've been more careful, many years back

But this is reality, as age catches up

No one gets younger, no immortal cup.


The journey continues, on this rusty machine,

Over the horizon, glad for all that we've seen.



Day 24 Expedition

Please don't masquerade

With me you can be yourself

Along the journey



Day 25 Scarecrow

Scarecrows don’t scare me, not one little bit

With tattered old clothes and other weird kit

I caw with delight

As I take off in flight

You should try robots with eyes brightly lit



Day 26 - Camera

Eyes: soulful windows

Cameras of mindfulness

Reflectors of love



Day 27 Road

The long and winding road

That leads to fatigue

Will it ever disappear?

I've trudged this road before

It leads me to collapse

Leaves me feeling sore


The wild and windy night

Attracting pain to my bones

Has ruined another day

Why won't it go away

Again I'll stay at home

It's too hard to roam


You left me lying here

A long, long time ago

Waiting, consumed with fear

Because you had no idea

Yet now you're blaming me

For what you didn't see


Perhaps you'll figure out

Exactly what is wrong

But I'm not holding my breath

I've wheeled this way before

So yes I'll do your tests

Then go home to rest


The long and winding road

Living with chronic illness

The pain never seems to end

Still I'll never give up hope

While life passes me by

You'll never see my cry!



Day 28 Jumbo

In the shade of grand baobabs

Where whispers weave on warm breezes

The matriarch stands and watches

A dignified mountain of motherhood


Her ears unfurl listening in regal grace

She carries generational wisdom

Family truths flowing through her veins

Their lives mirrored in her knowing eyes


With each careful step she watches

Gentle rumbles echoing her empathy

Whilst her children gather near

Safeguarded by her consistence


She roams the vast savannas

Leaving messages in footprints larger than life

She cherishes nature's fragility

Embracing tenderness in rough skin


Then, when dusk envelops her world

She admires a thousandth moon cycle

A stalwart guardian of family

Now passed to her granddaughters



Day 29 Navigator

Navigator's dream

Maps whisper journeys untold

Adventure awaits


Day 30 Violin

In the orchestra's heart, notes do entwine,

The violin dances with grace so divine,

But beneath every phrase,

In rich, deep-set ways,

The double bass plays the heart song sublime.



Day 31 Landmark

Landmarks standing tall

Hailing civilisation Whilst civility falls









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