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Sleigh Bells Ring . . .
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Writing 201: Poetry – Day 2 — ‘Escape’
This is day 2 of the ‘Writing 201:Poetry’ course. Our prompt today is the word “journey.” Our form is the limerick. And our suggested poetic devise is alliteration. I used three limericks to tell the story of a journey, and I did manage to throw in a bit of alliteration for good measure. Hope you get a kick out of this one.
ESCAPE
Well, my journey by train has begun.
As for tickets, I don’t have a one.
With police pressing in,
And this shackle ’round my shin,
All I packed was my trusty old gun.
In the baggage compartment I’ll hide,
And my time I will patiently bide.
When we make the next stop,
From this train I will hop
To the next and continue my ride.
It’s a journey to freedom I take.
And I can’t stop; there’s too much at stake.
Since I’m guilty as sin,
In a court, I can’t win,
But I’ve vowed future crime to forsake.
~~~
Tickle Me Tuesday – Week 3 — ‘The Way to a Woman’s Heart’
Okay, it’s Tuesday again, folks, and time for “Tickle Me Tuesday.” If you want to play along, just post a funny, light-hearted, or downright hilarious story, poem, picture, joke, or non-fiction piece on your own blog. Hop over here and paste the link to your own post in the “Comments” section on this post (any time this week). Then we’ll come over and enjoy yours as well. Remember my site is for general audiences, but that’s the only rule you have to follow.
Here’s my cute (I hope) little story told in a series of limericks.
THE WAY TO A WOMAN’S HEART
Now, Henry the baker was shy.
But he wanted to marry Miss Fry.
So with icing he wrote
On her cake this brave note:
“If you’ll have me, then I am your guy.”
But Miss Fry was too shy to say “yes.”
So that still left poor Henry a mess.
But he baked some eclairs
To show how much he cared
And delivered them to her address.
Now this courting went on for a year.
And each day Henry thought her more dear.
Though she gained fifty pounds,
In the end she came ’round,
And their wedding day, at last, is here.
~~~
Writing 201: Poetry – Day 1 – Three Water Haiku
I have met several poets in the WordPress community who are masters at haiku. Gilly Goldsworthy at Lucid Gypsy is one of those people. And Dennis Lange, The Bard on the Hill, has created his own unique version of haiku and does beautiful work with it. The form has never been one of my strong points, but I do really enjoy experimenting with it. I got lots of fun out of this assignment, partly because once I got started thinking about all the different kinds of water, I couldn’t decide which kind to write about. So I just posted three totally different takes on the subject. Hope my visitors enjoy them.
RAINDROP
I am a raindrop.
Sea mist rising gave me birth.
Now I’m headed home.
TEMPTATION
(Version One)
I‘m a mud puddle.
As magnet’s force compels iron,
So I draw children.
(Version Two)
Beck’ning mud puddle:
As magnet’s force compels iron,
So it draws children.
(I can’t decide which of the two versions I like better, so I’ll let readers decide for themselves)
SEA OF LOVE
Romance of the sea:
Waves kissed by the silver moon
Caress yearning sand.
~~~
Love In A Dead Language
Latin is often referred to as a dead language. And while it’s true that no culture actually uses Latin on a daily basis as their primary means of communication, the fact remains that so many modern languages owe their very existence to the root words derived from classical Latin. Moreover, many of the systems that are important parts of modern life in any culture — medical science and the legal systems, for example — still derive the vocabulary that makes each system unique from that primary language that has given so much to the world. I studied Latin in high school, and I learned a great deal about my own language and about the history of the world in general through that language. So, in honor of a language that I still love — and in honor of love in general — seeing as how it’s Valentine’s Day — I offer this little bit of verse in defense of Latin.
Amo: I love.
Amas: You love.
Amat: He loves.
If Latin is a language dead, what gives?
Amamus: We love.
Amatis: You love.
Amant: They love.
With this much love, then surely Latin lives!
♥
Kiss, Kiss, Kiss! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Just throwing out a few kisses to all my wonderful blogging friends.
Jesus loves you, and so do I.
~
Friday Fictioneers – 2/13/15 — ‘Direct Hit’
Hop over to Rochelle’s place to get the details about taking part in the Friday Fictioneers challenge with your own 100-word story based on the picture below. This week’s photo is thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields as well. My story is below photo.
DIRECT HIT
“Your instructions were to meet me on this veranda at 5:00 sharp.”
“Sorry, the tour group just left. They’d have seen us.”
“You bring the dough?”
Nodding, handing over an envelope. “It’s way too high, but here. You’d better be as good as you say.”
Black eyes sparked fire.
“Well, I can’t take any chances. You’re sure you can shoot from here and make the kill with just one shot?”
“You just be sure you raise her window and then get out of the way. Or you might get two for the price of one.”
~~~
Digging Through My ‘Love’ Archive
It’s Valentine’s week, so I thought it was time to make another visit to my archives. This time I sifted through all the ordinary stuff and dug around until I found the posts that had something to say about LOVE. I found bunches of them, but I chose 14 of my favorites to share one more time. (The number 14, of course, is in honor of Valentine’s Day being the 14th of the month.) I’ve posted the links to them below. Hope you find some of them to your taste and get a little shot of love to help you celebrate Valentine’s Day:
# 4: Hatred & War Cannot Quench Love
#7: Love Through The Eyes of Opie Taylor
# 9: Love Letters: 574 and counting
# 10: Valediction to a Passing Love
# 12: Behind the Scene: One Act Play
# 13: Focused: A One-Act Play to Lighten Your Day
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My Valentine Stash — So Far …
This is my Valentine stash so far. Lookin’ good, and I still have 3 days to go . . . .
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Wordless Wednesday
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Tickle Me Tuesday – Week 2
I’m later than I hoped getting this up, but last night was so busy, I just had to wait until morning. As a teacher, this video hits home, and the strategy of this grandmother is ingeniously funny.
Remember, the rules for participating are simple:
Just post something funny, light-hearted, or hilarious on your own blog.
Then hop over here to my post for that week and paste the link to yours in a “Comment” Box.
And please remember my blog is for general audiences.
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Six-Word Saturday – My Philosophy of Life in 6 Words
It is always time for coffee.
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Daily Post Prompt — Breaking The Law
Today’s prompt by WordPress Daily Post is a subject that I normally would not relate to. However, since I actually did break the law just about an hour ago, I suppose I can now relate quite well.
Let me hasten to add that I did not commit a felony or anything of that caliber, but to me, it’s quite serious. I didn’t stop completely at a stop sign. Now I didn’t exactly run through the sign. I just sort of slowed to an almost stop and then kept going — at least according to the police officer who stopped me. Oh what a horrible feeling it is to see those flashing red and blue lights in my rear view mirror. I pulled over slowly, hoping he just wanted to go around me, but nope — he wanted me.
The officer was very cordial and was totally prepared to understand that when people drive that same route every day and there are about 5 stop signs to make within 6 blocks, it’s easy to get a little nonchalant. However, the one sign that I “eased” through was the only one right by a school. Now, I try to stop at all stop signs, of course, but I especially try to be careful and watchful close to schools. Unfortunately, I had a lot on my mind today, and I slipped.
Since I had my driver’s license and my auto insurance up to date, the officer didn’t consider that my crime necessitated a ticket, and I’m grateful. And bless his heart, he had to put up with my somewhat disorganized manner of keeping files. When he asked for my insurance, I opened the big envelope that comes each year with all my insurance renewal information. It includes a little card, but I always leave that attached to all the other 4 or 5 sheets of paper. I was a little nervous this morning (due to being nabbed by the law), and I couldn’t seem to get them separated in a reasonable time to locate the card. So I just handed him the handful of papers and said, “Here, let me just give you these, and you can look for what you need while I get out my drivers license for you.”
He was quite sweet about it. And, honestly, seeing how poorly organized I am, he probably figured if he gave me a ticket, I’d probably lose it before I got it paid.
But the happy ending is that I am now going to make EXTRA sure that I stop completely at all stop signs from this moment on. As I mentioned earlier, to me the failure to stop completely was a serious thing: it was gross negligence and carelessness on my part, and in other circumstances could have caused real problems. I’m taking the situation as seriously as if I had committed a much more heinous crime. So I guess, in answer to the “Daily Posts” question, we can say that this particular episode of breaking the law turned out for the best.
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Cee’s Which Way Photo Challenge – Week # 5
I really do enjoy blogging challenges, but with my work and my own blog posts to be responsible for, I can’t take part in all of them. I try to do Cee’s “Share Your World” challenge most weeks, but I’ve never done the “Which Way” challenge. However this week the theme just reached out and grabbed me because of a post I had done previously and then revisited this week. Now, I admit I’m sort of breaking the rules because this post is not actually a photograph, but you will all have to admit that it fits the theme brilliantly.
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Friday Fictioneers – 2/6/15 — ‘The Call of the Chitwood’
Friday Fictioneers is a fun way to interact with other writers around the world and also to hone and discipline your writing skill by forcing yourself to tell a whole story in just 100 words. Hop over and check out the details for participating in the challenge. My story is below the picture.
Photo prompt is from Melanie Greenwood.
THE CALL OF THE CHITWOOD
Nora woke. Was it? … Yes … the call of the Chitwood bird: silver-sweet; compelling.
Rising swiftly, she ran to the maze leading to the gazebo, which harbored the locked door to the ‘other side.’ She knew the legend: Only a young virgin could hear the Chitwood’s call; if she obeyed instantly, she’d find the rainbow light bursting through the keyhole. Then, for only three minutes, she could gain entrance.
Her breath caught at the brilliant light. She hurried through the familiar maze, her eyes on the door. Stopping once, she looked back. But light engulfed her, sang to her, pulled her into itself. She lifted the door latch and stepped through.
~~~
The Happy Wordcrafter 