Photo Challenge # 95: January 12, 2016 – Yellow Orchids

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Michael

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I’m on my walk; it’s just on 6am

The cool air is invigorating

I’m surrounded by the silence of the morning

Shattered by the occasional worker

Driving through my thoughts.

I pass by the gardens resplendent in orchids

Their bright yellow so boldly displayed

As if not a worry in the world.

My mind is as always filled with thoughts

Of change and sacrifice

Of understanding and commitment.

Above all its trust that I must generate

From within me and without me,

The call for an alternative

From what I thought was the simple and direct

Is not so easy when I see suffering

My heart aches that I am responsible.

There is beauty all around me

I see it in every step I take

And in my mind there too is beauty

That I have to allow mend, repair,

Find its way to where it needs to be

To rejoice in its own brand of freedom

Far from impedance.

 

I pick one bloom

Hold it to my nose

Take in its scent.

Looking into its rich yellowness

I see an inner strength and passion

But on touching it I sense its vulnerability

Its fragile nature needing to be nurtured

And even when its brittleness is threatened

I know it will restore again.

 

I smile for it grounds me there and then

As I remember why I am doing this

That someone far more worthy than me

Awaits me in the midst of these yellow orchids.

I step more lively now

Awake and alert to my purpose.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/12/photo-challenge-95-january-12-2016/

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FFfAW – Week of January 12, 2016 – Casey’s Pool Table

Posted on January 12, 2016 by Michael

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The pool table in Casey’s Bar was always a challenge.

Not only was the floor not square but Casey’s father had made the table with one side’s legs three millimetres shorter than the other side. Hence the table always looked like it was on a slope, which always presented an extra challenge on comp nights.

Casey argued that pool could be equated with golf in that he’d never seen a flat golf course and why couldn’t his pool table be slightly out of square.

One comp night the team from O’Flanagan’s pub, a really unpleasant mob of blokes, complained about the table, said it was unfair, unjust, not pool and as such they weren’t going to play. They made their stand and awaited our response.

Without a moments hesitation Casey wrote up forfeit on the score board and ordered us a round of drinks leaving the O’Flanagan’s snookered, so to speak.

 

Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/fffaw-week-of-january-12-2016/

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Wordle #93 “January 11, 2016” – The Reverent Father

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Michael

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This week’s challenging words: Face Genitals Humiliate Sacrosanct (extremely sacred or inviolable: not to be entered or trespassed upon: above or beyond criticism, change, or interference) Hinder Genuflect (to bend the knee or touch one knee to the floor in reverence or worship. to express a servile attitude.) Jagged False Swan Irreverent (a lack of respect) Drag Loculus (Ecclesiastical. a compartment in an altar, in which relics are kept. a recess in an ancient catacomb or tomb, where a body or cinerary urn was placed.)

 

The Very Reverent Father looked down on the less than reverent Sister and wondered how it was that he was able to sacrifice so much to so few when it came to his personal gratification.

He knew and believed his position to be sacrosanct way above any law mere man might try to impose on him and he and his religious mates often employed the Reverent Sister to assist in their exploration of the darker side of life. They truly believed they had an obligation to face the dark aspects of life without hinder or favour and even though deep inside they each felt the pangs of humiliation they also believed it was their responsibility to their respective flocks to be aware of all of life’s temptations.

Tonight the Reverent Father had taken the Reverent Sister and stood her on the alter where he had to admit she cut a fine figure wearing only her veil. He loved to genuflect before her as a sign of his humility but tonight he was going to do something that so sacrosanct as to invoke the fires of hell down upon him. He took the key to the Loculus and removed the churches most precious relic, that of the Blessed Saint herself and placed it on the step before the Reverent Sister…..

He knew this was a sign of the greatest irreverence but such was his frenzy of arousal he cared little for the significance of the moment.

He turned and dragged the naked woman down the steps; his hand gripped her hair beneath her veil and flung her down so her face was opposite his genitals. He pushed her face into himself just as the light that was normally soft and inconspicuous, suddenly took on a jagged look, it lit the room with a brilliance that was stunning, a voice rang out throughout the Church calling the less than reverent father a false God and in a brilliant flash of light all was suddenly normal again.

Except the reverent Sister was now a majestic swan and the reverent Father no more than tasty morsel of delectable Swan food.

The swan having taken her fill, genuflected to the alter, took the precious relic in her beak and returned it to the loculus.

She then left the Church in search of water.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/11/wordle-93-january-11-2016/

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Music Friday #24: “I Will Possess Your Heart” by Death Cab for Cutie – The Very Same Thing

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Michael

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq-yP7mb8UE

 

She spied him in a room of jumbled words

Across the space of comments he was there

Standing alone, looking nowhere

His gormless fish out of water expression

Gave her a rye smile.

Curious she approached

Said something about poetry,

They were as if magic words

He fired back ‘Maybe you should try some

It’s a beautiful way to express the way you feel.’

His encouragement stunned her

Why would he waste his time on her?

A lowly writer, struggling to finish a book

A book that cut her more than she admitted.

But she was piqued in ways she never experienced

She looked again found his words comforting

Noticed he began to read hers

Thought that’s just him being nice.

But he wrote of passion and compassion

He wrote of invigoration, his support moved her

She felt a sudden awakening

Her attention once riveted in the same as, same as,

Turned to this man, who was different.

She thought do I dare

Desire to spend time with him

To discover what makes him tick?

As each day passed she found

She was growing more enamoured of him.

At the same time in a small room

Miles from anywhere and nowhere

The man of jumbled words

Was thinking the very same thing.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/08/music-friday-24-i-will-possess-your-heart-by-death-cab-for-cutie/

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SoCS Jan. 9/16 – Title – Cocoon

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Michael

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I don’t know why but when I saw the note about referring to a film Title my mind went straight to ‘Cocoon’ and the line I always loved when the grandfather is telling his grandson he is going away with the aliens: ‘I wont get any older and I wont ever die.’

I think the line had extra special significance for me in the way the actor Wilfred Brimley said it in his slow drawling voice.

Being Australian I am somewhat limited in the use of accents especially American accents so I hold his voice close to me and smile every time I think of it.

The whole notion of a life eternal does have its attractions though I probably prefer if it was to happen to me it would have happened some years before now…..you know at a time when I could run for the bus, wolf whistle and flirt shamelessly.

As it is mortality does stare you in the face a little more often than it once did, mind you the will to live, love and laugh are just as strong and like the characters in the movie ‘Cocoon’ I too love the thought of enjoying life as it is and as best I can.

I still wake up knowing there is so much more to do, to achieve, to see and to love as I have never loved before.

Cocoon (1985)

PG-13 | 1h 57min | Sci-Fi | 21 June 1985 (USA)

 

Written for: http://lindaghill.com/2016/01/08/the-friday-reminder-and-prompt-for-socs-jan-916/

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FLASH FICTION FOR THE PURPOSEFUL PRACTITIONER: WEEK #2 – 2016 – Uncle Lenny

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Michael

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The opening sentence for the January 8th Flash Fiction for the Purposeful Practitioner:  “It seemed a good idea at the time?”

Uncle Lenny had assured us that there was no danger that according to him the input would match the output and it would be as he said it, plain sailing.

As the smoke cleared and the dust settled it became obvious that the sailing was anything but smooth. We coughed and wheezed, took a few deep breaths and the looked for Uncle Lenny.

At the far end of the room holding a cord, his hair standing at attention stood my Uncle, his face blackened, his dreams shattered, his experiment spread from one end of the shed to the other. He blinked at me, looked around and uttered his most famous line, “I think it needs a little more tweaking.”

 

Written for: https://rogershipp.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/flash-fiction-for-the-purposeful-practitioner-week-2-2016/

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Tale Weaver #47 – a Night Out – Dolores Lustford

Posted on January 7, 2016 by Michael

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Dolores Lustford looked once again at herself in the mirror. At this rate she thought I might wear the damn mirror out all this checking and double-checking.

Tonight was the night. She was going out on a date, with a real man not one of these pretend online dating men who said they were tall dark and handsome and turned out to be short round and butt ugly.

Her dream date had arrived in her life. Roger Hotman, her mouth salivated at the thought of him and his piercing blue eyes, his dark hair his muscles and his…NO she thought I can’t go there, not before the date at any rate…..

The telling feature of her date was going to be her stunning red stilettos. Along with her little red number, purchased after hours of deliberation, knowing this dress would show off her best qualities and she did need something to show them off, as sometimes she knew one had to look hard to see them.

As she applied, again, the finishing touches to her makeup she thought back on the many disasters she had had on previous dates. The moments when lust and motivation turned into unbelievable awkwardness and embarrassment.

Like feeling an amazing attraction towards Tony only to discover in the heat of the moment that Tony was in fact a Toni. It was disappointing she remembered in reaching for the expected bits to play with and they weren’t there.

Then there was George. George was a real charmer. He wined and dined her, took her places and spent money on expensive gifts for her. It was all looking so promising until the police showed up at her door and arrested George on charges of theft and embezzlement. He would be out in another six years she thought but dismissed that thought.

Tonight Roger was her date.

They had met over the discount table at the Dollar shop, stuff discounted to fifty cents was in great demand and Dolores was determined to get the last packet of floor polish so was pushing and shoving her way to the table only to find a hand reached for the last packet seconds ahead of her.

She expressed her disappointment and her eyes were met by those of an angel.

It was love at first sight.

His eyes bore into hers.

Hers returned the boring.

They moved away and began to talk. At first inaudible sounds of affection, apology, of wanting her to have the packet, of her refusing and then coffee, then a walk then tonight a date.

So Dolores was determined to make this date count for something.

Everything on her body was new. Shame she thought the body itself is showing a bit of wear and tear, but she concluded what could you expect when you’ve been around as long as I have. Then shuddered at the thought of her age.

 

Turning sideways she looked at herself noticing the effect the push-up extra padded bra was having on her profile. She wanted the pointy bits to be pointy, the flat bits to be flat, her legs to be those of a model and her shoes to be the ultimate knockout punch. No matter how much all this construction beneath her dress pained her she was determined to make a big impression.

Satisfied not much more could be done she looked at her watch as the doorbell rang.

He was on time.

As she reached for the door handle there was the one sound she dreaded, a quiet snap, maybe even a tear, but either way it was sounding disaster….she stepped back from the door……

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/07/tale-weaver-47-a-night-out/

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FFfAW – Week of January 5, 2016 – Daisy

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Michael

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Image: Pixabay.com

When Cousin Daisy was given a chemistry set at age six her parents knew thought much would come of it.

But Daisy loved to play with the chemicals mixing this with that and seeing what might happen.

When she was sixteen and had moved on to advanced Chemistry for Aspiring Chemists, she received a package of very advanced chemicals. So advanced, some came in lead lined containers with a large skull and crossbones on the cover.

No one really knows what happened but its likely Daisy did what she always did. Mixed this with that and saw what happened. There was a commotion as my aunt described it and when they ran to see Daisy had been reduced to her bare bones.

She became a fixture in her parents home. My uncle would place his hat on her head; my aunt hung her tea towels from her arm just to prove Daisy was still useful.

 

Written for: https://flashfictionforaspiringwriters.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/fffaw-week-of-january-5-2016/

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Photo Challenge # 94: January 5, 2016 A Place to Be

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Michael

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Image: Cold Fence by Thomas & Dianne Jones CC BY 2.0

It wasn’t always true you discovered

That the grass was greener on the other side.

It could look that way from time to time

You could make a rash decision

Hurdle the fence and land in a patch of nettles.

Or you could look longingly

Wondering if beyond the horizon

There was a land of milk and honey.

There were things that held you back

Age, safety, security.

What if there was a land of axe murderers?

The soothsayers proved right.

The barbs would then be real

The derision palpable

You’ve be left to ponder the no future.

But one motivating factor

From all your meditating

Would be the thought

Of a light at the end of all.

Where happiness and acceptance held hands

A place to be,

A place to play.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/05/photo-challenge-94-january-5-2016/

 

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Wordle #92 “January 4, 2016” – Punitive Measures

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Michael

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This week’s words: Punitive Tepid Calendar Season Sad Arrhythmic (any disturbance in the rhythm of the heartbeat.) Cursive Tomorrow Swallow Aquamarine Affirmation Pulchritude (physical beauty; comeliness.)

‘Tis the season for punitive measures he said to himself rubbing his hands with glee.

The Christmas season was over, the New Year was starting and now he could have some fun with mankind having let them have that short period of relaxation and hope.

Firstly he thought looking at his calendar pinned to his wall, this year he had chosen the landmarks of Australia as his monthly visual feast, the month of February need a bit of boost.

H looked at the people milling around the town square in the town of Dungara, just to the north of Wheelabarraback and thought what a sad lot they were. They went through life in a state of tepidness never realising their potential in fact he wasn’t sure they knew what potential was.

One thing they did have in their favour he thought was that despite life’s hardships they did cling together and work harmoniously like a good cursive script. Then again he thought when you are born as losers you can only go up from there.

Tomorrow he decided the men in the town would all have an arrhythmic event…for no other reason than he liked to see the chaos it would bring to the Hospital. He had a thing about hospitals. It was where sick people went and it also was a place where doctors went who thought they could cure the sick. Not only that but they actively sought the affirmations of the community and one that that irked him was self-gratification.

He found it hard to swallow that Doctors could see so much in the little they did. As it was he had cleverly orchestrated the re-decorating of all their offices a vile aquamarine complete with stencilled sea horses rampant across each wall.

Added to that just to irritate them further he had increased the pulchritude of each tea lady to irresistibly alluring and so they went about the hospital panting after each tea lady in ways that raised the ire of the nursing staff and the tea ladies who took to serving them their tea in ways they would never like, too many sugars, no milk, too much milk and so forth.

For the tea ladies of course their own perception of their pulchritude meant they walked the hospital corridors in ways never seen before and it wasn’t long before a whole range of tea lady merchandise came out including a very popular naked tea lady calendar…..

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/wordle-92-january-4-2016/

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