What do you See? April/09/2019 – The New Universe.

Posted on April 9, 2019 by Michael

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It all happened in a very orderly fashion,

There was a flash, an announcement,

Then it was all over.

In every country, assembly points were organised

Everyone was summoned to attend.

Vast crowds gathered, rumours and speculation abounded.

The poor huddled in one corner,

The rich stood in centre ground,

Convinced they should be first.

It seemed an eternity, an irony not lost on most,

Before the heavens opened and the light more brilliant

Than one could ever imagine shone on each of them.

The motherly face that appeared seemed an anti-climax

Until several of the well to do questioned it all.

Their question was answered with a bolt of lightning

And after that, no one said a word.

Humanity gathered in a circle

Each person the same as the other

Sinners with the pious,

Thieves and raconteurs all holding hands

United in the end of times.

The light shone down separating the left from the right

The bodies moved off powerless to object,

Terrified and oblivious to their fate.

Above them, the workers of the light worked feverishly

As time was against them

A new universe was beginning,

They needed humanities spirit and resolve,

The processing taking but a second.

New life began.

The mother figure looked down

Saw it was good

And moved on once again making a note:

This universe could only improve on the last one.

 

Written for: https://helenevaillant.com/2019/04/09/what-do-you-see-april-09-2019/

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Story Starter Challenge April 7 – Sharing Our Picnic

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Michael

Today’s sentence: “Now where did it go?”

It was a beautiful day for a picnic, and we were set up beside the river enjoying each other’s company but also the view we had of the river below us.

As always we shared the responsibility of bringing what we needed, and as always we arrived, set up and realised we had forgotten something, this time the plates to eat off and prepare our lunch.

But we were experienced picnickers we improvised and settled ourselves to enjoy what we had prepared.

I pointed out to my companion that we had company and pointed to a rather large lizard sitting in the grass a metre or so from us.

Her reaction was to lift her feet onto the table and look around in fear. She was thinking the lizard would run up her leg and pointed to its sharp looking claws.

I told her to not worry, as it wouldn’t run up her leg or anyone else’s.

She relaxed at that suggestion but suddenly exclaimed: “Now where did it go?”

The lizard for its part was enjoying the day, as we were meant to and was moving around on the grass, as lizards are like to do. It’s common to see these lizards along the river, which is probably why they are referred to as water dragons. They do look somewhat pre-historic with there big round scaly heads and a lot of teeth in their mouths. They grow up to about two feet in length and are basically scavengers.

It was apparent the longer we sat and watched each other that he was going to appreciate sharing our picnic.

So in the true spirit of the unknowing picnicker, we fed him some meat and discovered he quite liked the left over bit from some strawberries we had to eat. All the while thinking this may not be the best thing to feed him but realising that as long as he was eating there was not the possibility of him running up my companion’s leg.

As we packed up after an excellent lunch and equally excellent conversation I was asked: “Now where did it go?”

I looked around and found the lizard heading off to greener pastures I was certain as I think he knew he had exhausted his eating possibilities with us.

Below is a photo of him, posing in his best lizard fashion.

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Image take by morpethroad at great personal risk!!!!!!

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/07/story-starter-challenge-april-7/

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Elemental Writing Challenge April 5

Posted on April 6, 2019 by Michael

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Image by O12 from Pixabay

This week the element is AIR

Today the word is Electrifying.

The storms that hit during the summer were frightening at times. I sat watching one as it approached and loved the sound of the rain as it poured down on the dry landscape around me.

As the storm itself drew closer the intensity of it began to frighten me. I was never a great fan of these loud storms.

As I sat watching I saw a blot of lightning come down beside the huge tree in my back yard, a fraction further to the left and it would have struck the tree, but the resounding thunderclap rattled me and my house, with the sound waves confronting every sense I had of preservation. It was one of the few times I found myself recoiling from the window as my instincts told me there was every chance of being electrocuted.

In many ways, it was a beautiful moment if scary thoughts of being struck by lightning can be beautiful. The air was electrified for that brief second doused by the rain, which continued to come down in its merry way welcomed by one and all.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/05/elemental-writing-challenge-april-5/

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Reena’s Exploration Challenge #81- As The Years Go By

Posted on April 5, 2019 by Michael

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As we age, stuff has a bad habit of going wrong.

We don’t move as quickly nor as agilely as we once did. Things hurt that didn’t hurt before.

It’s as if there is a darkness descending upon us. Our eyes need stronger glasses, our hearing suffers, and our will to live is challenged in so many ways.

Each morning and night we treat ourselves to a handful of drugs designed to keep us alive one more day, and we are told if we don’t stick a healthy diet and exercise regularly there may well be dire consequences.

Along with that, we have to contend with the press and every health guru telling us that 60 is the new 40. Rubbish I say, our bodies are subject to years of neglect by that age, things are wearing out, our internal organs have been abused through years of poor eating and a lack of exercise or in some cases severe combinations of both.

We discover that most of our social life takes place in the doctor’s surgery or pharmacy where we go to get a prescription or have it filled.

Then there is the ever-present possibility of losing our minds. That is a prospect that terrifies so many older people, the thought of drifting away from family and loved ones through no apparent fault of your own.

Recently as good friend of mine was horrified at my suggestion of going to a ‘senior citizen’ open day. In her mind, it was all about walking aids and incontinence pads, and she wasn’t having a bar of being seen in such a place. Needless to say, we didn’t go and probably won’t into the future.

I can understand the fears of getting older, so many things go wrong that we may be responsible for but so often are not. Genetics play a huge part in determining whether or not we might live on into old age or not.

But as the days go by and the aches and pains increase, our blood pressure fluctuates and our cholesterol ebbs and flows along with our blood sugars we are either going to be in denial or pro-active in our responses but all the while as the years pass we grow accustomed to the darkness.

 

Written for: https://reinventionsreena.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/reenas-exploration-challenge-81/

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Tale Weaver – #217 – Pensive – April 4th

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Michael

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Pensive:  (adjective) engaged in, involving, or reflecting deep or serious thought: a pensive mood.

I saw him in the park, sitting by himself as the day dawned and the activity within the park started to warm up.

At first, I didn’t pay him much attention, often people would sit in the park in the early morning taking in the freshness of the morning.

But this man was there each morning over the course of the week. He sat staring straight ahead his mind focused on some arbitrary point in the distance, but within him, I sensed a purpose and a deep trouble.

It got so I had to stop and ask him if he was okay.

His initial response was to look at me in a startled manner before pouring out his story.

He had been married twenty years, it wasn’t a happy marriage, and he had come to the point in his life where he was considering whether or not to stay married or to break away.

There were children involved, and he was conflicted over leaving them.

His wife had been an abusive woman, towards him and the children. His eldest had urged him for some years to get out, but he felt an obligation to his younger children to stay and if nothing else protect them.

Now the time had come to make a change. Stepping away and leaving his children was his biggest life decision and it was cutting him up thinking about it.

But the way things were he knew if he didn’t, he would cease to be an effective parent and that would be even more disastrous.

He had somewhere to go, which was not an issue, his aged father lived not far away, and if he moved there, he would be within calling distance for his children.

He sat and recounted incident after incident within his marriage as if trying to justify to himself the decision he was about to make.

A week later I saw him once again in the park. He had left his marriage, and his initial response was to tell me of the weight that had been lifted from his shoulders. He felt a rare form of freedom, and even though his wife had not reacted well and vowed vengeance in the form of financially crippling him, he felt he had made the right decision.

His previous pensive mood, where he considered the gravity of leaving a marriage he considered a life long commitment had been lifted and I was surprised he was so upbeat about his future which I was sure going to be years of struggle trying to rebuild his life and his connection with his children.

 

Written for: https://mindlovemiserysmenagerie.wordpress.com/2019/04/04/tale-weaver-217-pensive-april-4th/

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Elemental Writing Challenge April 3 – Mum’s Balloon Ride

Posted on April 4, 2019 by Michael

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This week’s element is AIR

Today’s word is CALM

She was quite disgusted when she opened her gift from her brothers and discovered it was a balloon ride.

“They obviously don’t know me and that I would never go up in a balloon,” she announced to all the kids as they huddled round her to see what lay in the gilded envelope she held.

The kids didn’t like seeing their mother unhappy, but they urged her to think about taking the balloon ride as it would be a chance in a lifetime.

She didn’t think a chance in a lifetime was any reason to put her life at risk and made it clear to all who listened that she wouldn’t be partaking.

But the kids were persistent and so by the time the day she was booked to go came around they’d convinced her to go and that they would be there for moral support.

The appointed day arrived, and everyone was up early to get to the launching spot. It was a crisp morning, but there was not a puff of wind.

She looked out the window as we drove along and to the cries of encouragement from the kids that it was a calm morning she could only utter: “The calm before the storm”.

The kid’s excitement was infectious, and each one would have gladly taken their mother’s place, but by now she was basking in the encouragement of her children and thought that for once she was on side with them.

At the launching spot, a small crowd had gathered as the participants gathered in nervous expectation. There were a few final instructions from the pilot, and the kids watched as their mother climbed into the basket below the huge balloon.

As the balloon rose above them, the kids waved farewell to their mother who by now was hanging on grimly to the side of the basket.

We had been told to drive to the destination to collect their mother. We were there in no time, and the kids lined up beside the car and peered into the sky awaiting their mother’s return.

While we waited, we enjoyed the picnic we had packed knowing those on the balloon would be given breakfast as part of their flight.

There was a gentle breeze blowing by the time the balloon came into sight, and the kids feared their mother would be ‘freaking’.

Above us, the balloon descended and a relieved mother climbed out grateful to be on land again as her kids swarmed around her congratulating her on putting her fears aside.

By nightfall, her nerves had calmed down.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/elemental-writing-challenge-april-3/

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Crimson’s Creative Challenge #21 – Morning Tea

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Michael

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We were driving when Crisp, my aged travelling companion, leapt from her seat to urge me to stop.

“Look,” she said, “over there, doesn’t that look like Bunyip Gully back home?”

I agreed, and so we stopped which was a welcome relief as the thought of another church inspection was getting to be too much.

Crisp bounded out of the car camera in hand and started snapping away. She was quite excited about the spot we had found and insisted we get out our picnic gear and have our morning tea beside the pond.

Minutes later we were sipping our tea, and at the same moment, the bugs who inhabited the pond found us. No amount of waving of arms and insect repellent seemed to deter them.

Back in the car, Crisp made the comment the pond was very much like Bunyip Gully, with just as many bugs.

 

Written for: https://crimsonprose.wordpress.com/2019/04/03/crimsons-creative-challenge-21/

 

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100 Word Wednesday: Week 115 – The Local Newspaper

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Michael

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The town was old and the pace of life slow. Even more so for the local newspaper which still printed its weekly newspaper with the ads and commercials on the front page.

Being there took you back in time to an era when everything was done by hand, and I marvelled as I watched Percy pick out the metal letters in such a fashion that demonstrated his experience.

Then the huge broadsheets would be laid out, and the pages pressed producing what we expected each week.

The whole process was quicker than I imaged, but it existed on borrowed time.

 

Written for: https://bikurgurl.com/2019/04/03/100-word-wednesday-week-115/

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Elemental Writing Challenge April 2 – Arnie’s Bottled Air.

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Michael

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This week the element is AIR.

Today the word is FREE.

Arnie was short of a quid and so thought up a brilliant plan to make a quick dollar or two.

He would bottle air and sell it for a dollar a bottle.

Being the entrepreneur he was, he also concocted a story about the health benefits of his air.

He claimed that the air he was selling was worth the dollar he was charging, as it was virgin air. Never before had it been breathed in by any human being.

It was pure in every way.

He was into advertising, and so signs began appearing around the town that his air was special and so much better than the free air so readily available.

His air, at a dollar a bottle, was pure and unadulterated. He made up testimonials spruiking the health benefits.

Mrs Smith from the Valley swore the air had cured her arthritis, Mrs Jones from the Heights claimed her bunions had improved out of sight, Mr Brown claimed that after sucking in the air his libido had improved and even provided a photograph of himself and a very satisfied looking Mrs Brown.

All round the town the stories abounded and the rush to purchase the life-changing air took off. Arnie claimed to have come upon a location where the air was pure and fresh, and it was from there that he bottled his precious air.

Arnie couldn’t buy the bottles fast enough to keep up with demand. He was rushed off his feet, and soon his business attracted the attention of the authorities.

Tests were done, evidence taken, a thorough investigation took place. Nothing could be found to dispute the claims made.

Arnie continued to sell his air, while all around him the towns folk continued to suck in the free air, his special air they saved for late at night, before bed as it was felt a good night’s sleep could be assured.

When all was quiet Arnie sat in his kitchen and labelled the next batch, making sure the lids were intact. He chuckled to himself thinking he had to send Mrs Smith and Brown their cheques. Good publicity he thought, was always well worth buying.

 

Written for: https://thehauntedwordsmith.wordpress.com/2019/04/02/elemental-writing-challenge-april-2/

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What do you See? April 2, 2019 – Out From Under The Bed

Posted on April 3, 2019 by Michael

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“You should see this,” she called

“No I’m right,” I replied.

“Come on this is amazing,” she called once again.

“No, I’m not interested, I’m watching the footy,” I stated trying to sound disinterested.

“Oh for goodness sake get out from under the bed and come here, I’ll protect you, sometimes you are such a scaredy cat,” she was laughing as she said this knowing full well storms scared the life out of me and I had a morbid fear of being struck by lightning.

The next thing I knew she took my hand and dragged me out onto the veranda. We lived in an old house above the town, and the view was spectacular on a good day and night but tonight as the lightning lit up the skyline the landscape took on a very different shape.

As the streaks of lightning descended, there was the sight of the town being lit up, and then there came the rolling thunder, and as the storm drew closer, the claps of thunder were so intense as to rattle the walls of our house.

We sat against the wall of the house and watched as the storm raged away above us and at different times the town’s lighting went out but quickly restored itself.

Despite my initial fears, I did love the sound of the rain was it pounded on our iron roof and ran in rivulets off the corrugations.

I snuggled against her and felt her hand reassuringly in mine as the last of the storm moved away to terrorise the next town in its path.

 

Written for: https://helenevaillant.com/2019/04/02/11001/

Posted in Uncategorized, Writing prompt | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments