Monthly Archives: January 2016

January 22, 2016

Sitzmark – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

By Kat Myrman

sizedimage

Happy Friday to you! I love the German language! So many German words are colorfully descriptive when used in English context. Today’s word of the day fits that bill. According to Dictionary.com, Sitzmark derives from the German sitzen meaning “to sit.” Merriam-Webster adds the English “mark” (as in to leave a mark) to round out the original meaning of the word. It entered English lanquage in the 1930s.

I am not a skier, so this word is new to me. I skied when I was much younger. These days the idea of speeding down a mountain gives me pause. I am sure I would struggle to remain upright. Were I to take a fahrt (Trip) down a mountain I doubt I would simply make a sitzmark upon tumbling, but rather a quite lengthy skid mark! I’ll leave you to your own imagination on this English word picture…keep your schadenfreude (pleasure at someone else’s misfortune) to yourself, thank you!

An exploration of the word “skid mark” in Wikipedia reveals that it is an important forensic tool providing evidence that helps investigators with accident re-creation…(once again, consult your own imagination!)

Okay…I’ve completely lost it at this point, as I sit here grinste wie ein Honigkuchenpferd (Iiterally translated: “grinning like a “honey-caked horse”!) Or if that doesn’t make sense to you…honigkuchenpferd can also mean “Cheshire Cat”. I’m not exactly sure how one makes a connection between a horse-shaped cookie and a maniacal cat…but that’s German for you…how I love German words! 🙂

So without further ado, kugelschreiber (literally, ball scriber, or in English, pen) to the paper, (or if you insist, fingers to the keyboard…I just liked the word kugelschreiber that literally means “ball scriber”…BALL scriber! … I am grinste wie ein Honigkuchenpferd at this very moment!) here is this week’s Haiku!

Sitzmarks – The Haiku

Skiers make sitzmarks
When tumbling on the slopes
Me? I’d make skid marks!

kat ~ 22 January 2016

(Or a snow angel, in my attempt to convince you that I planned to stop, drop and roll, arms and legs flapping just so. Let’s get real. You will most likely find me on the ski slopes safely tucked inside the lodge experiencing blissful Gemütlichkeit (the feeling of comfortable/cozy)!

 

30 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Haiku, Poetry, Random Thoughts and Musings, Word of the Day Haiku

January 21, 2016

Echoes of my Neighborhood

By Kat Myrman

BRMEA

Happy Thursday! And another installment of Echoes of my Neighborhood in response to the challenge from my friend Jacqueline of the blog, a cooking pot and twisted tales.

I have worked in Admin for my entire career (decades…though I won’t mention how many!) and for the most part my working space has been located in a dark corner cubicle…or in an office with no windows. During the winter seasons it was not uncommon for me to spend an entire day never seeing sunlight, because I would leave before sunrise and return home after sunset. I have always packed my lunch as well, so I would often eat in front of my computer screen while catching up on emails or the news of the day.

So you can imagine my delight to now have a window seat of the Blue Ridge Mountains each day. My current office setting is still a cubicle (in that I am partitioned from other staff members by temporary walls), but an entire WALL of glass flanks my left! Floor to ceiling windows! I love, love, love my new digs! (well actually not new, new…been here for almost 4 years now). It doesn’t matter to me if the sun is shining or if it is raining or snowing. I don’t even care anymore that in the winter I still leave at dawn and return home after dusk. At any time during the day I can glance to my left and see that there is a beautiful world out there with trees and clouds and a sky. It has made a huge difference in my life resulting in less stress. I suppose after decades of dedicated pecking at keyboards and answering phones I have earned this esteemed spot. 🙂 At any rate, I am quite happy in my little corner of the world and happy too, to share it with you! 🙂

35 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Digital Art & Photos, Essays, Random Thoughts and Musings

January 21, 2016

Into the Woods

By Kat Myrman

Robert-Frost-poem

The woods are lovely, dark and deep
Deep in thought I wander there
There to find sweet solitude
solitude from worldly cares.

Worldly cares that rob my soul
soul swept weary, jumbled mind
mind uncluttered free to be
be…and lose myself from time.

Time will pass though I won’t care
Care to join me, take the leap?
Leap carefree into the woods…
the woods are lovely, dark and deep.

kat ~ 21 January 2016

I have been wanting to try a “chain” poem style after having read one recently. Basically, you start each line with the last word or short phrase from the previous line. This is my first go at it, while also responding to Jane Dougherty’s latest poetry challenge…Take a favourite line from a song, verse, book, etc., and feature it in a poem. The line I chose is from the poem Stopping By The Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. (I found the photo featured here at Inspire Leads). With winter and impending snow looming this weekend, I am in a wintry frame of mind! If you would like to ready other poems or enter your own, please click HERE.

 

16 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Poetry

January 19, 2016

Twenty-Nine

By Kat Myrman

 

Our days are numbered
blissful routine midst chaos
beware the leaper!

kat ~ 19 January 2016

This Haiku is in response to TJ’s Household Haiku Challenge, prompted by the word, “Calendar”.  If you would like to read others or enter your own Haiku, click HERE.

 

9 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Haiku, Humor, Poetry

January 19, 2016

Frozen

By Kat Myrman
139-01-january-17th-2016

Photo Credit: A Mixed Bag 2010

“It’s been there for over a week! Once the snow melted I thought someone would come move it.”

“No sign of movement anywhere near the car, you say?” The Sheriff wanted to be sure before calling the tow truck.

“Nothing. But I have noticed this strange light…”

“Go on…”

“At first I thought it was a flashlight, but nobody has been out there in this weather. This little ball of light just bounces around near the door and then…there! You see it?”

“Hmmm…that is certainly odd. Maybe I better have a closer look.  You stay here Mrs. Martin.” As he opened the door, there huddled in the front seat was the frozen body of an older man. An autopsy later revealed that the poor guy had likely died of a heart attack.

As for the strange light, Mrs. Martin only saw it once more. As the coroner’s van took the body away, the ball of light appeared brighter than she had ever seen it. It made a spiral or two and then zipped over her head disappearing.

“How strange,” she thought. But it left her with a peaceful feeling. Maybe that poor guy was finally at peace too.

kat – 19 January 2016
(200 Words)

A story in response to Sunday Photo Fiction’s Challenge based on the photo above.  If you would like to enter your own story or read the other submissions, click HERE.

32 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Challenges and Writing Prompts, Flash Fiction, Under 300 Words