Monthly Archives: January 2017

Lost and Found – a Three Line Tale


Lost and Found

They had searched frantically for hours when a member of the team found Emily’s teddy bear hanging vicariously over the murky water from the railing of the shuttered bridge.

The authorities kept her mother far from the site, offering her coffee in an attempt to protect her from the awful truth, while the sergeant called for the aquatic search team.

As onlookers gathered to watch, the mother, clinging to her baby girl’s teddy bear at the perimeter of the horrible spectacle was jolted from her sobbing by a gentle tug on her coat sleeve, “Mommy, you found my Boo Bears…I been lookin’ eberwheres for him.”

kat – 24 January 2017

For Sonya’s Three Line Tale Challenge based on the photo above by Sean Tan via Unsplash.


Twittering Tales #14 – 24 January 2017

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About the challenge: Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt photo, and your mission is to tell a story based on that prompt in 140 characters or less.

If you accept the challenge, be sure to let me know in the comments with a link to your tale. A final note: if you need help tracking the number of characters in your story, there is a nifty online tool that will count for you at charactercountonline.com.

I will do a roundup each Tuesday, along with providing us a new prompt.  Have Fun!

_________________________________________________________________
Here is the roundup of last week’s creative twittering tales based on this photo:
people-apple-iphone-writing

Michael at Morpethroad started us off with a dare! I must admit, I took the bait!

Anything else?
Butter?
Check!
Flour?
Check!
Beakthwistle powder?
One kilo?
Yes.
Mangle towjamer?
Left handed?
Yes.
All set?
Wanna watch?
Yes please.
Good.   
(140 characters)

Mick from Mick’s Blog jumped in with an entire collection of tales in the form of Haiku and Tanka poems.

Twittering Tales
……………
tanka tales twitters
fiction but one is so true
no to badger culls
………….

TALE ONE
sat across the table
eyes piercing my broken heart
pen at the ready
where did you hide the body
interrogation had begun
(Characters 115)

TALE TWO
two cells an ipad
technology apparent
note pad pen in hand
o the days of writing words
old school reporter transcribes
(Characters 114)

TALE THREE
animosity
bad feelings were electric
unsympathetic
organised badger culling
no not if I have my way
(Characters 122)

TALE FOUR
man and his girlfriend
marriage plans on the table
notes necessary
then promises forgotten
both left failing to agree
(Characters 113)

Kathryn from anotherfoodieblogger penned this tale…;)

A pen? A paper calendar diary? That’s what iPads are for! I’m sorry baby, this just isn’t going to work out for us, I do everything online.
(139 Characters)

A friend of Michael, Pensitivity101 (name please…did I see Di somewhere?) joined us this week with a Race to the finish in her very succinct Twitter Tale. Good one. Thanks for joining us.

Ready…………
Get set………..
GO!
Pen’n’pad versus ipad.
(60 characters)

Willow at Willowdot21 gave us a tale of intrigue through the eyes of a mad barista! 🙂

Always an espresso and a glass of water. Two phones, a tablet and a notebook. What were they doing? It was driving Tom the barista mad!
(139 Characters)

Our friend The Bag Lady, says she got carried away and just kept writing. I don’t have space for the entire story but do pay her blog a visit and read her fabulous bit of flash fiction based on the prompt photo. The Cocktail Party.

Sonali at Howling with the Wolf took us to the classroom or more precisely cramming with a friend with her tale…

“No mobiles or tablets! Let’s have a look at your French Grammar!”

There was no stricter teacher than a best friend one day before the exam.

(138 characters)

Gayl at her blog GaylWright gave us three different tales to think about. Two stories and a Haiku. My my, you all are really getting into twittering! 🙂

First story:

“Why do YOU always get to write and have the espresso?”
“Hush, let me think. Drink your water.”
“That’s it, I’m leaving!”

“Wait! I’m sorry.”

(137 characters)
Second story:
“Another work day.
We talk, make our lists.
Where’s the fun?”
“Just checking off one more thing.
Our new assignment is exciting!
You’ll love it!”

(140 characters)

Haiku:
Drinks untouched again
Minds dwell on recent events
Can’t write fast enough

Do you remember
Last time we were together
There were three of us

(140 characters including title)

And Irena at Books and Hot Tea gave us some good advice…get it in writing (Im paraphrasing of course):

“Are you really writing down what I’ve just said?!”
“Of course! If I forget it I’ll never be able to use it in my novel.”

(120 characters)

A really nice collection of twitter tales everyone! There were so many fun twists. Almost forgot…this is my try at the prompt:

Acting paranoid he whispered, “No one believes me. But I swear I saw ’em, plain as day!” 

“Just start from the beginning,” she assured him.

(138 characters)
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I hope you all are enjoying this as much as I am. Without further ado, let me present this week’s photo prompt. From Pexels (another royalty free photo site). I actually had this one picked out before I found the one we used for last week. I can’t wait to see the stories you all come up with!

Twittering Tales #14 – 24 January 2017
sheepalaPexels.jpg

Abduction

I woke up in a field, the sun blocked by two beady eyes, hot green breath on my face. The last thing I remember? An eerie light in my room.
(139 Characters)

Oh I can’t resist! I love this photo. Here’s another!

So consumed in passion were they, that they didn’t notice the herd of sheep who seemed very interested in the mating ritual of humans.
(134 Characters)

kat – 24 January 2017

Your Turn…Go! 🙂


Roar – Magnetic Poetry Monday – 23 January 2017

Crowd Photo by Mike Hudema from Greenpeace – Washington DC – January 21, 2017


roar

we are not useless as
smooth tongues like to whisper,
drunk on love, sweetly chanting
pink fluff and blather, for beneath
our gorgeous skin lies the heart of
a goddess whose blood boils from
watching repulsive, lying, shadows of
men crush the dreams of her young…

her name is woman…she is a
mother and she never sleeps

©kat ~ 23 January 2017

(Magnetic Poetry – Original Kit)


Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 22 January 2017

My view of the sea of love that swelled in Roanoke, VA on January 21, 2017


We have been told that it is impossible to know the truth. Because truth is power, those who are ravenous for power have sought to own it, to create an alternate reality where they define truth for us. The emergence of “fake news” has helped them make the case that “no news is good news” encouraging the confused masses to trust only them, because, truth is power. This is gaslighting (so you don’t have to look it up, this is what it means: manipulating (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity.) Lies do not miraculously transform into truth because the teller smacks a “Period!” at the end of its telling, no discussion, no questions asked. And you are not crazy, or disloyal, or worse, for wanting to question it. 

Remember, truth is power. There will always be those who seek to harness it for their own gain. But truth cannot be bought or sold to the highest bidder. You know this is true. You have an inner compass guiding you when you view the world through the lens of hope, compassion, goodness and love. 

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t possibly know the truth in this time of fake news. The truth you seek resides in you just waiting to set you free from the cacophony of spin, opinions and boastful “Periods!” It’s time we all stopped looking for the truth somewhere “out there” and listened to our hearts.

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 22 January 2017

why do we murmur
no one believes me
I only did what anyone would do
looks are deceiving
dazzlingly brilliant, wild
but what is the truth?
~kat

A shi sai or ReVerse poem is a summary poem with a single line lifted from each entry of a collection of work over a particular timeframe and re-penned in chronological order as a new poem. Unlike a collaborative poem, the shi sai features the words of one writer,providing a glimpse into their thoughts over time. I use it as a review of the previous week. 😊


Asseverate – Friday’s Word Of The Day Haiku – 20 January 2016

I missed posting my Dictionary.com word of the day Haiku yesterday, but decided to post today because the word for Friday, Asseverate, is a very good and timely word. Asseverate is a verb that means means “to declare earnestly or solemnly; affirm positively; aver”. It is Latin in origin; “from asseverat-, the stem of assevērātus, the past participle of the Latin verb assevērāre “to act or speak seriously or in earnest.” (The Latin adjective sevērus means “serious, grave”), entering English in the 18th century, replacing the earlier verb assever.”

There has been quite a cacophony of asseverating going on this week; this past year for that matter. But much of the bloviating that we have been subjected to has been opinions, strongly asseverated, but opinions none the less. Opinions are not necessarily truth.

So what is a well-intentioned, thoughtful person to do? How do we discern what is right and real and true? I have found clarity in my own search for truth and light in the words of the Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.”

In these confusing times I guard my own heart by choosing to “think about such things.” All the rest is dross.

opposing voices
asseverate opinions
but what is the truth?

kat ~ 21 January 2017