Monthly Archives: March 2017

Sleepwalking – WOW – Whiteout Challenge #8

For this week’s White Out Wednesday Challenge. This is the jumbled splash of words I got from the original text that you can read HERE. and below that is my own scribbling. A new challenge this week…move the lines around. I played it safe and moved just one line out of sequence. I think it worked out okay. Thanks Pat for another fun lunch break exercise. Back to work!  🙂

WOP29Mar17

Sleepwalking is
hope infused
with beauty
and light, dreams
crystallize into
reality; a pity
I don’t want
more. What
difference
does it make?
I never want
for anything.
Actually, it’s
a dream to be
dreaming. I
make my little
plans and feel
a tinge of
gratitude.
Miraculous
universe,
remarkably
dangerous!

~kat – 29 March 2017

 


Spring Fresh


spring-infused dewdrops
summon seeds from muddy crypts
fresh from Gaia’s heart

~kat – 28 March 2017

For Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge, prompt words “spring” and “fresh”.


Twittering Tales #23 – 28 March 2017

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About the challenge:  Each Tuesday I will provide a prompt, and your mission, if you choose to play along, 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!

——————————————–

Twittering Tales #22 – The Round Up

from Willow at Willowdot21

We saw her every day
Rain, dry she made her way
Never knowing what she carried
Moving fast she never tarried.
Once she smiled at us,like the sun
(140 Characters)

From Mick at Mick E Talbot Poems

Located one thousand one hundred and eighty eighty miniatures. Miss Johnsons satchel is getting extremely heavy. Only eight more then home.
(139 Characters)

From Vaidehi at Young Mind

“There’s still half way to go”-The matron who was acutely into trekking said.Only some have the courage to chase their dreams in senescence.
(140 Characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad

She labours her way to and from the shop.
In all weathers, she plods her way along.
Carrying all that is dear to her.
Head down, mind focused.
(140 Characters)

From Lady Lee at Lady Lee Manila

A woman with a song
And all her belongings
Lost and feeling desperate
She’s searching for love
No more pain
No more heartache
Just love
(129 Characters)

From Ramya at a Logophile’s Corner

The old lady visited the faraway market daily to buy strawberries from the poor girl.Her backyard strawberry garden smiled at her secret.
(Character Count:138)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger

Best get this week’s delivery over with, Ol’ Nellie muttered to herself. It’s a thankless task, but who else would feed her prisoners?
(134 Characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101

He’d been ill he said, unable to get out.
Could she possibly get him a few things.
Approaching his tent, she understood why he wanted seed.
(137 characters)

From Sangbad at Thoughts of Words

It’s being two years her son and two months her only grandson was taken. A surpassed growl made her smile. The hunter on machan take aim.
(137 Characters)

From Francine at Woman Walking Max

“must tell Kalinka, don’t you marry that boy. His family it’s tainted, bring shame on ours. Stubborn girl she loves him…”
(99 characters)

From Reena at Reinventions

Ugh! The print on your backside, and the patterns on your shape… No wonder, your walk is labored. You need a stylist, before you hitchhike
(140 characters)

From Jane at Jane Dougherty Writes

Baba Yaga dragged the bag into the bushes & scattered the contents. ‘That’ll learn ’em,’ she said to her house on chicken’s legs & cackled.
(139 Characters)

From Susmitamukherjee at Uniquesus

The old gypsy fortune-teller

She trotted back home gloomy holding her satchel. What she prophesied today was ill-fated.”Fancy a better day of luck tomorrow,” she hoped.
(140 characters)

From Martin at Martin Cororan

‘I don’t understand it,’ said the Russian doll, ‘These shopping bags are getting bigger and home is getting further away!’
(123 characters)

From Kirst at Kirst Writes

Humans saw our alpha-numeric system as floral patterns, my map as eccentric clothing. The portal was around the corner. I was nearly home.
(138 characters)

From Peter at Peter’s Ponderings

Hildegard scanned the track again. Yesterday she found 27. Today maybe more. If she could find just 35 she’d be able to escape at last!
(136 characters)

From Irena at Books and Hot Tea

Every day she walks through their words.
Witch! Hag!
Misplaced hate. Her herbs healed, never caused pain. Witches are misunderstood healers.
(138 characters)

And my weird tale…I added the title after first posting it so as not to confuse anyone. My take on this interesting lady was bright and joyful helping souls pass from this life to the next. ❤

Eternity’s Midwife (Dedicated to some compassionate Hospice volunteers I have known.<3)

Miss Nellie had a way with birthin’. “Laboring takes long as it takes,” she’d say. When time came she’d sigh, “go on now, heaven’s awaitin.”

(140 Characters)

There were some interesting tales this week. A few of you told me that this one was a bit more challenging. Thank you so much for jumping in and giving it a try. If this prompt challenged you, I could not tell. Well done!

For the coming week, I found this interesting photo on Pixabay. These things can be seen and heard buzzing overhead everywhere. I’m thinking there a quite a few tales just waiting to be told. What do you think? Is it an alien canvassing device or it a spy’s tool of the trade. Maybe it’s just some guys very expensive “toy”.  Of course there is more. What image is it capturing? Oh the possibilities! Tell me what you think in 140 characters or less, of course. And have fun!  Alas, I am droning on…(I hear you groaning!) I’ll let you get to it!  Here’s mine…

drone-1142182_1280

Drone – Photo From Pixabay.com

After the coup each person was assigned a tracking drone. Privacy was a novel concept from the past, hidden in the footnotes of history.
(131 Characters)

kat – 28 March 2017


Magnetic Poetry Monday

wanderers follow
a wild path on airy
breezes over, beneath,
and in between
they know every
rock by name

-kat / 27 March 2017


The Princess and the Troll

Theodor_Kittelsen_-_The_Princess_picking_Lice_from_the_Troll_-_Google_Art_Project

Theodor Kittelsen – The Princess picking Lice from the Troll

Once upon a time there lived an eccentric princess by the name of Sarala. Each week a smelly old troll named Tohopka came to visit her in the castle veranda.

Princess Sarala was a young girl when she first met Tohopka. She had been searching for salamanders and pollywogs along the creek beds.

Tohopka had studied the princess and the gentle way she handled the tiny creatures. Though trolls are typically dim-witted, he managed to devise a scheme. He would use the princess to gain advantage over her father who sought to kill him and all the other trolls in the land.

Mustering every ounce of charm he had, a mere wiry ear-hair’s worth, he presented himself to her, meek as a lamb.

“Good day fair maiden,” he hissed from the shadows.

“Oh my goodness!” Sarala gasped, “you gave me such a fright! Are you not a troll? My father warned me about the likes of you.”

Before she could cry for help Tohopka appealed to her, “I am indeed a troll, just as you say but I have been much maligned by rumors. In truth, I long to live peaceably with one and all. But you see, I am beset by a most horrible infestation of lice! It is their constant gnawing and slithering that makes my skin crawl and my behavior so surly. If only I could rid myself of them.”

Feeling compassion for the beast Sarala replied, “Oh, how awful for you. Maybe I can help. Come closer so I can pluck these pests from your pelt.”

Tohopka was delighted to comply. It had been easier than he imagined to deceive the girl. Bit by nit, he weaseled his way into Princess Sarala’s trust.

When the people learned of this they appealed to her father, “Oh great king, you must do something! We fear for Princess Sarala’s life and our own for we have it on good authority that she has befriended a troll!”

Alarmed by this, the King summoned his daughter immediately. “Is it true Sarala? What is this I hear about you and a troll?”

“Oh father, you don’t know Tohopka as I do. He is quite gentle and harmless, not at all the raging beast you claim he is! I beg of you father, please believe me, he means us no harm. He is my friend. Please don’t kill  him father, I would miss him so!”

The King, though fierce in battle, was putty in his daughter’s hands. “Fine,” he said, “you may have your wish to remain friends with this Tohopka. But he shall be treated like a house pet and only under the watchful eyes of my royal guards.”

This turn of events played right into Tohopka’s plan. He was allowed access into the palace grounds. Years passed and the royal guard grew complacent to his presence. His evil ruse was working!

When he’d had enough of the princess’s nit-picking, Tohopka decided to end the wile. On that day, he sauntered through the gates nodding smugly at wary villagers and past the guards. But unlike the times before he did not purr when Sarala drew near. His back stiffened and he let out a terrifying howl that bellowed from his fowl mouth as he snarled revealing rows of sharp, green teeth.

“What troubles you Tohopka?” the princess innocently inquired, oblivious to the danger she faced.

“What troubles me, you ask? What troubles me Princess, is how stupid you are! To think you believed you could transform me from who and what I am by your kindness. I loath kindness. I loath you in fact! I am a Troll! What did you expect?!” he growled as he lunged toward her.

Just inches from overtaking her, the beast let out a bone-chilling scream, falling to his death in a heap at her feet. Behind him stood her father, crossbow in hand. With this last troll dead, there would be peace once more in the kingdom.

‘Twas nit-picking that eventually exposed the beast’s true nature. Princess Sarala learned an important lesson. Trolls make lousy house pets.

~kat – 27 March 2017

For Jane Dougherty’s Sunday Strange Microfiction Challenge based on the painting above by
Theodor Kittelsen called The Princess picking Lice from the Troll.