Category Archives: Essays

Twittering Tales #35 – 20 June 2017


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 Tale #34 – The Round-Up


From Michael at Morpethroad:

She needs iron in her diet.
You won’t fool her.
Salami nanas are the newest craze.
You’ve an ice-blocks chance you know.
How was that?
Oh! Yuck.
(140 characters)

From Reena at ReInventions

Could this really be the cause of a divorce? Her US-based trophy husband, turned out to be non-vegetarian. Ouch! Back home, the Jain girl had never smelt or tasted meat.
(140 characters)

From Oneta at Sweet Aroma:

Sixty years she cooked for her meat-lovin’ man. Now heart-healthy diet only! Fruit ok’d by the rehab nurse.  Love found a way!

From Neel at Neel Writes Blog:

Pre-marriage life was bliss. Post marriage the love peeled away.
What remained was the hard crust of hate.
Post-divorce she held on to the crumbs.

From Kitty at Kitty’s Verses:

He was offered the food, & the cat grabbed it from his hand.She lay unconscious,after taking a bite.The host was at her wit’s end.
(134 characters)

From Di at Pensitivity101:

She said she fancied banana pizza!
(34 characters)

From Michael at Flawed Masterpieces:

Jerry peeled the banana, waiting for a pleasant sunrise, only to discover the monkey had swapped out the fruit for day old kielbasa!

From Willow at Willowdot21:

It was decided that this was a clever joke. Someone had removed the banana fruit from the skin. They all thought it was fun,sadly it wasn’t.
(140 Characters)

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger:

Sue loved playing pranks on her vegetarian friend, but she might have gone too far. After “peeling” the banana, Jen fled the room, retching.

From Lorraine at In 25 Words More or Less:

Mae “Deli” West: “Is that a [salama]banana in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?” (92)

From Radhika at RadhikasReflections:

Constantly trying to please her cynical husband and his unending demands, left her confused about her own identity.
(115 characters)

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog:

That wild Timelord  Dr Who ! He’s been visiting GModGroogFood Galaxy again and he’s dumped his leftover snacks in an earth park. Shall we try some?

From Soul Connection at Through My Heart’s Web:

Cruelty at par…How could they peel off my skin and use it to cover this weird look alike of mine.I am all NAKED.EAT ME or COVER ME Please.

From Peter at Peter’s Ponderings:

Deirdrie was surprised, and more than a little disappointed, that Charles had misinterpreted her suggestion of a game of hide the sausage!
(138 characters)

and my take starting us off:

“Banangers?!” Emily screeched, “You’re insane Tom!” 
“But it’s brilliant Em. GMO meat trees will be the new superfood.”
“I think I’ll pass!”
(138 Characters)

Well well! A very creative bunch you are! I admit, last week’s photo was a bit bananas! Thanks for giving it a go.

Decided to mellow it out this week. Found this great photo at Pexels.com by photographer, Tyler Hendy. First official day of summer comes along this week. Nothing like sitting outside at your favorite place enjoying the long nights over a coffee or tea or something a bit more spirited. 😊 Anyhoo, hope you’ll tell me a story about this scene. Romance, intrigue, mystery, drama, or thriller? Oh my! The possibilities are endless! Have fun!

Twittering Tale #35 – 20 June 2017

Photo by Tyler Hendy at pexels.com

 

“Great!” she mumbled, before slipping away unnoticed, “Stuart from the mailroom.”

Stuart waited two hours. His blind date never showed.

~kat

(136 Characters)


Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 18 June 2017


What do you cling to? Or put another way, what clings to you? Either way you’re pretty clung-up. At least that’s my take on it. Whether I’m a clinger or a cling-ee, chances are I’m carrying around a heavier load than I need to.

It reminds me of the first time I went skinny dipping in a crystal clear, frigid Canadian lake under the golden glow of the full moon. It was several decades ago but I still remember how I felt. How the unabashed freedom of that moment made every cell in my body come aliv.

These many years later I realize I have layers upon layers of stuff that I’ve collected over time. Whether it’s clinging to me or I’m clinging to it doesn’t matter. What matters is that once I finally release those things, I’ll find that I get along swimmingly without them. Like clothes and skinny dipping. That stuff just weighs you down.

Come on in! The water’s fine! 😉

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 18 June 2017

o, how i could linger
but it’s brilliant…
it’s for the best
sucked into oblivion
no one can steal a soul
expostulators may rant
this game is over
the bloom undulating just below the surface
devouring me slowly
though you are crushed
a bit of chocolate
in stone
retrospect gleans the good from not

~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.


Expostulate – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

expostulate.png

Today’s Dictionary.com Word of the Day is Expostulate. It means “to reason earnestly with someone against something that person intends to do or has done; remonstrate: His father expostulated with him about the evils of gambling.” 

The Etymology Dictionary tells us this about the origin of this word:

“1530s, “to demand, to claim,” from Latin expostulatus, past participle of expostulare “to demand urgently, remonstrate, find fault, dispute, complain of, demand the reason (for someone’s conduct),” from ex- “from” (see ex-) + postulare “to demand” (see postulate (v.)). Friendlier sense of “to reason earnestly (with someone) against a course of action, etc.” is first recorded in English 1570s. Related: Expostulated; expostulating.”

I did find a reference to the word as featured in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby”:  “The circle closed up again with a running murmur of expostulation.” It seems that “The Great Gatsby’s” rich vocabulary has become the source of many vocabulary studies. You can find expostulation as well as many other wonderful words on vocabulary “flash cards” online. Of course there are a few other mentions of the word used in other literature, but it does not seem to have any surprising history attached to it.

That being said, I must say that there has been quite a bit of expostulating going on in recent times…and the divide grows deeper and wider.

Here’s my haiku for today’s word. Have a great weekend!

opinionated
expostulators may rant
for naught, to closed minds

~kat


Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 11 June 2017


These days reality is a subjective…uh, reality. Based on our own personal perspectives and tinged by our beliefs, socio-economic statuses, cultures, and personal demons, is it possible to really know what is true and real? How do we navigate our way through the spin and lies so prevalent in this alt-reality world? And what is more disturbing; how did we get here? Have we always been here?

If not, what was the tipping point? When did we lose our common sense of humanity, our faith, our minds? By splintering off into polarized hoards to feel safe, we have never been so alone. The truth, or at least our growing collective impression of truth, is that we can’t trust anyone. We can’t even trust ourselves. Especially when the powerful tell us that what we’re seeing and hearing is not what we’re seeing and hearing. We’re all a bit mad.

This week we witnessed an epic battle. It. Was broadcast globally for our entertainment. Truth was on trial. On one side, an honorable gladiator and career lawman, albeit a showboater, who likes to write memos that read like noir novellas, gave his sworn testimony. On the other side, another showboater, but a rich, powerful one (as in leader of the free world, powerful), an undisputed serial liar with no respect for the rule of law, tweeted an opposing recollection, as well as sending his bumbling henchman, who doesn’t know how to use spellcheck, to the national stage to hold court.

The drama is being aired 24/7 and each showboater is given the same consideration. Democracy demands that we are fair and balanced. That we give each view equal time and value. But it doesn’t feel right. It feels a bit insane. Surely both sides aren’t the speaking the truth. There is only one truth, right?

Sadly we may never know. It’s probaly best to turn off the telly and mobile news prompts and avoid print altogether, but I admit, I’m hooked. I can’t bring myself to look away. I have to see how this ends. I’m terrified to see how this ends.

At any rate, I hope you have a great week. May our personal realities make us feel safe and happy. Right now, that’s all we’ve got.

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 11 June 2017

tears for all
settle down
dust on air, drifting
wild, wet blossom bursting
blushing innocence, giggles
never looked back
ashes to dust
rude bursts of hot air
grumbling optional
bellyaching nitpickers
your lattice is fading
in the blackest of times
everyone knew his name…Chuckles

~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.


Ancestors

A Haiku for TJ’s Household Haiku Challenge  based on his beautiful photo of Warwick Castle below, and the prompt words, Drift & Air. I have a particular interest in this place as a descendant of William the Conquerer who, it is recorded, built the first incarnation of Warwick Castle, a structure described as a wooden motte and bailey castle, in the year 1068. William is my 35th Great Grandfather. I am descended from his marriage to Maud Athelida de Ingelrica. They had one child, a son, Sir William I “The Elder” De Peverel, Earl of Nottingham (my 34th great) and on and on down through the centuries, here I am. I hope one day to visit Europe to see some of the places my ancestors lived. I might wonder if the landscape that they gazed upon looks much different as I gaze on it today. Thanks TJ for this journey back. ❤️


memories of yore
ancestors framed, suspended
dust on air, drifting

~kat