Category Archives: Random Thoughts and Musings

Abrazo – Friday’s Word of the Day Haiku

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, the word of the day is a Spanish from dictionary.com…Abrazo! Dictionary.com defines abrazo as “an embrace used in greeting someone. Spanish abrazo and Italian abbraccio, both meaning “a hug, an embrace” come from the Latin prefix (and preposition) ad- “to, at, near” and Spanish brazo and Italian braccio “arm” both come from Latin brachium. Abrazo entered English in the 17th century.”

Sadly, though abrazo was added to the English vocabulary, you’ll not get any points in Words With Friends or the English versions of Scrabble. It’s not recognized as a word. Sorry to rock your tile tray, my wordie friends. 😟

Still there is something to be said for the concept of the abrazo. Modern society is quite averse to physical contact between acquaintances or strangers. Egads! Don’t invade anyone’s personal space without being invited or asking permission, or you might find yourself the defendant in a nasty lawsuit.

This makes socializing a bit awkward for a hugger like me. Though I don’t typically ask permission, per se. I simply declare that I am a hugger upon meeting someone and take my cue based on their expression as to whether I proceed. A smile means “go”. “Deer in the headlights” or a step backwards is a definite “No”. The “no’s” will generally reach for a handshake. But the smiles? I love it when I find another hugger.

Now, I know what you’re thinking, “She hugs on the first meet?” I do. I wish we all did more hugging. There is nothing like a genuine abrazo to lift one’s spirits and connect one human to another. Might even change the world if we weren’t afraid to hug. Just sayin’.

May your life be filled with peace, love and lots of abrazos! Here’s this week’s Haiku.

embrace with your heart
give abrazos, full-frontal,
side hugs are for stiffs

kat


Missing Connection

were we to find it,
the elusive missing link,
would it connect us?

~kat

For Haiku Horizons Challenge, prompt word “Link”.


Twittering Tale #28 – 2 May 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 #27 – The Round-Up


From Lorraine at In 25 Words More or Less – 3 Tales!

She lingers in paint brushes. Her body, her scent haunts dreams. Her laughter lilts in air. Her bones bleach beneath his willow tree.
(134Characters; 24)

her sweet face
forever haunting
curve of back
reclining
beckoning his caresses
in their lover’s bed
(94 Characters; 16)

her body his blank canvas
muse for his
art
(40 Characters; 9)

From Reena at ReInventions

Hey, meeting you changed my life! It was easy to paint you in colors of my choice. Knowing you is a different ballgame altogether.
(130 characters)

From Michael at Morpethroad

The more he revealed in the image the more real she became.
The eyes said it all.
They held him in awe.
He so loved the allure of that girl.
(138 characters)

From Lost in Translation

His heart was lost,
Not to the face,
He couldn’t recall,
But to her eyes,
Piercing
unforgiving,
Which would haunt him,
Now & forever…

From Lady Lee at Lady Lee Manila

He raced back to his room to draw her face. He took his time, striking some flaws he made. He scored when he could read her. Ah, heaven!

From Willow at Willowdot21

He tried to erase the painting he could’nt bear to see her beauty. Jealousy and pride had driven him mad. No reprieve, acid was perminant.
( 138 Characters )

From Susmita at Uniquesus

He painted a face he dreamt off; each stroke moved by inspiration gave birth to a masterpiece. A mysterious beauty arousing ample emotions.
( 139 characters )

From Kathryn at Another Foodie Blogger

This was by far his hardest commission. Amongst tubes, beeps, and shallow breaths, his chalks revealed the lovely face under the acid burns.

From Kitty at Kitty’s Verses

The same dream .Yet again, it didn’t take him farther than her eyes. Could it be his mother he’d barely known?
(112 characters)

From Sangbad at Thoughts of Words

he rubs off his “past” before eyeball comes up…period…a cigarette and a whiskey peg…and then he on to portray another new “past”…

From Nicola at Sometimes Stellar Storyteller

He woke to her unfamiliar face dancing across his memory. He drew her quickly, his charcoal possessed. He would enjoy killing this one.

From Through My Heartweb at Soul Connection

Memory Lost, but when I close eyes face appears. Smiling, Blowing Kisses, Twinkling Eyes. In my heart, now on my wall. Love meant to stay Forever.

From Peter at Peter’s Ponderings

Her body fast dissolving in the cellar, he was now determined to obliterate every last trace of her. The accusing gaze mocked his efforts!
(139 characters)

From Francine at Woman Walks Dog

Woke from his coma, memory blank.
Who am I alone in the world ?
Just draw – a face – I know it –
it’s my lover

From Irena at Books and Hot Tea

She was supposed to be his Love, his Muse, his Art.
But she left. Objectification hurt.
Maybe ’twas the same mistake Petrarch made with Laura.
(140 characters)

And I discovered a Twitter Twittering Tale @PJTemple

If only he could see her again. But there was a way, through memory, through caress of a brush, he whispered life into her again. 

Starting us out, here was mine

He never forgot her face. They met at the cafe. Only once. He spent the rest of his life drawing the woman he might have known.
(130 Characters)

What a wonderful gallery of tales you all painted. We touched on so many emotions with this prompt. From lost love and romance to mystery and intrigue. There were even a few tales of horror in the mix. Well done everyone!

This week I’m really excited to see what you come up with. Another great photo from Pixabay.com, I think there are several stories to tell. Have fun! I’ll see you here next week!

Twittering Tale #28 – 2 May 2017


“Damn-blasted birds! Making all that racket, crapping everywhere!”

Charlie shot straight up, but the only bird he hit was himself. Old fool!

~kat


Forgive and Forget – NaPoWriMo 2017 #30


Forgive and Forget
(A Cleave Poem)

forgive | forget
seventy times seven | and risk repeating history
for forgiveness is a virtue | for if we ignore
we forgive | the lessons of the past
not for others | we are the ones
deserving of forgiveness | who will suffer
but we forgive | the consequences
to set ourselves free | of our arrogance
from the bonds | doomed to repeat and learn
of the offense | the hard way
so we can | again and again
forget the pain | and hopefully, forgive ourselves

~kat

NaPoWriMo 2017 #30 – a Cleave poem for this, the last prompt, to write about something that happens again and again. 

(A Cleave poem is three poems in one. Read the first “column” top to bottom; the second “column” top to bottom and finally read each line across top to bottom.)


Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 30 April 2017


It’s been another interesting week. They’re all interesting in their own way, don’t you think? That’s what is so great about living and life. Stuff happens. We get distracted and busy and sidelined but the clock keeps ticking. Each moment gone in a moment never to return and we barely notice their passing. How sad is that?

Moments. What does one make of them if one even notices them at all? What makes them so special? You don’t have to answer. I’m just thinking out loud. (Or writing it out, as it were).

What I do know about moments is that when I am able to notice one, I breathe a little deeper, I often smile to myself, and I am overcome with a sense of wonder. It’s like the feeling you get when you witness a magic trick and all you can say (or think) is “Wow”. And then it’s gone. Just like that. Oh, there is another moment in the wings ready to be; ready to dazzle you, but it is not the same. Nothing compares to the moment you just had a moment with.

I’ve had a few of those kinds of moments this week. I’m having one right now, now that I think about it. Like fireflies in a jar, they pulse pale yellow-green and eventually fade. Fireflies aren’t meant to live in jars any more than moments are meant to be saved from dying. But that’s the beauty of it…and the wonder.

So savor the moment when you can. Let it warm you, inspire you, then set it free. There will be new moments to have a moment with, in the blink of an eye, in fact. I promise.

Peace, love and moments to you!

Shi Sai Sunday’s Week in ReVerse – 30 April 2017

each moment is a gift
If there is a message, what could it be?
Only once
fill jelly jars with fireflies
greyscale just won’t do
I think it’s time we got reacquainted.
what wonders do you behold?
slow, smoldering burn
…ultimately undone
what are you whispering for?
wispy pastel clouds of sweet fluff
demand to be
honey and tobacco tinged
in a loopy sort of way
include peaches and cherries
the fish are dying
my heart…it is ferocious
there is no stronger force than an empowered “miss”

~kat

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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.