The Lid - Three Word Wednesday

Three Word Wednesday where you write something using the three prompt words.
This week's words are  ... Engulf, Imminent and Tamper

THE LID

A trip to the dentist was imminent, the toothache was already beginning to engulf him. He grabbed the bottle of aspirin and gripping the lid,
he turned it ..... click
and turned it ... click
and turned it ... click
and turned it ... click

aaaagh... stupid bloody thing!

She took the bottle off of him.
"Here, let me do it for you, it's got one of those idiot proof lids on!"

"I thought they were called tamper proof lids?"

She paused a moment, then looked at him before making a gesture suggesting that he was right, then handed him the tablets.

It wouldn't be fair ... not with his toothache and everything.

James Cagney

I woke up early this morning with an overwhelming urge to talk like James Cagney.
Now I was momentarily alarmed as I've watched a programme where people do actually wake up with another accent and it's a medical condition, but luckily my James Cagney desire was just me!
I woke my partner up with it and our daughter, fed the dog with it, answered the phone with it and got ready for the day still mumbling Cagney style, but by 8.45am  my newly acquired vernacular which consisted in the main of elongating my ee's, seemed to be losing its charm for those around me, so unfortunately I had to stop.
There were a few dirty rat and classic Cagney ... 'n that's how it is seee ... moments said to myself during the day, but other than that I knew, hard as it was, I really did have to stop.
By the the time everyone got home this evening, to their relief, I had Mr.Cagney well under control, the thing is, although nothing's developed as yet
... I'm sure I'm walking like John Wayne.

Sisters - Monday's Child # 14

Monday's Child prompt for children's poetry or verse

They'd sit together for hours and wind

Annie would hold, but she never did mind

for Suzie would make the most perfect ball

she was the oldest by two years, but that wasn't all

she'd listen to Annie, and her troubles she'd mend

for she was her big sister, and her very best friend.

Microfiction Monday # 50

This weeks picture prompt from Microfiction Monday at Stony River

The task: a tweetable 140 characters or fewer inspired by the picture below...

She sat alone with the sky and the ocean
and for the first time in her life
she felt she belonged.

or

She couldn't wait for the ship and the boats to go by
so she could get her kit off and jump in!

The Pheasant Run! ... I Saw Sunday - Week 2

A random assortment of things seen this week for  I Saw Sunday

here are mine ...


We live beside a field that is now full of pheasants and while I was walking Grace, she startled them and sent them running.
Now for some reason pheasants seem to use flying as an ultimate last resort manoeuvre, so on seeing a dog instead of flying they started to run, hesitantly at first and then they just got faster and faster.
They run bolt upright with their little legs going like the clappers, which in itself was enough to make me laugh aloud, but there was one particularly fine looking pheasant who had obviously done some training and just came out of nowhere with his head dipped (not the usual pheasant running style) and just powered through to the front Chariots of Fire Style and whooped the lot of them, it was hysterical ... to me anyway but then I'm notoriously easily pleased.

and

My dear (never caught or killed anything in her life) cat stalking a worm for 10 minutes before coming in for her tea.

Love - Sunday Scribblings # 234

Written for Sunday Scribblings prompt 234 - Love

I walked into the bathroom and there it was, toilet seat up, toothpaste spray all over the mirror and the toilet roll on the sink.
I then picked up his 'dead' socks off the landing and put them in the washing basket before heading down stairs to make a cup of tea.
The kitchen is how I always find it after he's used it, tops to the coffee and sugar jars off and left on the side, and of course the empty milk carton placed back in the fridge.
I make myself a tea and walk into the living room and there he is on his fourth slice of toast with marmite all over his chin.
I sit myself down and look over at him, thinking of all the annoying things he does like this every single day, and I just know as a smile spreads across my face
... I'd miss every single one of them.

Catch - Monday's Child # 13

 Monday's Child prompt for children's poetry or verse

           Timmy and Spot watched the sky

           and stretched their arms out wide.

      They planned if a planet should ever fall

              they'd catch it and bring it inside.

         Teddy who was tucked up safe behind

         could hear what they planned to do,

     and stretched his arms out as far as he could

              for he wanted to catch one too.

Profile Picture

I do like to see the profiles of other bloggers and it's always nice to be able to put a face to the writing.
This being so I've been rummaging through some photos to see if there's one I might like to use alongside my caterpillar ... or 'the worm' ... as my sister calls it.

As yet I haven't found one that I think accurately depicts me, so I thought just in case anyone ever wondered what the person looked like behind the worm caterpillar, I'd give a brief description of my self.

Right ...

well first of all I'm 45 years old,
I weigh about 8 stone,
have long blonde hair,
large green eyes with annoyingly thick black lashes,
a flawless smile,
a stupidly tiny waist,
and legs that just don't know when to quit.

Yeah that's about it, I don't think I've left anything out.


.. OKAY, OKAY .....  so I might have embellished just a little
                                                .... but one of them is true, I am 45!

Autumn Years - Thursday Think Tank Prompt 15

Poets United holds a weekly poetry prompt.

This weeks prompt is autumn 

                                                              Autumn Years

I'm in my autumn now

with russets and golds rich in my palette

and the warmth and comfort of their hues

fold around me

as I welcome this season

joyous

and with open arms.

Simply - Magpie Tales # 33

Magpie Tales  hosts a weekly writing prompt, write a small vignette or poem using the photo below as your inspiration.

He handed her the bottle of perfume
she knew it was expensive
all the gifts he gave her were expensive
he gave them to show how much he cared for her
she knew that was his way
that words were not easy for him
so she would smile graciously
and accept them
acknowledging his love
but she knew in her heart
she would give them all back in an instant
to hear him just once
say I love you.

She Knew - Three Word Wednesday

Three Word Wednesday where you write something using the three prompt words.
This week's words are  ... Gait, Nudge and Ripen

The words had been planted
in the hope they might grow
and in time ripen as her belief
in who she was
and in time it told
and it showed
and she held herself tall
her gait proud
and people would look and nudge one another
and say such things as
"Who does she think she is?"
but she would just smile
and live her life
for she knew who she was
for the words had been planted.

My Computer

It's been bought to my attention from my lovely family that I'm spending too much time on the computer,
admittedly I am starting to gauge my week on such things as Carry on Tuesday, Three Word Wednesday,  Magpie Tales, Sunday Scribblings and so on ... but I don't see the problem.
Apparently, certain family members are playing up because of little things like no clean clothes and no food in the house.
They can be an unreasonable bunch at times.
Still, I've relented as a gesture of good will and made 2 concession at this point.

1 - Not to turn the computer on until later in the day
2 - To have one day off a week completely

HOWEVER,  I've made them promise one thing
if they find me in some little corner of the house mumbling verse and tapping sadly at an imaginary keyboard whilst rocking to and fro .... they must intervene immediately and place me in front of my computer with a prompt waiting!

They've agreed to this so we'll just see how it goes
.... for now!

Haiku

I've been noticing the Haiku cropping up all over the prompt sites lately and must confess to not understanding how they worked until a few days ago.
I gather it's 3 lines with a syllable ratio of  5 -7 -5
well since that point I've been having a go,
and quite frankly I feel this innocent little 3 liner really should carry a warning underneath.
Since doing them I've found myself counting through words and sentences like a thing possessed unable to stop!
For the sake of my own sanity I am going to write one and no more in an attempt to get the little blighter out of my system ...

addictive haiku

Oh you sweet syllabled verse

vacate my head .... please!

Well that's it, I've done it, no more, I'm completely cured .....

                                              umm .... I'm completely cured, 5 syllables ..... aaaaah!

The Bag - Carry On Tuesday # 71

This weeks prompt for Carry on Tuesday  is
No one would have believed it ...

No one would have believed it if they hadn't seen it with their own eyes.
She must have been 80 if she was a day, but when the lad grabbed her bag, she was off after him like a rocket.
I caught the look in the lads eye as he did it, it went from 'ha easy', to ... 'what the...?!'
He was going flat out, and there she was, arms pumping, gaining on him with every step.
When they reached the lake, he must have just lost it because he threw the bag in the air and dove in, still frantically looking behind.
I could see in his eyes a ' Is she gonna jump in!' panicked look as he front crawled his way to the other side.
But the little old lady just stopped and picked up her bag.
I went up to her to see if she was alright.
"I'm fine thank you, sonny," she said.
Then she opened the bag and showed me inside ... and winked.

Who Needs Clean - Sunday Scribblings # 232

Written for Sunday Scribblings prompt 232 - Clean

He knew how Jenna was about mess, she was determined to be the perfect mum and keep the house pristine.
She prided herself on her grooming and capableness, she was strong, it was part of why he loved her.
When he arrived home after her first day alone with little Lucy, he smiled.
Miss clean-freak, together-pants was slumped asleep on the sofa, her hand resting on baby Lucy in the moses basket by her side.
The house looked as if it had been ransacked and as she woke and stumbled to her feet, he could see various substances down her baggy jumper and her hair was everywhere.
She half smiled and then looked uncomfortable.
"I didn't want you to see me like this, I fell asleep, let me just go and clean myself up."
"Don't you dare," he said pulling her close.
"You've never looked more beautiful."

Microfiction Monday # 49

This weeks picture prompt from Microfiction Monday at Stony River

The task: a tweetable 140 characters or fewer inspired by the picture below...

She just wasn't sure she could make it ...
the moment he'd taken off his shoes the pong had hit her
so bad it had made her eyes water.

Ripples - Writers Island # 21.

Writer's Island - the prompt this week is

an idyllic painting by Vane Kosturanov entitled: “FISHERMAN”.

Let the serene, ‘walden-esque’ image of the painting itself evoke in you the inspiration to write…

RIPPLES

The moment she said it
she saw her words spread throughout the room
she'd thrown a large and thoughtless stone
right into the middle of them
she could see the ripples of her thoughtlessness reaching out
and touching each one
personally
being hand delivered
and that beautiful calm that was
was now gone
and she stood
and watched impotent as the words took hold
and started to sink
deeper and deeper
being swallowed whole
as if they were the truth
and there was nothing she could do
except watch and wait for the ripples to end.

Pictionary - Magpie Tales # 32

Magpie Tales  hosts a weekly writing prompt, write a small vignette or poem using the photo below as your inspiration.

 

He knew when he was partnered with her that there was no point in playing, she was rubbish at pictionary, and the humiliation was nearly complete as this was the final draw off.

He handed her the piece of paper and the pen and flipped the egg timer.

"Go!"

She began with a circle.

"World, earth, ball, round, dunno do some more, do some more!"

She slowly drew a toothy smile.

"Happy, smiling, funny, laughing, dunno do some more, do some more!"

She then started pointing from the smile to the circle, and then from the circle to the smile.

"Circle smile, world smiling, happy round, laughing ball, ball of fun, dunno do some more, do some more!"

He could see the sand ebbing from the upper chamber.

"Do some more!"

She started jabbing at the pictures now, back and forth, back and forth with her eyes wild and flaring as if to say  LOOK!

"U.. u.. u.. u?"

That was it ... the sand was gone, the final game and surprise surprise ... they'd lost.

"What was it then, what was it?"

He didn't know why he was bothering to ask, it made no difference now ... he just had to know."

She looked at him, her eyes still wild and sounding each syllable as she jabbed at the picture, she told him.

"ITS... A... WON... DER... FUL... LIFE."

"How on earth do you get that from that?"

She rolled her eyes, and shook her head as if to say 'idiot', then said.

"Trust me to get stuck with you!"

Nice - Three Word Wednesday

Three Word Wednesday where you write something using the three prompt words.
This week's words are  ... Demure, Offend and Volatile

She learned from a very young age not to offend, to mould and be,
it was subconscious, unintentional, but it worked for her
she never faced the volatile outpourings of others
they were strategically avoided with kind words and helpfulness
she was the epitome of demure
a 1950's housewife, perfect
yes, you can be perfect if you just try hard enough
but after a time she forgot who she was
she doubted she ever knew
then one day she raised her perfectly controlled tone
and screamed
it was then that everything she had ever known was thrown into the air, and when it fell
she picked up the pieces and looked at them, one by one
and in time, she found a place for each of them
after she'd finished
she found that her character had remained demure
and that she was still helpful and would still say kind words
but she was just nice
not perfect
and she never tried to be again
because nice was who she was
and that was just fine.

Microfiction Monday # 48

This weeks picture prompt from Microfiction Monday at Stony River

The task: a tweetable 140 characters or fewer inspired by the picture below...

Ted and Albert had dressed up like it for a laugh

but after Ted saw the photo

he felt strange ...

he just wished Albert hadn't looked so damn good!

Motorbiking

I was ready, camel coloured dress, matching bag, stilettos and carefully lacquered hair that no amount of wind could budge ... it was the 80's.
I was being picked up at 7.30pm and it was the first date.
When the door knocked I opened it to find my date dressed from head to toe in black leather, umm bold dresser I thought .... but then I saw the helmet.

"You've got a bike."

"Yeah."

That was all that was said and I followed him down the path to a Yamaha, I think he called it.
On the back of the seat I saw another helmet, it was a full face one with red and orange flames painted on the side, he handed it to me.

"It's my old one."

I knew straight away that it was going to be too small, I'd already gauged that my dates head was only averagely sized at best, but I showed willing and gave it a shot.
I placed it ambitiously on the top of my head and applied a little pressure.
To my surprise there was some soft padding inside and there was some movement, it was looking promising until it reached my ears, then it was all over as far as I was concerned, but my date had other ideas.

"It just needs a push."


He held the top and started to do little jerking motions to try and get it on. I remember thinking ... if he thumps the top to get it on or mentions anything about the size of my head, I'm going back indoors, but he didn't, and I'll give him his due, he squashed it on good.

The price of getting the said helmet on was that my ample cheeks were now squashed firmly together fashioning my mouth into a pair of fish lips that I could do nothing about.
In an attempt to distract him from noticing I feigned a shy stoop of the head and said.

"Let's go!"

He got on and I hitched my skirt up slightly and clambered on the back, held tight to his jacket and we were off. He took it slow and it was a lovely evening, and for a moment I must admit to feeling just a little wild and sexy astride the bike, even with the fish lips!
Not for long though, for he turned the corner and there stretching before us was a long straight road where he obviously thought it would be fun to 'show what the bike could do.'
He put his head down and took off.
I clutched at his jacket with the wind now full in my face.
Now I have a problem on windy days where everything on my face runs.
First off was my heavily mascara'd eyes that started streaming down my face, then my nose joined in ... all I could think was...

TISSUE TISSUE!

But as I was hanging on for dear life I just had to let the wind do its worst. When he finally slowed outside the pub, I didn't need a mirror to know what the damage was.
I just stood there with black panda eyes, a very dodgy nose area, squashed cheeks and fish lips poking out of the flame helmet.
I could see by his expression that he'd noticed 'something', so I just said by way of an explanation.

"It was the wind."

Even I was thinking ... that must have been some bloody wind!

Still my ordeal wasn't over.
It was now time for the removal of the helmet. I could almost see him rubbing his hands together in a 'how we gonna do this' sort of manner as he grabbed it and started to pull.
If he suggests putting his feet on my shoulders for better leverage, 'I'll die' I thought ... but again, I'll give him his due, he was good with his helmets and there was soon a popping sound and my head did come out.

Ironically the rest of the night went reasonably well, and thankfully we bumped into people we both knew and as one of them lived near me I said I'd get a lift back with them ... in their car!
I arrived home knowing that that was it,  I'd never see him again.
His loss, I reassured myself, it couldn't have gone anywhere with his tiny head anyway.
Well imagine my surprise when the very next day the phone rang.

"Hello."

"It's me ... I was wondering if you want to come out again tonight?"

I was shocked, he'd seen through the Alice Cooper eyes, the squashed cheeks, the fish lips and the snot!
Okay so I wasn't going to marry him, but if he could over look all these things, I could overlook his diminutive head for another date.

"Yeah ... okay."

"Great I'll pick you up at 7.30pm, don't worry about the helmet, I've asked around and Mark said I could borrow his."

"Uh ... what do you mea ..."

I didn't get a chance to finish.

"Yeah, that one should fit you ... his heads massive."

Wall - Thursday Think Tank Prompt 14

Poets United holds a weekly poetry prompt.

The Thursday Think Tank
This weeks prompt word is

WALL

You found my barriers

and dismantled them

carefully

one by one

and then

you reached that wall

it was solid

unmoving

too high for you to climb

so you sat at its base

with me

quietly 

and understood

till the mortar wore thin
then gently
brick by brick

you lowered the wall
until you saw me
 all of me
standing there
unprotected
but safe
 and you smiled

The Sound of Music - Magpie Tales # 31

http://magpietales.blogspot.com hosts a weekly writing prompt, write a small vignette or poem using the photo below as your inspiration.

As she walked up the path she could see the window.
Her heart sank.
She let herself in and walked slowly up the stairs
the Sound of Music filling the air.
She opened the door and there he was
in full nun regalia with a smile emblazoned on his face.

She sighed and shook her head

"NO .... I'm not going to see it again
                  why can't you just like football like other husbands!

Caterpillar - Carry on Tuesday # 69

This weeks Carry on Tuesday prompt is the first words from
Mark Twain's 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn'

'you don't know about me .....'

you have to use all of it or part of it within a poem or prose

not my usual style but this is mine...

You don't know about me

and neither do I

I 've been green for so long

that I'm sure I won't fly

I just know someone said

I'd be wonderful soon

and have beautiful wings

that could fly to the moon

but it's been 45 years

and I've not even one

I'm beginning to wonder

if they were having me on

still chrysalis's form

in their own good time

it's just taking a while

for me to get mine

I know when it comes

I will jump right in

and transform myself

into a glorious thing

then you'll know about me

and you won't forget why

cause you'll witness my wings

and watch as I fly

Ummm...

I just caught the tail end of one of those
Extreme Makeover programmes
and it occurred to me
that ...
if I lost 2 stone,
had a personal trainer,
a mini face lift,
my tummy done,
my eyes done,
my bust done,
my hair professionally done,
and my teeth veneered ...

                     I could be absolutely gorgeous!

Wait - Sunday Scribblings

Written for Sunday Scribblings prompt 231 - Wait

I weathered your uncertainty

your clumsiness

your youth

the words that never came

then one day it happened

and you saw me

and I breathed again

and I basked in your smile

and your eyes

and the warmth of your touch

and I knew 

at that moment

 that all of my waiting

had been

worth it.

Microfiction Monday #47

This weeks picture prompt from Microfiction Monday at Stony River

The task: a tweetable 140 characters or fewer inspired by the picture below...

The boating lake operator was bored ... it'd been a grey old day
so he cranked up the wave machine for a laugh.

Kiss - Thursday Think Tank Prompt 13

         Poets United holds a weekly poetry prompt
The Thursday Think Tank
This weeks prompt word is

            K I S S                  

  Tell me you love me, tell me why

tell me how

formulate the words

into one comprehensive statement

so I can file it 

and place it under the label

Loved

then I'll know

but there were no statements

no cleverly crafted words

simply a look

as you wrapped your arms around me

pulling me close 

and for one long and lingering moment

I became a part of you

and you blew all my filing systems away

and told me everything

I would ever need to know

in one single

kiss.

The Pirate - Saturday Centus week 18

Week 18 of Saturday Centus this weeks prompt is to use up to 100 words (not including the prompt) using the line It was a dark and stormy night. Here's mine. . .


"It was a dark and stormy night and there be nothin left standing but the barnacles."

"That's enough!"

"What be the matter wench?"

"It was funny for about two minutes, but you've been talking like a pirate now for two hours."

"That be a landlubber talking for sure."

"Please ... you're driving me mad!"

"Ye just don't know how it be to be a pirate."

"No, not surprisingly, I don't ... but I know there's some wood out back and it'll take me just five minutes to knock up a plank!"

It Wasn't Me - Magpie Tales # 30

http://magpietales.blogspot.com hosts a weekly writing prompt, write a small vignette or poem using the photo below as your inspiration. This is mine. . .

She couldn't help it.

She knew he was lying ... but what was she to do?
There he sat, apple by his side minus a child size bite.

"You took your sisters apple didn't you, Jake?"

He shook his head, eyes wide, eyebrows up.

"No."

"What's this then?"

She picked it up and showed him the bite.

"Who did this, Jake?"

"Scruffy."

"Your saying Scruffy, our dog took the apple from Lucy, had a bite and then put it by you?"

"Yes."

"You're sure it wasn't Sparky the cat?" 

"No, it was definitely Scruffy ... I saw him do it!"

"Jake, is this a bit like the time I found you with chocolate all over your face when Scruffy took the cake and ate it?"

"Yes ... he's at it again mum!"

She wanted to smile.

"I tell you what then, Jake, would you keep an eye on him for me because it's very naughty of him to keep doing this."

"I'll do my best, but ....

"But what, Jake?"

"It's just ..."

"It's just what, Jake?"

"It's just I heard him tell Sparky that
                          he was going to eat Lucys chocolate bar later!"