Category: Uncategorized

Puzzle This – Saturday Mix, 9 March 2024

Internet problems so late:

Haunted by rugby843 10-17-20

“One potato, two potato, three potato, four…”

I don’t want to play!

I know you’re scared, we all are, but you lost!

Everyone says it’s haunted!

Well, that’s why we’re here, it’s Halloween!

But, but. . .but, I’m the smallest one here, and if there really is a monster in there, I will be easy prey! Why not send Biggie Roberts? He’s a bully anyway, who cares if the monster gets him? Sam starts to cry.

That’s why they call you Snivelly Sam. You’re always blubbering about something. You lost the count. Now go in!

Sam hesitates and then pulls himself up to his tallest three foot five and wipes his eyes and noseon his sleeve. Okay, he thought, I’ll show them! He put one hand in his pocket to hold onto the lucky penny his grandad gave him and squeezed it as he opened the creaky door and stepped inside. The door shut behind him.

It’s been fifteen minutes, did you guys hear anything? I didn’t either. Think we should go in after him?

After another five minutes, Sam came outside with a big smile on his face, and the boys outside were shocked.

What happened? What was inside, was it scary?Why are you smiling?

Sam just kept on walking home. The rest of the boys just looked at each other in amazement, following along behind with their questions. Sam walked into his house and left them outside. His mom said, hello honey, did you have fun today? Sam smiled and told her about the friendly old grandma in the haunted house who fed him cider and donuts as a Halloween treat.

Tourmaline .’s Halloween Challenge – Pumpkin

Fandango’s Flashback Friday — March 8th

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 9, 2024

I liked it, ideas of principles that will benefit we Americans. I especially liked the tax parts, hope it happens. What really bothered me was Johnson and his expressions which I thought were disrespectful, but typical of him. And heckling should never be allowed at a state of the union speech. It is embarrassing and shows the world what type of people have influence in our country.

https://rugby843.blog

Poetry Prompt: Include AT LEAST ONE of these in your poem, from Pablo Neruda’s ‘Book of Questions’. [suggestion – regard these as rhetorical, i.e. self-reflective]. I like to use as an opening epigraph with nod to the author of course

• Why was I not born mysterious?
• Why did I grow up without companions?
• Do unshed tears wait in little lakes?
• How long do others speak if we have already spoken?
• Why does Spring once again offer its green clothes?
• Isn’t it better never than late?

Poetry Style:
• Write your poem as a Ghazal*
• 5 -15 rhyming couplets

***

“Do unshed tears wait in little lakes”

Streaming from a heart that aches sorrowful

—

Flowing freely without sound

Shed tears disappear in lakes quiet

—

Secretly letting the salty flow

Offered as a gift to keep and take saving

—

The sorrow hovering inside

Set free from words I forsake depression

—

Melancholy lessening then

Heart opens and awakes feelings lift

—

Soothing now the tempest flow

Tears taken for my sake. relief

***

**from Pablo Neruda’s ‘Book of Questions’

***

MTB: Echoing Back

Your three words today are:
RUNAWAY ESCAPEE FUGITIVE

***

The prison escapee ran out of the lot and into the nearby forest. The heavy New England rain pour helped hide the runaway. By the time he had gone a few miles he was exhausted and took shelter under a big oak tree. The man decided he would rather try to run than face more years in confinement. The next day the sun was shining and he felt he was safe. Then a man with a gun told him to stop moving. He stopped.

“Caught you in my forestry tree camera and checked you out. I called the authorities who will be here shortly. Sit down and don’t move.” The fugitive was tired, wet, cold and defeated.

***

Three Things Challenge #M626

***

It all started with a cute manual typewriter when I was fourteen years old, a freshman in high school and my first typing class. I was addicted, loved the clinking sound of the keys that I pushed down, practicing for hours. I continued the classes and used my skill in other classes, deciding on a business career. I wanted to be a journalist or executive secretary—that was my choice because at that time you had to choose between college, business or vocation, etc and classes did not deviate from that schedule.

As a result I also took and excelled at stenography which was handy in lecture classes. That led to taking tests and found they were my strengths. My first job was for the USACRREL. The first typewriter I used there was an electric with a skittering ball zooming back and forth printing. The manual I learned on was stored to use at home. I still miss the actual sound of the keys.

***

Writer’s Workshop Prompts for March 7, 2024

***

The swing a salvation

Flying high

Over grass and leaves and swamp

Seeing birds perched on cattails

Freedom sitting on an old wood plank

Grasping worn rope lengths secured

Wishing you could join the birds in flight

Away from all troubles

Swinging was closeness achieved.

***

Poetics: Young and Green

***

Moonwashed Weekly Prompt – Solitude

The Ovi are in general, lyrical folk songs expressing love, social irony, and heroic events. They are written in the following scheme. 4 line stanzas, as few as one stanza and up to as many as you like. 8 syllables or less per line. Rhyming is AAAb. The second stanza would be CCCd. The third, EEEf. And so on. 

***

being in high school junior class

never too soon for APs pass

testing for colleges amass

important choices loom

***

Ovi Poetry Challenge 38: SCHOOL is your inspiration.