Keith's Ramblings

for Friday Fictioneers

This rhyme of mine from 2009 has been waiting in line for a very long time to break free and shine and this prompt seemed just fine!  

.

. 

.

November days, brief spells of sun,

evenings afront a fire of logs.

Chilly nights of sparkling frost,

misty dawns and frozen bogs.

 

Shimmering shafts of sunlight,

shoot through naked trees.

Grass once green now golden, 

sways in a bitter breeze.

 

Holly bushes blush with berries,

ivy clambers up stone walls.

Dormant plants and sleeping flowers,

rest ‘til new year’s springtime calls.

 

Heading south beneath grey clouds,

a perfect vee of geese.

On distant hills a flock of sheep,

wrapped in woolly fleece.

 

Winter beckons

Spring can wait

Now’s the time to hibernate.

 

It originally had another verse half way down but it would have carried the poem over the 100 word limit. This is what it would have been –

A squirrel scurries ‘cross a track,

a rabbit sits and stares.

A pigeon sways upon a branch,

a red fox stands and glares.

Sorry I can’t share it with you – ooops, I just have!

 

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and to Dale for the picture.

Click Froggie to join in the fun. 

 

for Wordless Wednesday and others!

.

.

I took these quite a few years ago when phone’s cameras weren’t as clever as they are today, so they’re not of the best quality!

.

 Add your link to join in the fun!

for Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt.

.

,

The taxi came to a halt beside the apartment block. He paid the driver then carried his heavy load from the cab, heaved it through the doorway and started climbing the stairs. 

Just ten more steps to go, nine, eight, seven, six … then he tripped but somehow managed to avoid falling back down into the stairwell with his cherished cargo. He felt his arms giving way, but he would not give up, not now, he was so close. He paused, took a deep breath and continued, five, four …

Reaching the top, he knelt resting the priceless load on his knee as he fumbled for his keys then juggled them with his free hand until he found the one which would let him into the flat. He turned it in the lock and with a twist of the knob the door flew open slamming against the wall. 

With all his strength he rose to his feet. A triumphant smile illuminated his sweat-drenched face as he carried his precious bundle over the threshold, lowered it to the floor and sat down alongside, exhausted but elated. 

“Thank you so much,” he said, “for becoming my wife today, but that’s the last time I carry you anywhere!”

.

.

*Ancients believed that evil spirits, in a last-ditch effort to curse the newly wedded couple, hovered at the threshold of their new home, so the bride had to be lifted to ensure that the spirits couldn’t enter her body through the soles of her feet. These days, it’s just done for fun – well, for most it is!

for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt where the given word is Mirror and the limit a very generous 95 words!

,’

.

Sitting in an empty room, alone. Reflecting on the past.

What might have been, could have been, what should have been.

Time had blurred the pictures in her mind.

Images once vivid now vague.  Feelings once deep, shallow. 

.

A glance in a looking glass showed another view, a mirror image of what she foresaw. 

Smiling faces blowing kisses, grateful people saying thank you, folks forgotten reappearing.

.

‘Where have you been?’ whispered a voice in her ear.

.

No longer alone, she now has memories to keep her company. Happy memories. 

If only she had looked before.

 

for Six Sentence Stories where the given word is Armour.

.

.

I only got part of the voice mail because I’d forgotten to charge my phone and it cut out halfway through, then later when I recharged it I accidentally deleted the message and … well, you get the point.

I was invited to one of those battle recreations where grown men put on pretend suits of armour and play soldiers. I got as far as finding out when it was happening, where it was happening, what time it was happening, and then…nothing.

I wasn’t however expecting to be given a Roman outfit and a plastic spear as soon as I arrived; I assumed I was to be an audience member, not a participant!

Anyway, I joined the hoard of other soldiers and shook in my boots as we faced the enemy, then when the command to charge echoed across the field I found myself being unwillingly carried along,  only to be poked in the eye by one of the clumsy foe’s weapons.

You know what, I think this eye patch suits me,  I think I’ll get a pirate’s costume to go with it, arrrr!

!.

Thanks to GirlieOnTheEdge for hosting.

for Friday Fictioneers.

.

Why did I let her persuade me? She knows I suffer from seasickness. 

Mind over matter.  That’s it.  Say it.  I won’t, I won’t, I won’t throw up.

I’ll hold on tight. That feels better.  I’ll be okay. 

No no no, we are going down!

Eeeeeek … we’re going up! 

Ooooooo … I left my tummy behind!

Be brave.  Soon be over, nearly there, not much longer.

Take a deep breath, breathe, breathe.

That’s better, not rolling so much now. 

Wrong … help ….!

Thank goodness, it’s over at last. Help me ashore, please.

We’re never hiring a paddleboat again!

‘

‘

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting and to Ted Strutz for the picture.

Click the Froggies to join in the fun!

 

for Wordless Wednesday and others. 

 

 

Click images to enlarge.

Mooo!

Baaa!

.

Seven Sisters Cliffs, here we come!

We’ve made it to the cliff edge …

… now down the slope  to the beach!

We’ll walk back along the river through Cuckmere Haven.

 .

.

.

Now, where did I leave the car? 

Add your link to join in the fun!

for Sadje’s What Do You See? prompt

.

That cloud looks like a castle.

Oh yes, and that one’s like a ghost.

There’s a cauliflower!

And that’s a train.

That train’s not a cloud, it’s a vapour trail!

A what?

A vap … oh never mind.

Look, that one’s just like a big white bird.

So it is, it’s moving quicker than the others too.

Wooooo!

Ha-ha, it was a big white bird!

Yes, an incontinent one!

Looks like a cloud just landed on your head!

Oh shut up.

for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt where the given word is Empire and the limit,70 words..

.

.

The pub’s important. Beer’s important. Most important of all? The Landlord…or lady! 

Ruler of their empire. Loud, outgoing, a wicked sense of humour. Expert at puns and risqué jokes! An entertainer, entrepreneur. 

Keep them laughing, they’ll keep drinking! 

Be involved in conversations, appear interested no matter how dull.

No-no’s? Politics, religion.

If the above doesn’t come naturally, they’ll never succeed. You can’t fake personality.

 So, raise your glasses.  The Land…person!

 

*and yes, that is me in picture!

 

for Six Sentence Stories where the given word is Restore.

‘

n

I love this antiques market, hey look at that, over there, I’m sure you could restore it to its former glory, improve it even.

No problemo, I could reposition that, add some detail there, maybe even move those to the top then I’ll try getting rid of them…

No no, not…

… and when it’s done I could paint that bit red and that part green, even add a touch of blue but keep the side as it is unless you’d rather I …

No, listen, not that one, the one to the left of it!

Oh, that one, silly me, well I could attach a bit under there, take off that thing, possibly move that from there to here and….

.

 

Thanks to GirleOnTheEdge for hosting.