And so I shall write,
pausing only to visit my online companions.
Read well written lines – their creative compositions.
View beautiful photographs captured in a moment,
entertaining self of fellow artisans creativity.
Breaking tension of nerves with their soothing music,
all reminding, so sweetly, of life’s wonders,
still existing in the imagination of our minds …
and so I shall write!
*
Have an wonderful weekend, and enjoy!
~ Penny
~
Short short (flash) fiction – Friday Fictioneers, check it out! A wonderful weekly writing challenge for all writers, brought to you by the talented and gracious hostess (Rochelle). Click here and then – write!
This weeks photo prompt:
Photo credit: Jan Wayne Fields
Flash Fiction version:
(count – 100 words)
Paradise Lost
Remember my saying “when I am in your arms the world is a perfect place?” It was true. I felt loved, desired and safe. Three strong emotional needs we all share, I found in your arms. Isn’t that what paradise is all about? Shared experiences in the moment, our weekend in New York, wrapped in gossamer tissues of hopes, desires and promises.
Then our worlds clashed, private agendas displacing love with personal goals.
Now, memories of our brief happiness mixed with desire and longing. Loving memories of paradise … and paradise lost.
Missing the warmth of your arms.
*
The full length version:
Paradise Lost
I miss the warmth of your arms. I have for 6 long months now. But your agenda was different than mine. We did connect though, didn’t we? The long weekend we spent in one of the most romantic cities on the planet, New York, was heavenly in it’s perfection.
Do you remember my telling you, when I was in your arms, the world was a perfect place? I felt loved, desired and safe – all rolled into one. Three of the strongest emotional needs humans require. I found them all – in your arms.
But that’s what paradise is all about, isn’t it? What is experienced in the moment; wrapped in gossamer tissues of hopes, desires and promises. Such heady stuff.
And so we played, laughed and loved, reality continuing, all around us, while we lived our dreams. Then our worlds clashed, the love still there but overwhelmed by our individual game plans and our inability to express ourselves well – as you pointed out after you’d been gone for awhile and we were speaking on the phone – You asked why neither one of us had looked into the other’s eyes and said “I need you and love you so much” even though we both felt it.
Each, so insecure of self we feared the other’s open rejection and our own ability to be what we felt the other wanted – so we were silent.
But happiness was mine, for a brief period of time. Now I have memories of contentment mixed in with sensual desire and longing. Such loving memories of paradise and paradise lost.
I miss the warmth of your arms.
~*~
Thank you for reading, have a lovely day today and a beautiful tomorrow!
~ Penny
If you write and would like to improve your writing skills, I challenge you. Write a haibun this Week. The
Ligo Haibun Challenge is open to all writers, we encourage you to enter.
To read about the Haibun style of writing and the rules to this challenge, click here. This is a weekly challenge so be sure to enter before the closing date and time. Click on the link collection to view time remaining, add your link and to access and read other entries for this week.
August has past and September has arrived, bringing seasons change to many parts of our planet. We tend to reflect more on things, as a new season emerges. I think possibly we are closer to nature during these times. Why is that do you suppose?
Another time of reflection occurs when we read quotes. The hosts (Nightlake, Ye Pirate and myself) of the Ligo Haibun Challenge have chosen the following two quotes for your reflections; delving into the romantic and philosophical nature of things.
The haibun you will be writing this week will use one of the following two quotes:
“Not only the thirsty seek the water, the water as well seeks the thirsty.” Rumi or “If your heart is a volcano, how shall you expect flowers to bloom?” – Khalil Gibran *I have picked the second quote by Khalil Gibran, as my prompt:
There has been great turbulence within me. Rumbling, cascading, volcanic emotions spewing forth in varying directions. Should one wonder at this? Extremes. Where they lay within. Am I given to holding inside the intensity of my feelings and then releasing all in an explosive cacophony of rich sensations. Is this how I live?
Now, just as my fellow volcanoes, I sit dormant as those around me – I, the expatriate of change. Is my time done or as a few of them, do I wait? Seething beneath calm smoothed over exteriors, viewing meadows of flowers in the nearby valley. I so long to feel the color and beauty they project and exemplify. I feel drab with lifelessness. At least I felt alive with my explosive nature during those passionate outbursts of living life.
Those same wildflowers have come to play and bloom upon the surface of my understanding. Wind, rain and sun – all companion me. I should be grateful, gazing upon the growing lushness of life around me. I did contribute after all, in my own fashion, within my nature. Why then am I so unsettled? Am I only a volcano in the scheme of things?
no middle ground only a volcano knows extremes of change~
Thank you for reading my haibun offering this week.
There will be a special post honoring all the entries of the Ligo Haibun Challenge for the past month of August. This will include special mentions and updates!
I look forward to sharing these writers with you!
Have an excellent rest of your day and weekend ahead, thank you for stopping by,
~ Penny
How many of us have said or heard the words “I Can’t”. All of us, and everyone is my guess.
When you say “I Can’t” do you know you’ve just sent a very real chemically relayed message to your brain that tells you to go to your memory storage vaults and back up the “I Can’t” statement with “proof”.
We are giving instructions to the brain. Your memory will reinforce the “I can’t” for you. It is happy to oblige, because it wants you to feel good about your choices, that’s the ‘ol self-survival thingy kicking in! Is this true? Yes!
Everytime you say “I can’t” it’s harder to say you can! Our mind is wonderfully inventive when it comes to all the reasons (rationalizations) as to why we can’t do something. But it just doesn’t hold water, if it did, we would not have survived as a human race.
Now as far as rationalizations go, the biggy today is Time. It is a valid reason for not having the time to do a thing during your days activities – but it is not your enemy.
Time is precious and for many of us it does seem to run out quicker than we’d like it to. But the truth is if you really want something bad enough you are going to figure out a way to get it, aren’t you?
So if time isn’t the problem, but you still can’t seem to get those creative words to come out, relax let go a little bit.
Or maybe you’re at a different place and the words are done but you don’t know what to do next – or it seems so hard to do the next step (like it’s so much more to be done); this final step to realizing your dream coming true.
I recommend the following: Follow you heart, follow your dreams. Discipline is important. Understanding that effort + action will achieve results. Also research is important, spend a little time researching the “what & how” to do something . Put passion into this as well. Just don’t use the words “I Can’t”, because it isn’t true, you know … You Can!
I’ll leave you with (hopefully a little inspiration! It’s just a little seed of an idea. Some thoughts I would share with you.
Most mighty things – begin very small. Many great achievements were made with very slow and hesitant steps towards a goal. Success happened because those who achieved never stopped. And if they misstepped they still kept going, Perhaps they’d regroup or pause and start over, but they never stopped.
*
*
~
Hold fast to your dreams, never let go, never stop.
Thank you for stopping by,
~ Penny
~
Acrobatic performers present a visual balance, their bodies the essence of form and movement – muscles, tendons and sinews honed to an edge – physically obvious, yet from facial expressions, their style internal as well.
When writing creatively, I combine various elements of myself. My intent is to impart, through the use of words, specific sensations or thoughts.
If I adapt to a certain style, this becomes a part of what I wish to convey – not because of following or focusing on any preconceived methodology. I do not wish to constrict flow from my written words.
Writing a haibun is – in part – a form of discipline, a given set of criteria to be followed. But that is only a physical application of pen/pencil to paper or printed word to screen. When I impart an essence of who I am into the flow of my words (whether from imagination or experience) … that becomes my true haibun.
To become well versed in a written art form, I use differing creative tools of
expression, for various situations; changing techniques but allowing a smooth flow between. With the writing of a haibun and a haiku, there is “a style within a style” and of course the balance between the two.
To acrobatic performers the “Art” is the expression and movement of their body, to move fluidly without hesitation to balance, as required, with an internal flow of their own!
And so it should be for all artistic souls (those who write, craft, paint, photograph, etc. – each a form of creative expression). The flow or movement their own.
artistic flow creativity of movement a balance of style~
Thanks for stopping by to read,
~ Penny
A writer’s gift – yours!
Chances are if you are a blogger, you express yourself very well. Your hands have the gift of being able to put thoughts and expressions, ideas and vision into written words (and photographs and illustrations, art, videos, music, etc) But most all of you can write!
For all you non haibun writers, I believe that perhaps if it were worded differently you might be interested in giving it a try! So I’d like you to consider writing a short piece with only the following thoughts in your mind.
Your writing style: Write the way you normally write, especially if you write in
a journal. If you don’t write in a journal. Then write the thoughts you’re thinking of in the moment. What comes to mind. You’ll find your words may flow (like thoughts) just write. Worry about editing afterwards. As your words flow you’ll see they have a rhythm (not rhyming like a poem, more open like free verse), they may even be terse and to the point. Have your written piece be just a few paragraphs or so.
Let it be a thought, an experience, or a feeling that comes to mind after you view a “prompt”. It can be a fictional story, or not, just as long as it is the 
“telling” or presenting of a thing! (much like in many schools “when growing up” you’d share in front of the class something you did for the summer kind of “telling”!)
After you’ve written your piece. Read it out loud to yourself.
And then go back and tighten it up. See if there are any words you can change or remove to make it more focused, specific and full of the flavor of you (that which you want to convey, express). Take just a little time here for this.
When you finish your written piece; add a short 3-line, ‘free verse’ poem, total about 14 to seventeen syllables. Have the middle line slightly longer than the others.
Your poem should contain your feelings on the subject you’ve just written about. Perhaps a summation or a realization (the essence of understanding, the point).
Got it? Here are your prompts! Pick one of the following two photographs.
Photo compliments of Nightlake, copyright © 2013 by Padmini
or
Photo compliments of Penny, copyright © 2013
Now, WRITE! then I’d like you
to publish your written piece on your blog and enter the piece you’ve just written, in the blue box below, follow the instructions (easy ones). I look forward to reading your words!
I think you might just surprise yourself how well you will do. Most importantly have fun.
Honourable Mentions for last week’s Ligo Haibun Challenge will be posted soon! Once again there were many excellent entries! Thank you for sharing your creativity with us and others this past week!
~ Penny
~
Regardless of your age.
Reading is always cool! One of the things I incorporate
into most of my days is taking a little time to read!
I have a book (or kindle) handy
while waiting for appointments or trips to the park.
Relaxing in the evening
with a good book, curled up in a chair is a treat for me.
Have you read a book lately?
Give it a try! A great way to unwind!
~
Have an excellent day today! ~ Penny
Before we had clocks, we used the sun to monitor the passing of time during daylight hours. Makes sense! Depending on the time of day the sun is in a different place. Something to track. Same thing with nighttime hours, when the sky was clear. We kept track of time based on where the moon was in the sky. The thing here is – at some point in the evolution of our keeping track of time, we lost time.
We lost the valuable time being spent in close, interactive relationships with each other and nature. (So my story today has to do with the time of it all).
~
“tempus fugit”
~
Join in the creativity. Write a short short story (Flash Fiction), based on Alastair’s photograph. Click here: Alastairs Photo Fiction Link – to get started. Good Luck!
Time is fleeting, I hope your time today was spent well for you!
~ Penny
Welcome to the weekly Ligo Haibun Challenge. To view the honourable mentions from last week’s Challenge, scroll to the bottom. You will also find more information on how to enter.
The prompts this week are:
Monsoon or Haze
~
For my haibun entry this week I have chosen the word: Monsoon
The Monsoon comes
His boat touched sandy bottom. Breathing huge gulps of salty wet air, he tugged on the small boat; still fighting the torrential winds, rain, and his exhaustion. Pulling his boat up a little further from the waves he fell onto the soaked sand, rain continuing to pummel his body.
He had almost been claimed by the sea. So very close. The ocean becoming vast, looming over him with deep and rolling waves. The shoreline, far away. Lost and alone in his boat he knew he was too far from shore. Proud. His pride in his boat, the carvings his own. So he had strayed and stayed, out on the ocean – too long.
The struggle, intense. Ocean waves pouring down, tumbling him and his boat over and under the monster waves, his now insignificant and small boat. But he had a hand hold and held on to the edge of his boat, swimming through the roiling waters pushing himself and his boat in the direction of the shore. He swallowed so much of the ocean, his body was bruised and he lay next to his boat, staring at the carvings, as the monsoon swept over him. He had survived.
the monsoon comes torrential rains, changing winds unforgiving of life~
The Honorable Mentions for last week’s Haibun Special Challenge are:
Celestine, of Reading Pleasure
Thank you, Celestine and Eric for your haibuns. They were both excellently written. Click on their name to read their entries. It was very difficult for the judges to chose from so many quality submissions this week and with much reluctance I allowed myself to be overruled and picked as one of the honorable mentions by the other judges. I am honored to be included along with the others.
To me, writing a haibun is a personal challenge and I would, at this time, like to extend an invitation to all those who enjoy writing, to join us and become a part of our Haibun community. We welcome your creative talents.
For more information on how to enter click here or go to the tab marked Ligo Haibun at the top of my blog. Your entry should be submitted prior to next Friday,
Thanks for your visit, have an wonderful weekend!
~ Penny
~
Time for a new Līgo Haībun Challenge
Last week’s standard of haībun was excellent making it difficult to choose. The Honorable mentions are:
Each is well worth a visit to read. Thank you for all those who entered.
For the specifics on how to write your own haībun, and enter the challenge, click here.
I know there are so many more great writers out there, I can’t encourage you enough to give this challenge a try. Go on, your muse is waiting for you!
This week, the prompts to choose from are either:
“The Sun” or “Childhood memory of summer camps“
~
The prompt I choose this week for my haibun offering is
THE SUN
~
We observers, arch our necks to look up at the bright sun passing over head each day. Earth rotates around the sun. As viewed from the surface of our planet, the sun appears to revolve around us. At varying times we follow the sun’s path from the morning side of our vision to the evening side of our vision. In orbital fashion the sun informs and reminds us that we exist … just because … while nourishing, with sunshine, along the way of circular travels.
When we speak of the circle of life, we think of ecology and the delicate balance of nature (all life) on our planet. And yet in truth, when we look up to gaze on ‘our sun’ each day; life as we know it and it’s continued existence, is completely dependent upon this shining star in the sky. The circle of life is the sun, and we merely spectators waiting upon the event horizon.
shining sun above viewing eyes of creation the circle of life ~
~
Next week is a Ligo Haibun Special, celebrating the Ligo festival! Prizes will be given for Honourable 
Mentions! Now is definitely the time to become a part of this international group of writers, just click on the Ligo Circle of Appreciation!
The Why About This 