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Drops of pure water
to succor and secure life
plus many drops more
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A few words, a haiku, to illustrate the importance of pure clear water in our lives. I humbly suggest “we” make reasonable changes in our personal lives to help insure the well being of a fresh water supply for our future. Something we can take a positive hand in, beginning in our home and work place.
Thank you,
~ Penny
photograph © Alastair Forbes
Photo prompt of a bridge going over a small river:
Not my usual gig.
I’m a detective. Wat (pronounced watt, short for ‘Waters’) Allen Bridge, my name. ‘Wat’ a nickname I got as a kid who loved being in the water more than anything else.
Anyway, I would have turned this gig or job down, except the money was too good, I was down to my last sawbuck and then there were the usual enticements; gorgeous sexy broad in fear for her life, hidden stash of cash, mob involvement … yada yada yada.
Like I said, all the usual we P.I.’s get our kicks out of … with one exception. The fish bowl.
Lily, that’s the broad’s name, came in carrying a fish bowl with obligatory goldfish, mermaid, fake sea grass and a closed miniature treasure chest sitting on some gravel inside. The water swishing along with the dame as she walked over and set the bowl on my desk.
‘What’s with the fish bowl, doll?” I asked.
She explained. According to his will, inside the closed treasure chest were a portion of the remains of her deceased husband. Not missing a trick I said, “Yeah if his remains are in there, he’s definitely deceased!” She wasn’t amused. She told me that inside the remains, inside the treasure chest was a key. A key to the location of a million dollars.
The problem was she couldn’t bring herself to open the miniature chest and dig through her husband’s remains to get the key. Which I could understand being a sensitive guy, but a million smackers is still a million smackers and for what I was being paid, no prob. I could get my fingers wet and open the sucker… or so I thought.
But the more I thought about it, well it kinda’ started to bother me too. Putting my fingers inside his remains just seemed, well, weird.
So here we sit staring at the fishbowl. I am troubled.
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Hope I made you smile, at least a little bit!
For more information about Sunday Photo Fiction click here for the details. Alastair will be your capable and caring guide. And, while there, be sure to click on the little blue guy for more short stories by some great writers!
Thanks for stopping by, have a great Sunday and week ahead,
~ Penny
Photograph by Barbara Beacham ©
The Forever Reminder
The people waved at him from the bridge below. Over the years he had never forgotten. Hardwired to his memory – that particular moment in time. As a hydrologist it was his job to locate groundwater determining depth, quality and most important – the actual amount of water, usually from a place much closer to the ground than he had found himself that day. That eventful day.
Anticipating the groundwater to be shallow, he had not expected there to be – none. And so it came to pass around the globe. No more fresh, clean ground water. As glaciers melted and more fresh water mixed with the ocean, eventually all water was sea water.
Many huge factories and plants were constructed to remove salt from the water for drinking purposes, but it was never the same. Most life died or changed it’s biological nature. Some humans survived. He and his family were among the lucky ones.
When his daughter asked what fresh drinking water was, the image of people waving from a bridge, where fresh water flowed beneath, appeared in his mind. It had became a “forever reminder” of what had been and would never be again!
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Be sure and give Barb’s new flash fiction weekly challenge -” Monday’s Finish The Story a try! The rules are easy to follow: Just write a short, very short, story (roughly 100-150 words) using the photo as a prompt and begin your story with the line that Barb shares with us. This week the line is: “The people waved at him from the bridge below.”
A good writing exercise and fun too (if you enjoy writing). For more details or to view other entries just click here!
Hope everyone has a great week ahead,
~ Penny
Hi everyone,
I’ve been working on a blog dedicated to the writing of haibun for awhile now, but it has been ‘slow going’ for a variety of reasons. Today I’d like to pass along some information from a recent posting in The Haven of Haibun (this blog is still a work in progress – very few posts to date – but do visit if you’d like to.)
As for those interested in the ‘haibun style of writing’ read on:
Focus, Observation, and Flow of words. Key elements.
Consider the art of writing haibun from the singular purpose of capturing a flow when you write.
Your Assignment -Watch the flow of moving water in nature for awhile. Focus on the flow, observe its nature.
Journey to a nearby river, stream or the ocean and shore line. Even a fountain in a park will do. Any body of moving water near you. Take a journal along. When you arrive at this location, be in the moment mentally and physically. Take the time to experience everything happening with the water.
Walk along the water (if possible) for awhile. Watch the water’s movement. Observe the various currents. The water’s ebbs and flows. Whether rapid, fast moving swollen rivers, or gentle gurgling streams, notice the changes. The flow or flux (variability) of moving water in nature exhibits many of the characteristics with which we humans contend in our own emotional natures. There is a connection to be made here. You want your visceral experience to relate to your written word.
Think about how the water flows.
Haibun words should move in a like manner. While sentence structure defines how we connect words to one another to create expression and/or narrative, of even greater value for artistic writing is the ability to consider positioning or placement of each word used from the perspective of flow. A few examples:
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Completing your assignment with your written words: Write a haibun that is a thought or memory of an experience regarding the flow of water. Sensations and emotional feelings can add much here.
See if you can match the flow of water to your words. Follow the general rules (read more here if needed) for writing your Water Haibun, (one or several paragraphs with accompanying haiku) and be sure to enjoy the process.
Good writing be with you,
Penny
This week the Ligo Haibun Challenge presents two quotes as prompts! I have chosen the George Carlin quote:
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“And then there are the times when the wolves are silent and the moon is howling.” ― George Carlin
A full moon out tonight, as I walked alone. A clear sky too. Very cool, the air crisp this late in the season. I didn’t notice the full moon right away, my mind turning out to be every bit as full as the moon shining down on me. My thoughts confusing, taken up with the insanity of life’s struggles! The moon seemed to have it’s own agenda anyway, up there so high, aloft from everything happening down here.
I remember shivering, pulling my jacket tightly against my body, I don’t know what possessed me to walk down to the river in the first place. It’s even chillier there, but I could hear the water lapping against the shore and it seems soothing – does that sound crazy – and I’m tempted, indeed drawn to the dark liquid. The need to touch, so strong. It won’t change my existence, still I scoop up the water in my hands, feeling velvety ice water threading through my fingers.
Damn, everything feels so futile tonight, an emptiness. The moon mocking my solo sojourn to the river, as if to echo those meaningless feelings. I see my kneeling silhouette illuminated against the rippling water, proving my reality, at least. My fingers are frozen numb now, doesn’t matter. I could hear the moon, you see. It was howling and I recognized the tune. I’d heard it before.
And with that recognition I could walk back home, even with the moon still mocking in it’s solitary mode. I’m impervious now, entirely focused on rubbing my hands together to get some warmth back into them.
just another night no winners, no losers – just life and the howling moon .For more information about The Ligo Haibun Challenge and to give your writing talents a try click here! A great activity for writers to take part in!
~ Penny
Jack and Emma Creating a Flow
There is a flow in life, in nature. We each feel it on our ‘good’ days, the rythmn seems to be a whispered song in the background making tasks and activities seem easier, better, more in tune.
For those of us, the creative ones, these are heavenly days.
On those tough days remind yourself of this flow, be gentle with yourself and others. Relax, take a deep breath and start over again. Just a reminder to all my very busy friends from Blogville.
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The Poetry The Bloggers Challenge is over and the work continues determining who will win. It is very close, there are many very well written poems.
This is not as easy as I had thought it might be. Having said that I’m close to reaching a decision. Thanks for being patient with me, see my troubled brow on my picture today, lol.
Actually this has been great fun for me and I think everyone will enjoy reading the winning entries and agree with my decisions!
Go with the flow today, and always, take care of you my friends ~ Penny
Well okay it’s Saturday. I wanted to do something outside my box on this Saturday to make it a little bit different from other Saturdays. You know something cool, fun maybe even creative.
I headed down to the river. The river that is engorged with water from lots and lots of rain. Remember my nice little soliloquy from the other day. I still do love rain, but then again everything in moderation has it’s points also, I think.
My idea of communing with nature, up close and personal was a little bit closer than desirable.
In the end my visitation seemed to center around the bench in the river. There was something fascinating about it. I was drawn to the exclusive aspect of the bench sitting there in the water by itself. Did experiencing the river bench live up to expectations, No. Was the water wet and cold? Yes! Did my feet become frozen from the frigid temperature of the water? Yes! And so it goes.
Mother Nature is always close at hand to humble us anew – A PennyQuote
The Why About This 