Challenging

I can't believe we are almost at the end of the Our Lost Jungle Thirty by Thirty Challenge. Thanks to Khara House for the prompts and words of wisdom. I liked the inspirational quotes that were part of each prompt post.

 

Khara designed this challenge to help foster habits of creativity. For me, it has reinforced the motto-Don't think. Write!

 

When I started responding to prompts, I tried to think my way to the poems. Now, I write my way to them. I just start writing down words-rhymes, synonyms, antonyms. A phrase or sentence will pop up. Before long, I hit upon the word or fragment that gives me the idea I want to pursue. I even tried putting 10 minutes on a timer and was surprised how often the idea came to me within just a few minutes.

 

Sometimes the result is a completed poem, sometimes it's a fragment that I think has potential and sometimes it's a dud. No matter the result, the best part of responding to prompts is seeing where the words lead me.

 

I'm looking forward to the next Our Lost Jungle Challenge. I know Khara's working on it!

The following poem was in response to the prompt-Sentiment.

Triggers

 

I sat in the car

listening to the music,

tears running

down my cheeks.

It reminded me

that you would

never grow old and

that you were the

one who helped me soar.

 

I don't need the songs

to think of you; but

when I hear them,

I'm taken back in time.

So, I sit in the car

and listen.

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A New Chapter

 

 

I planted this daisy two years ago at the beginning of what turned out to be a very hot summer. I didn't think it survived the heat that year. I could always see a little bit of green, but it was so burned out that I thought I had lost it.

 

Last spring, some leaves started to sprout in the spot where the daisy had been. To be honest, I didn't know if it was the daisy or a weed. Because of the location, I decided to let the plant grow and see what happened. It continued to grow through the summer, but didn't flower.

 

This year, I was happy to see buds appearing. The picture shows the first flower in two years, not quite fully opened, and a couple of the other buds in the background.

 

This is my daisy's new chapter. It is strong and in full bloom.

 

A New Chapter is this week's Wordsmith Studio Creative Prompt. What does this prompt bring to mind? Write prose or poetry, take a picture or draw one. Put a link to your response in the comment section of the prompt post. Thanks to Dana Dampier for this prompt.

 

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Left In

 

Since the last post, my responses to the prompts for the Our Lost Jungle Thirty by Thirty Challenge have been on the serious side. I was ready for a little humor and took advantage of the prompt, "My Better Half" to go in that direction.

 

Left In

 

My better half

is left not right.

It's the half  I
use for everything,

except my golf swing.

With my left side,

I throw and catch

and kick and eat

and, of course, write,

but not very neat.

In restaurants, I

try to arrange

the seating so

I don't bump you

while we're eating.

Still, I'm glad

my parents didn't

try to change me.

I'd rather be

left in than

left out.

 

 

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Tuesday Photo-Rain

 

Walking in the neighborhood the morning after a storm, I captured these raindrops on the leaves of a black  maple. This branch sags down over the sidewalk.

 

Wordsmith Studio is now doing a weekly creative prompt. What's your pleasure-poetry, fiction, photography? Check out the prompt and create whatever you like in response to it. Post a link in the  comments section of the prompt post. Thanks to Kasie Whitener for this week's prompt.

 

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The Course Divas

 

 

We're almost halfway through the Our Lost Jungle 30 by 30 Challenge. If we were talking golf, we would say we are making the turn.

 

Well, we are talking golf! One of this week's prompts was green. Especially in the summer, green says golf course to me. For this prompt, I focused on putting greens.

 

The Course Divas

Putting greens are the
divas of the golf course.
Pampered and protected.
Mowed and manicured.
They receive extra water
during the summer heat.
There are rules about touching
and repairing greens, and
each hole is marked so players
don’t drive carts too close.
They look beautiful, but
they are temperamental.
They kick balls right and left, and
shrug them off into woods or water.
Bad behavior is forgiven
when we hear the plop
as a putt drops.

 

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Tuesday Photo-Childhood

 

 

 

This week's Wordsmith Studio Photo Prompt is Childhood. I decided to show you a couple of things that I have in my home that also were in my childhood home.

 

The first is a photograph of my maternal grandmother. My mother kept it on the buffet in the dining room. I keep it on a table in the living room. I didn't really know my grandmother, but I look like her. So much so that it gave me a start the first time I saw this picture.

 

The second piece is a lamp my mother had in the living room. I have it in my living room, too. I'm just giving you a taste of what it looks like. It has a yellow glass base, and I would say it is from the mid-1950's. I repainted the bottom area once and replaced the cord and socket. I'm trying to keep it going as long as I can.

 

What reminds you of childhood? Take a picture of it and post a link in the comments section on the Wordsmith Studio blog post. Thanks to Rebecca Barray for this prompt.

 

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Sometimes Inspiration Does Drop Out of the Sky

 

 

While I was out walking the other day, I saw a large bird circling high in the sky. It dropped down closer to street level then headed for a tree. I thought it had flown away.

 

When I was walking back home, I saw it standing on one of the lawns. I got one picture of it standing before it flew into a tree.

 



 

Of course, when I got home; I had to write something. As a matter of fact, I thought I could kill two...um..I could use the piece for two purposes.

 

That day, the prompt for Khara House's Our Lost Jungle Thirty by Thirty Challenge was red. Since my new friend has a red head, I thought he was an acceptable subject for the prompt. Secondly, I would have a new photo-poem combination.

New Neighbor?

 

Circling, circling
in an easy glide.
Wings spread wide.
Landing on a lawn.
Sitting in a tree.

Are you looking
for new lodgings, or
simply visiting?

Have you ever had inspiration drop out of the sky? Do you like to write about or photograph nature?

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Tuesday Photo-Silence

I decided to look to technology for this week's Wordsmith Studio Photo Prompt-Silence.

 

I think in today's world, earphones that aren't plugged into anything are a great representation of silence. No iPod, no smartphone, no iPad, no iTunes-no sound!

 

Take a picture that shows your image of silence and post a link to it on the Wordsmith Studio blog post for this prompt. Thanks to Rebecca Barray for another great prompt.

 

You also might be interested in the Our Lost Jungle Thirty x Thirty Challenge.

 

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