Thursday 31 August 2017

Vision


                Three Line Tales, Week 83


three line tales, week 83: origami paper cranes on a table

                                                                    photo by Dev Benjamin via Unsplash


Jennifer loved the crisp paper as she touched it and folded it perfectly from one corner to another, pressing it with her thumb nail,transforming a sheet of paper into a melange of shapes and sizes inviting admiring appreciation for all and sundry.

The apotheosis of her talent was when a Children's Magazine published her poetry and there was no looking back when she delivered a lecture to motivate under-privileged school-kids.

Her parents and her sibling were the pillars of support and they made up for her lack of sight.

                      Written for : 3Line Tales. Thank you Sonya.

Helpless









                                                                     PHOTO PROMPT © Roger Bulltot




Her helplessness reflected in her almond eyes, urging me to aid her.

I led her towards the monstrous stone-gate. Before boarding the SUV, she turned, her 

brown pupils scanning the entire facade of the isolated moss-laden fort ruins. Her clothes 

and jewellery spoke of antiquity.

Her demeanour seemed uneasy. Her body shrivelled with fright.

At the bend of civilization, she insinuated to alight.

Her fair arms bore lash-marks.

“Raja’s sentinels punish me. They are following us”.

“How long have you been wandering here?”

“Three centuries”, words spurted behind the veil.

Her silhouette pulverized to merge into the brown Rajasthan sands.



          Written for  : Friday Fictioneers. Thanks Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.


                                    

Click HERE to read all the FF stories.

 Notes :  Raja - Hindu King.

              Rajasthan- A state of India, is home to the large and inhospitable Thar desert.

              Click HERE to know more about RAJASTHAN.





Wednesday 30 August 2017

Young Princess

Six sentences   using the cue word BEND.


Her chic haircut, mesmerizing smile and sartorial tastes kept the flashlights beaming.

The paparazzi would bend backwards to capture her while she had captured the 

commoner's hearts.

The people's princess as she was known lived in the sprawling palace on a bed of thorns, 

devoid of love.

Her Prince Charming failed to charm her and win her love, for his interests lay elsewhere.

The world will never see a wrinkle, a grey strand or an ageing monarch.

A young life was cruelly snatched by Fate, the tiara was replaced by a wreath.


unnamed-11-e1462409384457

                                                 written for : Six Sentence Stories


Tuesday 29 August 2017

Interpretations


FFfAW Challenge-Week of August 29, 2017


                          130th Challenge

                                    


         This week's photo prompt is provided by Jade M. Wong. Thank you Jade!



“The peaceful island of Mumbai was bleeding from the insane terrorists’ bullets”, an 

infuriated quinquagenarian.

“Rapacious hands continue to slaughter Mother Earth of her green canopy”, an

environmentalist’s voice booms.

Media baron wielding a microphone chides, “Voice of the Press is asphyxiating.”

“Taxes are phlebotomizing a commoner’s domestic budget”, a housewife cries hoarse.

“The Pharmaceutical industry in cahoots with the medical fraternity are haemorrhaging 

the human fabric”, yoga guru blurts.

“The arrows of infidelity pierce the romantic heart”, from a dejected lover’s gullet.

The exhibit is besieged with numerous heads, ruminating and deducing, some surmising 

but none concurring.

“Mummy refuses to buy me polo and vanilla ice-creams”, a kindergarten kid explodes 

pointing to the white structure with a hole in between.

The opinionated heads erase their creased brows to loosen the tension and the museum 

resonates with laughter.

The lone Sabyasachi clad artist smiles at the various interpretations.

Discovery is not seeking new objects but in seeing the same object with new eyes, he 

concludes. His experiment is a success.



               Written for  : Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers.Thanks Priceless Joy.

                            
word count : 170

Notes : Read about Mumbai terror attack

                      Polo is a peppermint with a hole in between.

                                  Image result for polo peppermint

                      Sabyasachi  - An Indian apparel designer. 

Monday 28 August 2017

Faith


The prompt for today was the 25th word on the 25th page of the book we are reading presently. But since I am not reading any book, I decided to take the 25th word from the newspaper. The word is FAITH.


The Dictionary meaning of faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something.

Let us not dwell on the faith of the common people who have in the self-proclaimed 

Godman reigning the news, print and digital, for all the wrong reasons.

The faith of a person or people elevates an ordinary human or an inanimate object to the 

highest pedestal to acquire the status of Almighty. The lack of faith reduces the person or 

object to ordinary.


A devotee offers oblation to Ganges elevating the river to a Goddess or Ma (mother) 

while an atheist would just drink the river water and quench his thirst.


A sculptor chisels away the monolith having complete trust in his hands, his tools and the 

art acquired by him. The finished product can be exhibited in a museum, in an uber 

luxurious hotel entrance or in a temple. Connoisseurs appreciate the museum-piece as an 

art. In the sanctum sanctorum of the temple the statue is revered and devotees 

genuflect or bow their head in obeisance.


                                                    Image result for Quotes on faith



A strong marital relationship is based on the solid foundation of love and faith while a 

warring couple, in family court, have left both behind.


                                          Image result for Quotes on faith


A mother/parent hears and reads stories of children eloping away, falling in bad company 

or leaning towards substance abuse. In the ocean of uncertainties, there exists an island 

of faith that her upbringing is based on sound values and her child has imbibed them.



                                            Image result for Ganpati Bappa


I have great faith in Ganapati Bappa. I pray to thank for His blessings 

bestowed. I kneel down to Him for guidance at the crossroads of life. Many times while 

rationale thinking parts way with me, I rely on Bappa’s finger to tread the unknown path. 

He has fulfilled my wishes (sometimes) and when not, I have learnt (with time and age) 

to accept it graciously and gracefully. Maybe something bigger is in store for me, I say to 

myself.  My evening walk begins with the Ganpati Aarti in my mind.


Readers, where and how do you place your faith? Do share your story with me.


                        Linking this post to Friday Reflections, Write Tribe.


                                                 Everyday Gyaan

Note : Aarti - prayer.

(google pics)

Sunday 27 August 2017

Almanac

THE TEACHER – FLASH FICTION WRITING #FRIDAYFOTOFICTION AUG 25-30


Friday Foto FIction Prompt


People came from far and wide to consult him on wide ranging matters. No pair of feet 

returned from his threshold without unburdening their worries or dilemmas.

But his own kindred stable was far from picturesque. His three off-springs never saw eye-

to-eye and their better halves followed in their foot-steps. Shankar Shastri was least 

perturbed as he adept in handling them. The fault lay not in them but in their stars and 

he was well acquainted with their oddly placed planetary configurations.

The husband and the astrologer in him was concerned and protective of his naïve wife 

after his demise.

                                               *********************

At twilight, the aged widowed matriarch lit the lamp, read her husband’s old almanac and retired 

to bed. The old lady managed to keep the domestic machinery running smoothly with 

tact and understanding.

Shankar Shastri’s clairvoyant spirit steered her through the rough weather. The almanac 

was her saviour.


   

      Written for :  flash-fiction-writing-friday foto fiction-teacher. Thanks Tina Basu.

word count : 148


Ephemeral

                  Sunday Photo Fiction – August 27th 2017






         13 Dawn Miller 27 August 2017

                              Thanks Dawn M Miller for the lovely photo prompt.



Amisha preferred to be alone in the company of Nature. Her ornithology interests were 

pampered in the environs. She ventured out into the concrete jungle to buy essentials.

The few visitors to the sprawling but spartan cottage on the periphery of woods were 

discombobulated to notice the trio of porcelain set of cup-saucers stuck upright on 

wooden palisades with a respectable distance from each other. But knowing her penchant 

for being an outlier, they expected a departure from the usual.


She filled the empty space with grains and the other with water to attract the avian 

species despite knowing that the deep woods treasured berries and water bodies. From 

the portico, her keen eyes would feast on the different species of feathered friends that 

satiated from the tea-cups. Her brushed replicated the chirping shapes and colours on 

the canvas.


Did Nature have an agenda to make better use of the empty space or will it serve no 

purpose other than being a mere exhibit piece? Time would decide and patience was her 

virtue.

The feeble melody of the inmate of the nest occupying the empty porcelain filled her 

vacant nest of her heart. The feeling would be ephemeral, she realized.



                                                       Image result for a small bird nest in a porcelain cup


                                Written for : Sunday Photo Fiction


                                                     

word count : 200

Read  the other interesting SPF stories HERE.




Saturday 26 August 2017

Empty painting

         Weekend Writing Prompt #17 – Emptiness





Prose Challenge – Write a 50 word story inspired by the image above.  What is it? A blank screen edged in static? A chalkboard with no writing on it?  The strange view out of a window, perhaps from a spaceship?  You tell us.





Word Prompt : Emptiness
Bonus point for including any of the following words: emptiness, void, or abyss.



Black and white were the colours of her canvas. Her brush trudged with the strokes of 

emptiness of her reflection. With forlorn look at the painting she jumped, tearing the 

canvas, into the abyss of loneliness embracing the blackness and plunging into the valley 

of no return. Rest-in-peace, tired soul.

weekend Writing Prompt # 17 - Emptiness. Thank you Sammi Cox.



Emptiness

             Weekend Writing Prompt #17 – Emptiness




Poetry Challenge – Write a haiku on the theme of “emptiness”.


emptiness of water
is its immense strength

fills any shape

                     Image result for Water in different shape of containers


Written for : Weekend Writing Prompt # 17 - Emptiness  

Friday 25 August 2017

fear

                               


August 17, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write about an escape artist. It can even be you, the writer, escaping into a different realm or space in imagination. It can be any genre, including BOTS (based on a true story) or fantasy. You can focus on the escape, the twist or the person who is the escape artist.





The thought of looking down erupted beads of sweat on his face and his heart raced in his 

ears. This was before he met her. 



He stood unflinching. His feet in unison took the plunge. He was tearing down with 

speed, his lungs flush with fresh air. The canopy opened just in time and his soles kissed 

the ground.

She welcomed him and he thanked her for her timely intervention.


Nikita’s extraordinary powers helped him cure of acrophobia. She invaded his brain and 

excoriated a small part of his childhood hysteria.

                  Wish the parachute never opened, his wife gnashed.


written for :  Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction . Thank you Charli Mills.

belief

           WRITESPIRATION #129 52 WEEKS IN 52 WORDS WEEK 34



This week your challenge is to write a 52 word story including these words: Badger, amulet and coward
The amulet was fastened on his arm after prayers and oblation.

The little voice badgered her for an explanation.

“It will make you fearless” she hesitatingly answered.

“Ma, look”, index finger pointing to the wall and burying his head in a pillow.

Behind the painting was a gecko.


Coward.

The amulet unfastened.


          Writespiration-129-52-weeks-in-52-words-week-34.thanks Sasha Black.

                                   writespiration-2017

re'cycle'd memories


FLASH FICTION FOR THE PURPOSEFUL PRACTITIONER- 2017
WEEK #33



 bike


                                                           JulyMorgueFile file581316132183

   
She nodded and flashed her infectious smile to acquaintances and strangers alike to 

needle the thread of conviviality as she walked through the market.

Her eyes sparkled as a green bicycle leaned on the brick wall of pizza outlet.

Her caprice lead her to grab the metallic body and clambering on the vehicle, her legs 

moved as the twin wheels obeyed her. Her thoughts raced faster than her.

A voice chasing her momentum gathered speed. Her straw hat turned behind to locate 

the screaming owner of the bicycle whose fingers held a half-eaten pizza piece.

The pedals accelerated to yawn the gap between herself and the pursuer.  She winked 

and smiled mischievously at the stripling, teasing him to run faster.

His heart-beats increased rapidly with his panting strides.

She zig-zagged her speed as he tried to grab her blouse.

Her laughter became gleeful as his legs ran swiftly.

The pathway changed its countenance.

Jennifer’s body tilted as the metallic body lost balance.

“This is how I met Frederick five decades ago”, blurted the septuagenarian as she landed 

in the youthful arms of her ‘follower’. Frederick chuckled from the clouds.

A big pebble brought the chase to a standstill lay unaware.



                 Written for : Flash Fiction for the practical practitioner week # 33

Word count : 200


Thursday 24 August 2017

Faith unblemished.

         Thursday photo prompt – Cracked #writephoto



seeds of expectation sowed.

from the clouds nothingless flowed

into the barren field of farmer's mind.

sun set on horizon behind.

Natures oft amazes,

heavenly eyes gazes.

Green shrubs thrust out

from parched chasms, hope sprout.

egg-shell , dried foliage into manure,

from dust to dust for sure. 


              


recalcitrant clouds black bless,

ground adorns green dress.

Gratitude germinate,

earthlings cultivate,

harvest and prosperity, 

spreads fragrance of  humanity.

fires of hunger extinguished.

faith unblemished.



                    Written for :  Thursday Photo Prompt-Cracked # writephoto



                                                 #writephoto




                 Also linking to  : Poets-United-Midweek-Motif-nature.




discon'tent'




                                                            PHOTO PROMPT© Jan Wayne Fields


They sat under the canopy of open sky with the blanket of stars spread over them. But 

the pleasures of Nature aren’t always romantic and they hadn’t bargained for the 

inevitable. The grass bore their weight for some-time and the blades protested by 

piercing their derma, ants stung where they shouldn’t, insects encircled them like 

hovering helicopters.

The flames on their deflatable tent, inadvertently lit by the sole kerosene lamp inside, 

were tossed by the winds, added to their misery. Their nocturnal sojourn on the 

uninhabited island was the beginning of a nightmare.

Only dawn could rescue them. Till then……

           

                  Written for : Friday Fictioneers. Thanks Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.