Saturday, August 31, 2013

Risshuu and Beautiful Japanese Moon

                                                                                      Attribution: Petritap
Image:  Beautiful Autumn Colors
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Risshuu, shedding of
leaves but full of colors with
Japan’s moon yonder

Liken to life’s fling
to maturity before
old age feel beckons

Melancholic stroll to
cold spell but signals start of
new activities

Back to School, sports and
Halloween, a plate full of
promotions galore

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #286 - Risshuu (coming of autumn)


Having Fun with Slogans

                                                                                           Attribution: Kici
Image: A Big Mac
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Dell says Get More out of Now
Ford was Built for the Road Ahead
Take Me To The Hilton take a bow
With Intel Inside

Connecting People is Nokia’s concern
Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven
The Company for Women, that’s Avon
For women too
The Ultimate Driving Machine BMW

Relax, It's FedEx

At JC Penny
It's all Inside
I'm Lovin' It, that's McD
Nike says Just Do It

Brian is hosting with slogans at d’Verse Poetics: Rattling the Stick inside the Swill Bucket

Friday, August 30, 2013

Elusive Inner Peace

                                                                                 Attribution: Ian Petersen
Image: Peaceful Scene before the Snow Shower
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Spreading an inner
feel, unwittingly prodding
an undisturbed mind

Searching for truth as
peace within rare as shooting
stars on starless nights

Unsettled bubbling
breaking tranquility with
staccato outbursts

Unwind slowly to
voices of reason lurking
deep - for salvation

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #285 - peace within

'swing of the gate'

Just the cellar pit
only the catbird recalls
the swing of the gate
All others will not bother
Such trivial matters can wait

Just the cellar pit
only the catbird recalls
the swing of the gate
Savior to those caught napping
from foolishly tempting fate

Note:  It comprised a Mabson Southard’s haiku of 5-7-5
syllables (in italics) and we are to complete it with 2 lines
of  7-7 syllables for a Tan Renga

of Southard’s ‘the swing of the gate’ haiku

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Luscious Lips

                                                                Attribution: Gabriel Delgado
Image: Beautiful Lips
Source Wikimedia Commons (here)

Luscious lusty lips
Bewitching twitching puckered
wet and flaming red 

Glossy lips shining
moisturizing of subtle
Max Factor colors

Louisville Lips giving
tips when they should fall very
accurate in all

Written for Mrsupol's Theme Thursday with prompt - lips

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Being a Master Chef

                                                                               Attribution: Saloca
Image: A Chef Preparing Salads
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Tim’s words at Real Toads:
bang believe bite broken calypso climb crickets
cryptic carriage drumbeat edgy fancy master leverage
moon precipice  pepper  rapidly thrust  soufflé

Thomg’s 3 Word Wednesday:
anticipate serene fearless

She felt a little edgy to believe the worst
Fancy a cryptic message bang on the table
It was delivered a while ago. Little did she
anticipate a serene morning to bring bad
tidings. It broke her little heart

Drumbeat of rapidly broken tunes bite into
her memory. A calypso of shrill crickets sound
permeates the air thrust upon the precipice
of life’s concerns

 She had yearnings of becoming a master chef to
climb and bid for the moon.  It is a calling peppered
with designs of soufflé entrees, salads and desserts to
leverage on Mom’s specialties. This is the carriage
of conscience upon her shoulders borne of a family
tradition

Sadly it is not to be. If only she had been able to
surmount the first hurdle it would have been
plain sailing

She is determined to try again! Her fearless nature
takes over the bidding

Written for Tim’s potpourri of words in Real Toads - Get Listed - of Cat Nips and Moon
and Thomg’s 3WW

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Lower House of Parliament


                                                                     Attribution: Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams
Image: The House of Parliament
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

In the august house
Things stirred up only too well
Just as expected

Wave of new MPs
Making first appearance and
Trying to impress

Lacked maturity
Ideals of Westminster thrown
off unashamedly

Euphoria should not
go overboard lest it was
seen as a circus

A phenomena (in the recent 2 General Elections to Parliament) was the
entry of opposition politicians who had the sudden good fortune of being
elected in. Parliamentary decorum was fully tested with walkouts and other
conducts frowned upon by Westminster..

Written for Brian's hosting at d'Verse OpenLinkNight week #111

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Road Safety Measures

                                                                                       Photo by Steven Kelly
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Safety measure awareness
A designated assurance 
Knocks at the reckless  
Road casualties are alarming

Necessary that caution
Be positively identified
Only at specified sections
One is to pass as advised

A public service to users
Wisdom comes too late
Ignored with dire consequences
Regret is the resultant take

Man and machine on icy roads
On a lethal combination mode

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #183 and Open Link Monday at Real Toads


The Inspired Duo

                                                                         Attribution: ABC Telivision
Image: Batman and Robin
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Mysterious when
relaxed hanging upside down
Threat to fruiting trees

Gotham City duo
Batman, Robin fairness and
upholding justice

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights #273 with prompt  - bats

The Sunday Whirl

Image: Courtesy of Sunday Whirl

Sunday Whirl with the following words:
bitter cries enough fierce filters gusting 
keep out pieces springs south train

bitter cries filter through,
putting enough feelings of success
into his train of thoughts

the gusting winds carried the sounds
of fierce barking further south
clearly the deer and the doe are
surrounded within the clump of
bushes in the center

the hunters try to keep pieces of
information that springs out of the
crackling wireless set to a low volume

it will be just a matter of time!

Saturday, August 24, 2013

It's All About Advertising

                                                                             A Fishy Story - Judith Clay
Image: Courtesy through Claudia at d"Verse

Time in its life that twirls
When a fish of a kind
In need of space to move
Determines its directions
To fulfill a need to secure
Some form of freedom

Does it help to test a form
To let it be known to the world
For want of a better way
Than to seek the kind help
Of newspaper's sway
With their kind of spin and spat
So to speak a walking advert 
But considering the situation
a phenomena a swimming insert
Is bandied about incessantly
For posterity

A ‘sandwich carrier’ likely it seems
That walks the pavements, a lone being
Through a dense underwater scene
That’s how it is to be so keen
Now weaving between stumps
To adequately be seen not in the dumps
An underwater advertising!
Nothing serious just some whimsical spinning!
A fishy story
For all to hear and see!

Written for Claudia's hosting at d'Verse with  Poetics: Judith Clay -  to feature
a poem based on the drawings of the artist Judith Clay


Conversations Anywhere At All

                                                                                 Attribution: Benson Kua
Image: Engrossed in Conversations
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Interaction with
like minded souls on common
grounds to speak with ease

Necessarily
The level of thinking and
wave length is the same

Not plain sailing to
strike a conversation, does
it matter, really?

Written for Chev's CARPE  DIEM #280 -  conversations

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Seeing Double Up There

                                                                                 Attribution: David Armer
Image: Thunderbirds in a Reversed Stacking Order
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

High up above there in the heavens
A classic show of outright confidence
Alone as if holding hands together
Skilled notions in a reversed order

In a world of uncanny precision
Lost in marked concentration
Wrought in risks and danger
Oblivious but pursuit of adventure
Puts the yardstick to measure
For Man and machine together

(55 Words)

Brian hosting on his birthday today at d'Verse with Meeting the Bar: Getting Tight
to write a story in 55 words in line with G-man's Friday Flash 55

Warrior of the Jungle

                                                                                 Attribution: Lea Maimone

Image: A Formidable Warrior
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

3 Word Wednesday with words:
sullen distinct irrational

It is meant to be
One, regal  in outlook
Determined to stamp
its authority on others
Sullen but with semblance
of leadership  distinct
from irrational behavior

The outlook of one focused
On enhancing its progeny
In the face of tussles from
The younger generation

Survival of those favored
With strength of staying
power to maintain its hold
on the harem and the pride
Unless and until toppled
By a pretender to all the
trappings and the perks
befitting of one respected
as that of a
warrior of the jungle!

Written for ThomG's 3WW


Wednesday, August 21, 2013

I Cried Out For Clyde


                                                                            Attribution: Alfa100us
Image: A Typical Clyde Pose When it Slept, Very Unlike other Cats
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Upon  my daughter Azlin’s Commencement
she stayed on for a few months in the States
Clyde, a Scottish Fold came into her life.
It shared the apartment with her other house-mates
Azlin got attached to it and didn’t have the heart
but to take it back home.

At the airport Clyde in its cage was watery in its eyes
'meowing' pleading to be released. Azlin was shedding
tears unashamedly on the couch next to it sadly
thinking Clyde would be alone in the cargo hold.

It went through quarantine for  a few days upon
arrival. Again tears freely flowed before Clyde was
brought home to meet with the rest of our family.

It was such a joy!  Being a house-cat
it set in motion the routine for the household for
the few years following. 

It would lay down at its own corner upon 
layered ‘beddings’ or otherwise loitering
around the house, chasing and messing with the pieces
of strings or little rounded objects that we bought.
The fabric lounge set was subject to frequent
scratching before it got ‘shooed’ away every
now and then

Daily chores of scooping the ‘balls’ of pee and poo
from the ‘sand’ and replenishing same, a refreshing
bath occasionally when ticks invaded the silky fur
rare visits to the vet and even being left at the
Pets Hotel when the family went out of town
for a few days. Not forgetting buying the cat food 
pellets and sand from the Pet Shop every so often.

This went on for a few years of Pet bliss until one day
it suddenly went heavy on both hind legs and
was dragging itself about.

The vet confirmed besides old age there were
some complications of its colon and lower parts
of its tummy. It so happened it was due for surgery
when most of the family members were
away in Alor Star about 500km up north.
My daughter was at the vet but was called
back to the office we were later told.

The surgery took place anyway and Clyde was
alone with strange people around him.Clyde
did not make it.. When the sad news was conveyed,
I cried out as the rest of the family.

We had Clyde buried in a shallow grave at the back-yard
But the sadness and tears lingered on for a few days.
More so when it seemed that prior to surgery when Clyde
did not get to see us it broke its little heart. The vet staff
said this could have hastened its demise. It seemed possible.

Animals have strange ways of knowing if the family members
were close by or not. It could have survived  if we had been
there to give the moral support.

We felt terribly sorry we were not there when 
Clyde needed us most!

Written for Kim's hosting at Poets United  to include as prompt - I cried out -
Verse First and to write in the first person


Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Erotic Fan Dance

                                                                             Attribution: User AngMoKio
Image: A Sequence in a Fan Dance
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Sophistication for a lady
Served a purpose of elegance
A fan a functional accessory
Useful in some situations

A fan dance commonly seen
In many cultures in the East
Of traditional dance sequence
As an accessory of modesty
To hide the lower part of the face
In a coy manner of pretense
Found credence in Spanish flamenco
Even in some instances

Nothing compared to traditional dances
commercialized and tainted with adaptations
where erotic movements were thrown in
And despite dancers were covered
but of seemingly nude illusions
By whatever little could be hidden
Behind a couple of ostrich feather fans
Such were the wonders of Sally Rand
Arrested even in the act of performance
Deemed to be lewd and outrageous
First performed in the years of the Depression
Found acceptance through the ages
Appeared on stage even into the 70's
And paradoxically an advocate of niceties 

Written for d'Verse OpenLinkNight week #110


Monday, August 19, 2013

Journey to India


Image: Hank (extreme left) with friends at the Mahatma Gandhi 
Memorial in New Delhi

Journey to India
Steeped in richness of culture
Varied variety

Sanskrit scriptures, Taj
Mahal Qutab Mina, land
of sita music

Preponderance of
Technology and software
development skills

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #276 - Journey to India and shared with
Open Link Night at Real Toads

A Water Baby

                                                                           Picture by Elena Kalis
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

A water baby
Prowess in water was of
utmost importance

Thrown to the deep end
Was no bother after all
for a keen swimmer

Penchant for water
Frolicking at the pool-side
Was her kind of fun

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #182

Sunday, August 18, 2013

A Traffic Crawl (MF)


Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Annual jeopardy for H.Kong
folks. Traffic crawl out of the
city to be home in time for
Chinese New Year was as far
as the eyes could see!

(140 characters)

Grandma aka Linda at Succinctly Yours week #126 challenged us to write a Micro Fiction 
with the image above not exceeding 140 characters and to include the word  - jeopardy

The Sunday Whirl


Image: Courtesy of The Sunday Whirl

Sunday Whirl Wordle #122 with words:
degrees dreamed floor heart if nestled period persuaded space 
stay tribute vision years

The floor gave way and his heart sank
As if it was not bad enough already
It was that period of a lull in sales.

The fault in part was not so much in
the degrees of intensity of marketing
efforts of his division but more so in the
marketing mix envisaged for the outfit.

There was no attempt to really consider
a revision or even an adoption of a new
version that could well have a positive impact

The strategies persuaded for the ensuing
years ahead stayed in a space nestled in 
the mind of the CEO whose resistance to 
change had been the bane of the management
team.

It was ostensibly a tribute to the founder’s
vision who died recently. His ideas were
considered archaic which could no longer
hold water in the face of rational decision
making and progress in a changing market

But nobody dreamed or dared  to suggest a
change. His eldest son who was now an advisor
but regarded an imbecile in the business was
calling the shots!

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Silent but Vibrant

                                                                         Author: Photos Public Domain
Image: Heart Shaped Crystal Pendant
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Life’s rhythm in light
regular beats, assurance
of precious presence

Silent heart exudes
inner feelings of love grasped
tightly undaunted

Palpitating throbs
soothed pagan yearnings to prop
vibrant calls of faith


Written for Chev’s CARPE DIEM #274 with prompt the silent heart

Friday, August 16, 2013

Write and Communicate!

                                                                              Artist: Gabriel Metsu
Image: Writing a Letter
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Got to hand it to them
Communicating but some
Not really in the dark
Not on a lark
But rather on an equation
One is presumed, a reason
To know and seek after
Avoiding all the gutter
Sieved through before
getting through the door
One of a friendly being

But an opening
seems overly missing
Where is the opening?
How is the opening?

Ring the bell
Sock it and tell
Compose it well
It is swell!

But where is the salutation
Start with  'Dear...no it's not old-fashioned ..

The letter, smell the letter
Write it and avoid the banter
Write the letter
Yes, write the letter!

Start it with 'Dear....'

Mary hosting at d'Verse on Writing a Letter, Poetics:   sent with a stamp

A Star Blue Sapphire

                                                                           Attribution: Mitchell Gore
Image: A Star Blue Sapphire
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Precious stones beauty
enhanced in vividness, shades
and various colors

Accentuated
Star of India is largest
known blue sapphire

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #273 with prompt - sapphire

Thursday, August 15, 2013

On Triangular Poems - A fibonacci

                                                                                 Attribution:GrahamColm
Image: A Fibonacci Sequence of Orchid Petals arrangement
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

1) Growing Old Gracefully!
Age
is just
a number. Growing
old gracefully is less
stressful. Have you heard the
quip, that a woman is as

old**  as she looks, man is
is old only when he
stops looking? Beg your
pardon, was just
saying so!
Whew!

**Note: Ladies please substitute ‘cute’ for 'old'
The Pub door is not open yet. Taking the cue from Brian
it’s counting words, adding one to each line and stepping
down with a mirror image in reverse

2) Losing Out on Friends
Where
one
seeks to
endure pain
of separation
Much too much too soon. Can one be

faulted knowing one’s welfare is
taken care of when
on the move
and with
no
friends?

Taking the cue from Mary one with a Fibonacci syllable count of 1 1 2 3 5 8
and a mirror image in reverse

Tony is hosting at d’Verse, Forms For All with Mathematical series, triangular poems. 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

What Could have Been.....!

                                                                                           Attribution: Luisisbeast
Image: A Loving Couple.
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Three Word Wednesday with words,
Distraught, Habitual, Regulate

Reflecting on what could have been
A feeling of a let-down tugged at his conscience
They were teenage sweethearts growing up together
She was like a sister emotionally attached to him
He was likewise a brother protective of her well-being
They were close to tying the knot even
Each whispering sweet nothings to cherish together

Why was it allowed to go along the path it did
He left for a little while and she did not wait
There was no word and things were left to chance

He was distraught upon seeing her now
It was a far cry from what he had wanted her to have
When in their moments of togetherness
Of emotional attraction a teenage couple
They had eloquently professed to sacrifice for each other
Nothing physical just plain and innocent
Of wanting to emulate those successful
Those who managed somehow to regulate their lives
Seeing material richness and riches and emotional salvation
Successfully binding on just love alone

It just wasn’t fair, not fair at all
If only she had not been habitual
A handicap she imposed upon herself
It could have been blissful
It wrought a naked path of dire straits
Which he could not fathom
It was with a tinge of regret
That what they had lovingly talked about
Just fizzled out into nothingness
It was a pity, a real pity
It brought tears to his eyes!

Written for 3WW

An Evening of Rain

                                                                                                Attribution:  jinxin
Image: Weeping Willows after The Rain
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

passing under the leafy willows
of a street of temples
an evening of rain
drab and dragging a day of
silence with no signs of life

passing under the leafy willows
of a street of temples
an evening of rain
quiet respite of solace
in the offing for many

passing under the leafy willows
of a street of temples
an evening of rain
where it is not to dampen 
spirits of those wanting fun

Note: Somehow I'm taken with the demure quiet, surrounding the haiku and
decided to create 3 Tan Renga

Written for Chev's Tan Renga Challenge #10 where the haiku of  Shirao  is
given (in italics) as a prompt. We are to complete a Tan Renga with an
additional 2 lines of 7-7 syllables. 

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

The Sound of Silence

                                                                                             Attribution: Vera de Kok
Image: A Musical Group Waiting to Start
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

A mind entangled with tumultuous yearnings
Searching furiously for its hidden beginnings
Silence hooked up in relentless pursuit
Searching furtively for the right mood

Suspiciously without a sound but groping
Surreptitiously in the dark to make its bidding
Because a vision softly creeping
Seemed to be guardedly approaching

Slowly it advanced a shadowy apparition
Unfriendly in make up an unwelcome intrusion
And whispered in the sound of silence
Loud decibels shrieked but not apparent

The wrath of musical talents pressing to perform
Wretched were those wanting to make it stagnant
Squirming backstage in resigned frustrations
Wondering  to go ahead and plug the equipments

No, the apparition was the power that be
Dawned on the group,  appeasing him was priority
It wouldn’t pay messing around with the decision maker
A musical ensemble in abeyance waiting for an answer

Note: The lines in italics are part of the lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkle's
hit, the Sound of Silence

Written for Mary's hosting at Poetry Jam - to write something relating to The Sound of Silence and to inlude some of lyrics from the song if necessary

Scrambling for #1

                                                                                Attribution: Pat Hatt
Image: Pat Hatt Did me Proud for Creating  the Image Above (here)
(thanks a lot Pat and with your kind permission, Sir!)

Two Free Verses
Hank is elated
He had long waited
For today  it’s a personal victory
He chalked 20 firsts
A Double Ten
A winning streak
Without a break

Pat and the Cat named Orlin
They make an entry every mornin’
Sharp at 7.00 if one wishes to know
Great stars in their rhyming show

A Limerick
Pat and Olin at their best
Preceded mornings of the rest
Others scrambled
Others  fumbled
To be first at their behest

A Haiku 
Pat and Olin must
both be laughing for making
them lose precious sleep

Postcript: I received this notation from Pat datelined August 14, 2013

"Pat Hatt August 14, 2013 at 8:53 AM
FYI your streak is now 35 in a row. I checked my spam today and you were there. That one on the 24th puts you in front of John"

I've now corrected the records below (but not the narration) It's official. My bid
on July 24, at 7.00am went to spam. Pat had graciously retraced and corrected it
at his July 24,2013 posting (here) whereby I was reinstated as #1 at 7.00am instead
of John at 7.02am. This means my unbeaten streak is now from July 10 till August 13
making it an incredible 35 firsts unbroken!

For the Records
It is quite a scramble to be the first at Pat Hatt's. There are many contenders
fumbling at 7.00am when Pat opens his gates. There were 2 occasions when
4 came in all at 7.00am sharp. It was a dead-heat, a photo-finish! I achieved
a stretch of  20 firsts today Aug 13, 2013 (here). In  fact I nearly did it at 14
at a stretch going for 20 but was stifled by John on July 24.

Earlier on I was doing 9 for a first perfect 10 but Rosie stopped me on May 22.
It was most frustrating! I soldiered on and achieved my first perfect 10 at the
next stretch on June 01. It was such a relief! I chalked up 81 firsts within a
period of 3.5 months from May. For the duration I managed FOUR perfect
10's and some near misses! 

It was a real tough fight in May and some days in June. But in the later stages
it was a lot easier. Whew! 
  
July 10–  Aug 13                                   35 (corrected)
July 09 – John
July 02 – July 08                                     7
July 01 – Yeamie
June 25 – June 30                                   6
June 24 – John
June 23 – Jyoti
June 22 – Manzi
June 21                                                   1
June 20 – John
June 13 – June 19                                  7
June 11/12 Yeamie
June 08 – June 10                                  3
June 05/07 – Yeamie
June 03/04 – John
June 02 - A Daft Scots Lass
May 23 – June 01                                  10
May 22- Mail4Rosie
May 13 – May 21                                    9
May 12 – Claudia
May 11 – Loredana  
May 10                                                     1
May 09 –John
May 08                                                     1
May 07 – John
May 06                                                     1
May05 – Yeamie
May 04                                                     1
May03 – Yeamie
May 02 – Mail4Rosie
May 01 – John                                        ____
                                      Total                   81 

Written for Grace's hosting at d'Verse's OpenLinkNight week #109

Joys and Laughter at Gramps

Morning of clear skies
Torrents of laughter spilled from
joys of innocence

Splendor of the young
Family get together
At grandpa’s abode

Outrageous antics
Sauntering and scampering
Young and old alike

Friends were brought along
Greater participation
All had a good time

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM # 279 with prompt Morning of Celebration

Monday, August 12, 2013

Happiness is Infectious - A tetractys

                                                                                                    Attribution: Joi Ito
Image: Two Icons Sharing some Light Moments! Isn't it Great!
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Grins
Happy
as can be
Wonderful smiles
And truly it is very infectious
There are many things to worry about
Make no mistake
Smiling wide
will solve
them!


Smile
Easy
does it, man
And no holds barred
But many tried and failed miserably
There is sure way to stake reality?
Yes, certainly
Open arms
sincere
hugs!

Note: A Tetractys a poetic form comprising at least 5 lines of 1 2 3 4 and 10
syllables (total of 20). It can be written with more than one verse but must 
follow suit with an inverted syllable count

Written for Kerry's hosting at Real Toads Open Link Monday

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Lonely Long Distance Runner

                                                                                        Attribution : bigmick
Image: The Long Distance Runners
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Sunday Whirl with words
circle concrete hitch illuminate incentive pounding race 
stark scatter strain striking wallow

They would circle the concrete jungle
With the dogged aim of being able
To run en masse along a route designated
To grab honors befitting a distance runner
Illuminating a race at full throttle to the fore  
Such was the incentive striking at the core

A pounding pace with no possibility of a hitch
But a guarded regular rhythm of a pitch
In stark contrast to a quick dash of a sprint
Leaving opponents scattered way behind
He remembered the strain of training
At high altitudes of running
To maximize a waning stamina
Mark of a marathon runner

And he was not to wallow in self pity
But to strive for King and country

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle #121 and shared with Poets United Poetry Pantry #162

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Water Babies at Play (MF)

                                                                                         Attribution: Pat
Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Zipped off the blocks unscathed
Air-borne like a pro unlatched
Confidently in all fun
Cool dip in the summer sun
Such a water baby to match!

(140 characters)

Note:  An offering of  a Micro Fiction and a limerick simultaneously

Grandma aka Linda at Grandma's Goulash Succinctly Yours week #125 provided the image above for us to write a Micro Fiction in not more than 140 characters and to include the word - zip

Cowboy Stories

The Bedaux Expedition was an attempt by eccentric French millionaire,Charles Eugène Bedaux to cross the British Columbia wilderness, while making a movie, testing Citroën half-tracks and generating publicity for himself. He set off on this unusual and ill-conceived excursion accompanied by more than a hundred people,. Also along for the trip were several dozen Alberta cowboys and a large film crew. The expedition started off at Edmonton, Alberta on July 6, 1934 and their goal was to travel 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. Much of the trip would have to be made through regions that were relatively uncharted and had no trail  -  wiki (here)
                                                                            Attribution: Frank Swannell
Image: The Alberta cowboys who were with the Bedaux Expedition
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

                                                                      Atrribution: MGM Records
Image: Hank Williams and The Drifting Cowboys
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

                                                                              Attribution: Richie Diesterheft
Image: The Brokeback Cowboys all in twos
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Cowboy stories ran the whole gamut
Of the hazardous the pain and the skill
Of roving able-bodied men who sought
The Wild West taking with them the zeal

Of rounding up, to brand and tame
Wild steers across plains or in ranches
Giving rise to likes of Hollywood fame
Cowboy greats Gene Autry and Roy Rogers

When later came the makes of films Italian
In the likes of Clint Eastwoods and Franco Nero 
that gave a new life to blood spills and guns 
Very unlike the rough ride of the Expedition Bedaux
That trekked through uncharted terrains
And the romances of love life in songs
of the Drifting Cowboys and Hank Williams 

To  the modern day tough and tumble
of such fascinating teams like the Dallas Cowboys
In posh and grand stadiums of football
complete with alluring cheerleaders as a ploy

Until recently when liberal resurgence
made the manly able-bodied he-man surge
to a higher level where companions
by twos of Brokeback Cowboys emerge

Written for Mystic Mom's hosting at d'Verse with Poetics Cowboy Up

Friday, August 9, 2013

Separation Without a Word

                                                                                                 User: Kieff
Image: The Pangaea before the Continental Drift
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Across ocean blue 
pining for you when you break
up without a word

Roving blue waters
come in between like slow drift 
of huge land masses

Only memories
sustain good times of young hearts’
purest endearment 

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights # 269 with Prompt  - ocean

The Salar de Uyuni

                                                                                       Author: Shibuya K
Image: Collecting Salt at the Salar de Uyuni
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Author: Luca Galuzzi
Image: Sunset at the Salar de Uyuni
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

The Salar de Uyuni in south-west Bolivia is currently the world’s
largest salt flat at 10,582 sq km (4,086 sq mi). It is covered by a
few meters of salt crust. The large area, clear skies and exceptional
surface flatness make the Salar an ideal object for calibrating
the altimeters of Earth observation satellites  -  wiki

A cursory peek at a salt flat
a salt desert of immense expanse 

None would have thought
it sustained properties and
of a location 
benefiting the world
which otherwise would have
been left desolate and barren

What are they may be asked?

That it’s a few meters covered
with salt crust to support the crave
of taste. Not just that. It's also for lithium
in the salt that brings in more money

Its exceptional flat surface
a unique advantage
The world’s largest there is
The flatness of a large area and the
clear skies staked its place as an ideal
site for space observations

Such is the richness of a cool expanse
of wasteland 
which did not come to waste
but benefiting mankind in unusual ways!


Written for Hannah’s hosting at Real Toads - Hungry and Haunted


Thursday, August 8, 2013

Brilliance of Ancient Times

                                                                               Attribution: Uditvd
Image: Kama Sutra Preserved For Eternity
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Ancient voices with
Lingering sita music
Sensuously flavored

Gyrating movements
Radiance of Kama Sutra
Rhapsodies of times

Tugged at one’s conscience
To let ancient brilliance
Subverted blindly

Written for Chev's haiku for CARPE DIEM #267:  Ancient Voices

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

It's a Tuft War


Image: Two Geckos Determining their Tufts
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here) 

It’s the way of the world
When there’s two of a kind
It’s a duplicate of sorts
It would be just fine

If they can find their own tufts
But as always the case
It’s space and acting terse
Instinct determines the pace

Just a quibble and they erupt
They take positions aggressively
The equation is quick to disrupt
They bite lash and gnarled incessantly

They just go berserk without warning
Like the dog in the manger reacting
Not unlike a human provoked parrying
Off blows after blows contending

Each having as much rights
To wrench away at victory
Insisting to resolve to fight
To retain a semblance of authority

Written for 3WW with words berserk duplicate and quibble