Colleen’s 2020 Weekly #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge No. 179, #ThemePrompt

WELCOME TO TANKA TUESDAY!

It’s the fourth week of the month! Are you ready for a theme prompt? Merril D. Smith from last month’s challenge selected a special theme:

So this month’s theme is:

“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”

― William Shakespeare,

Maybe I should of written a sonnet but it was a Gogyohka that really spoke to me. I wrote this one about the world situation but it could apply to any situation really. The title is Caring Light.

image from Pixabay

So deep the depths of despair

Separated by nescesity we show care

No touch, isolation bites deep

Yet the light of love we keep

Flickering warming it’s healing we keep.

*****

Part of Colleen’s Tuesday Tanka

One-Liner Wednesday.

Yeah we all shine on, like the moon, and the stars, and the sun.

John Lennon

Part of LindaGHill’s One-Liner Wednesday

Badge by Laura

Song Lyric Sunday. 5th April: Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise

Jim Adams our gracious host said it was his Birthday last month. It was not a big affair and due to our world wide situation we are all going to find out birthdays unusually quiet this year! It is strange that this year our eldest grandson turns six in a few days, hubby turns seventy mother in law turns one hundred… Not to mention everyone else the whole world….and it will be different.

Well that’s ramble enough, HAPPY BIRTHDAY again for last month Jim, HAPPY BIRTHDAY everyone, whenever.

So what is our prompt for this week for Song Lyric Sunday Birthday/Cake/Gift/Party/Surprise

Two songs spring to mind immediately Its my Party by Lesley Gore and MacArthur Park by Jimmy Webb.

“MacArthur Park” is a song written and composed by Jimmy Webb. Richard Harris was the first to record it in 1968; his version peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and number four on the UK Singles Chart. “MacArthur Park” was subsequently covered by numerous artists, including a 1969 Grammy-winning version by country music singer Waylon Jennings, and a number one Billboard Hot 100 disco arrangement by Donna Summer in 1978. more information here.

I like the Jimmy Webb version best.Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He has written numerous platinum-selling songs, including “Up, Up and Away“, “By the Time I Get to Phoenix“, “Wichita Lineman“, “Galveston“, “The Worst That Could Happen“, “All I Know“, and “MacArthur Park“.^[1] He has had successful collaborations with Glen Campbell, Michael Feinstein, Linda Ronstadt, The 5th Dimension, Art Garfunkel, and Richard Harris. More info here

Spring was never waiting for us, girl
It ran one step ahead
As we followed in the dance
Between the parted pages and were pressed
In love's hot, fevered iron
Like a striped pair of pants

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

I recall the yellow cotton dress
Foaming like a wave
On the ground around your knees
The birds, like tender babies in your hands
And the old men playing checkers by the trees

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!

There will be another song for me
For I will sing it
There will be another dream for me
Someone will bring it
I will drink the wine while it is warm
And never let you catch me looking at the sun
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
You'll still be the one

I will take my life into my hands and I will use it
I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it
I will have the things that I desire
And my passion flow like rivers through the sky
And after all the loves of my life
After all the loves of my life
I'll be thinking of you
And wondering why

MacArthur Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet, green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don't think that I can take it
Cause it took so long to bake it
And I'll never have that recipe again
Oh, no!
Oh, no
No, no
Oh no!!
Lyrics from lyrics.com

“It’s My Party” was credited to John Gluck, Wally Gold and Herb Weiner, staff writers at the Aaron Schroeder Music firm in 1962. The lyrics were actually written by Seymour Gottlieb, a freelance songwriter. He gave the lyrics to Herb Weiner, with whom he partnered in writing songs, to peddle. It was based on actual events relating to Gottlieb’s daughter Judy’s ‘Sweet 16’ party, before which she cried over the prospect of her grandparents being invited.^[4] The demo for the song was cut by Barbara Jean English, a girl group veteran (the Clickettes, the Fashions), who was then working as a receptionist at the firm. She also worked with Jimmy Radcliffe, serving as the firm’s in-house demo singer. Radcliffe produced the demo, and, according to English, “tried to persuade Musicor [the label owned by Aaron Schroeder] to release it as a record, or to take me into a master studio and redo it, but they weren’t interested.”^[5]

The first recording of the song was in 1962 by The Chiffons for their One Fine Day album.^{[citation needed]} It was also recorded by Helen Shapiro for her Helen in Nashville album in February 1963 with Shapiro’s regular producer, Norrie Paramor, and also Al Kasha. Shapiro would recall: “Right from the first time we heard the song on the rough demo back in London, we thought we were going to sock them between the eyes with that one”;^[5] however, Shapiro’s version was not one of the cuts chosen as an advance single from the album and by the time of the album’s release that October the “It’s My Party” track was perceived as a cover of Lesley Gore’s hit.

Lesley Gore recalls that “It’s My Party” was among some two hundred demos producer Quincy Jones brought to review with her in the den of her family home in February 1963. On hearing “It’s My Party,” Gore told Jones: “That’s not half bad. I like it. Good melody. Let’s put it on the maybe pile.” The song proved to be the only demo Gore and Jones found agreeable. More information here.

Well that’s my songs for this week I am sure many will pick these songs too but they cover most of the prompt. Have a good Sunday and Stay Safe out there💜💜💜

Be safe.

International Women’s Day.

I am running  so late  today , I have  not had  time  to write a post  for  International Women’s Day. I thought I  would re-post  an SoCs from November 2016. In  that post I paid tribute to  the  women  of  WW1  and  WW2 who  took over  all  the  jobs  that the  men  who  had  been  sent  off  to  war  left  empty here in what  was  known then as  Great  Britain.

Not  only  did  the  women  do  these  , sometimes  very  dangerous  jobs,but  they  looked after  the families  and  homes. Now  I  do  not  wish in  any  way  to  detract  from  the huge  sacrifice  of  all the  men  who  fought  for  our countries during  the  two  wars .

First a poem.

Remember the women left back home.

They made the ammunition for Tommy

Dangerous work,they died too, it was not funny.

Women became officers of the law

Something never heard of before.

Nurses, drivers  even pilots for planes

Remember  them  we  will never  know  their  names

Someone had to give  the  farmers a hand

Remember   the men  were  at war  in a  foreign  land.

The members  of  the ” fairer  sex ”

Drove  the  buses, trains  and  lorries

Kept  all essential job going, however  complex

They  also  fed  the family  and kept  the Home Fires  Burning

And  then a song.

During  the  wars WW1 and  WW2  women filled  in the  gaps  that  the  men  who  had  been sent  off  to  war  left. It  is  not  always  remembered  that  they worked in  the factories  drove  buses , trains and flew  planes and  probably  sailed  ships.  They  became  members  of  the  forces, nurses at  home  and on the  war  front  too. They  were  also  seconded into  the police  these  jobs  were almost unheard of  for  women before  the  first  world war. They  also  had  to do hard  farm labour  on  the farms to help keep  the  food  supplies  going.

Women worked in  shipyards, built  planes  and  also  made  ammunition, hard  and  dangerous  work.

It  was not just  the   fact  that the  bombs , shells or  landmines  could  explode  if  mishandled  but  the  TNT  was  dangerous  to  the  women’s  health.

Also some Facts.

” Munitions workers whose job was filling shells were prone to suffer from TNT poisoning. TNT stood for Trinitrotoluene – an explosive which turned the skin yellow of those who regularly came into contact with it. The munitions workers who were affected by this were commonly known as ‘canaries’ due to their bright yellow appearance. Although the visible effects usually wore off, some women died from working with TNT, if they were exposed to it for a prolonged period. As Ethel Dean, who worked at Woolwich Arsenal, recalled, ‘Everything that, that powder touches goes yellow. All the girls’ faces were yellow, all round their mouths. They had their own canteen, in which everything was yellow that they touched… Everything they touched went yellow – chairs, tables, everything.’ (IWM SR 9439) More  imformation  here

Women did  so many  jobs that  before  the  first  world  war, those of  the middle  and  higher class would  never  even  contemplated. Many  died of  injury  and  of  disease  due  to  chemicals,  asbestos  used in  badly  ventilated  buildings.

Also  they played  their  part in  SOE   read here   and also  here  .

All images  from  Google Images  women  at  war  WW1 and WW2

My tribute to all women past present and future. We have always and always will pick up the slack , support men and do our best. Today there are women leading full services lives in all our armed forces and police

One-Liner Wednesday

He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery.

Harold Wilson

This is part of LindaGHill’s One-Liner Wednesday.

#1lineWeds

One-Liner Wednesday/ JusJoJan the 29th, 2020 – Pilates.

Image from Pixabay

” Make sure your feet, hips, back ribs and shoulders are flat on the mat. Cup the back of your head, raise your head then lift with your spine.. Not you just your ribs. Relax, breath , smile …don’t pull that face. “

Pilates Teacher this morning!

Me…Really?

Jusjojan

#1lineWeds

This is part of LindaGHill’s One-Liner Wednesday and Just Jot it January.

One-Liner Wednesday

“You can usually tell that a man is good if he has a dog who loves him.” – W. Bruce Cameron (author, A Dog’s Journey)

This is part of LindaGHill’s One-Liner Wednesday 1linerWeds

Geoff Le Pard is visiting my Blog.

Today it is

To welcome author extraordinare Geoff Le Pard. I am really excited to have Geoff here on my blog so we can discuss book two in the life of Harry Spittle.

We first met Harry in Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle.

Now Geoff I have read and loved this book but why don’t you give everyone the blurb.

It’s summer 1976 and hotter than Hades. Harry Spittle, nineteen, is home from university, aiming to earn some money to go on holiday and maybe get laid. He expects he will be bored rigid, but the appearance of an old family friend, Charlie Jepson, his psychopathic son, Claude, and predatory wife Monica changes that. As his parents’ marriage implodes, Harry’s problems mount; before he knows it he’s in debt up to his ears and dealing in drugs. Things go from bad to worse when he is stabbed. He needs money fast, but now his job is at risk, his sister is in trouble and he has discovered a family secret that could destroy all he holds dear. Will Harry have to join forces with the local criminal mastermind to survive the summer and save his family? Can he regain some credibility and self-respect? Most importantly will he finally get laid?

Dead Flies will be free from 30th October 2019 to 3rd November 2019

Pre order here

For our American friends here

You know Geoff I really enjoyed that book, it had me laughing out loud one minute and wandering just how anyone was going to survive , the next.

Now tell us Geoff what is the blurb on this second book

When Harry Spittle, nearly qualified as a solicitor, is approached to write a Will for old acquaintance Sven Andersen, he is somewhat surprised but rather pleased. That pleasure sours after he finds that the Will Sven actually signs is very different to the one he has drawn up, with Harry as the executor. Disappointment turns to horror when he discovers that Sven has been winding up his late father’s criminal empire and a number of not very nice people are interested in the Will’s contents.

If he is to remain in one piece, able to continue his career in the law and save his on-off relationship with his girlfriend Penny, who is unfortunately under suspicion of murder, he needs to find out what’s happened to the money and distribute it according to Sven’s wishes. The trouble is Sven has not only hidden the assets but also the identities of those who benefit. Harry will have to solve a fiendish puzzle Sven has left behind with the help of his sister Dina before his world comes crashing down. With so many people depending on him, Harry knows it’s time for him to grow up – it’s just that he really, really doesn’t want to.

Set in 1981 to the backdrop of punk, Thatcherite politics and an upcoming Royal wedding, this is a book for those who like their nostalgia served with a side of humour and a dash of optimism all wrapped up in a compelling mystery.

pre order here.

For our American friends here.

Right now we have wetted everyone’s appitetite for these first two books can I offer you some coffee and a

Okay Question Time.

1 Tell us Geoff what gave you the idea for the two books so far.

The first book Dead Flies had its genesis on a writing course where I needed to provide some 10,000 words for the start of a book. I decided I wanted to write a comic story and took as my inspiration my first summer holiday home from university. It was 1976 and I’d had a year at Bristol studying law. But actually I’d had a bloody good time. My formative years had been spent in a New Forest cottage in the middle of nowhere. When we moved there in 1969 it seemed quite idyllic. By the time I discovered girls and hormones it was bloody intolerable. My parents were lovely, kind and absurd but my lack of transport was a major inhibition to a happy life. So living in a vibrant city, albeit a terminally wet one was a joy. Image coming home for three and a half months ‘holiday’. Broke, trapped and undersexed… I still shudder. I found a job in a local hotel and… boy, was that like entering a parallel universe? And that was it. I had the setting – the New Forest. The year – 1976. And a hapless broke undersexed student desperate to spend time away from a stifling home life.

For book two I took my hero – Harry Spittle – and moved him forward like me. In 1981 I had finished my degree and was living in a flat in London just about to qualify as a solicitor. Once again I was broke, and working in a surreal hierarchical structure of the law firm in the West End of London. I had the year and the setting and the employment situation. All I needed was to take forward the characters and mess with their lives. Such fun!

Really how lucky were you to have your settings so firmly fixed in your mind

2 How much were the stories based on personal experience.

Partly as I said above. None of the characters are exact copies of the people I remember though, in this latest book, it is true there were three partners in the firm I worked in – a white male senior partner who never seemed entirely with it; an amazing woman partner who juggled her family with being one of the best general practice lawyers I’ve known and a young man who was quickly promoted and growing into the role rather painfully. But there the accuracies of their characters leaves us for the fantasy of the author’s imagination.

3 How much was garnered from your years as a solicitor.

In a lot of ways the way things were done in the law (maybe still) goes unquestioned – rather like some of the nonsense we see in Parliament right now: it’s all custom and practice which no one wants to change. But step away and ask yourself if this is how you’d design it if starting again and, well, if you suggested men in wigs and tights hitting gavels you’d be certified to spend time in the dribble tank, spit spot! In one scene we see Harry having to appear before a Master in the High Courts of Justice. If the courts you see on TV are the epitome of English (and let’s not forget Welsh) justice then the Masters’ rooms are the splenetic dustbins of the court system. I accept you need somewhere to deal with the minutiae of the litigation process but why give so much power to disillusioned sociopaths? The Masters were the puffer fish of the judiciary, poisonous and one of the redundant parts of the evolution of the Common Law system, like the appendix and just as unpleasant if they ever burst. Harry is terrified of the treatment to be handed out to him; I was as well. It is no exaggeration that it was like one of those Japanese games shows we used to see in the 1980s. Designed for no purpose that to humiliate and to engender a sort of institutionalised schadenfreude in all parties. But for my experiences there, I might have become a litigator. Fortunately sense prevailed. It is nearly 40 years since I was last in front of a Master and I still break out with a sort of emotional psoriasis at the memory. Maybe they’re better now; they bloody well should be.

Maybe Geoff as Honore De Balzac says

“Laws are spider webs through which the big flies pass and the little ones get caught.”

4 So Geoff where do you do most your writing.

A mix. A fair bit on the kitchen table or on my memory desk – one I inherited from my dad on which he wrote his poetry. This is when I’m writing in the early morning and late evening (I tend to write into the wee hours). If I write during the day (the afternoon, like now as I write this) I’m in one of three cafes in the South London area where I live. Earbuds in, the world going on around me I can bash out many words, edit in detail or just pick up ideas. Oh and eat cake…

5. So to my final question Geoff are there anymore Harry Spittle books in the pipeline

Indeed there are. The next adventure for Harry, Penny and others is called Booms and Busts and is set in 1987. Harry has moved to a city of London firm and is up for a partnership (still following my career and life path). He lives in South London (as I did). He cycles to work. I think this will be the best book so far. It’s jam packed with madcap characters (Dina, his sister now works for MI5 for instance! And his mother is a successful operator in the hospitality sector.) We have the Thatcherite boom, the AIDs crisis, the crash and storms of October that year. Oh and is Natalie dying? That will be on the shelves early next year.

After that we move on to 1997, a book set in the period from March 16th when John Major prorogued Parliament for a general election (sound familiar?) up to the Blair victory that May (so much for proroguing being a short period, huh!). Harry is working in a smart new building in the City of London for a major law firm, he is now up for management, he’s married with a family, trying to get to grip with his mobile phone and desktop computer and the difficulties of being a grown up, something he never thought would happen to him. Provisionally called ‘Things Never Change’ I will write the first words of this one on 1st November as part of Nano. If all goes according to plan this one will be published in the second half of next year.

After that…. Well there’s the millennium, the crash of 2008 or maybe he should go and work for the Olympics, or just retire… we’ll see.

Plenty of scope there then Geoff.

Now it’s time to fill in your author info Geoff.
Geoff Le Pard started writing to entertain in 2006. He hasn’t left his keyboard since. When he’s not churning out novels he writes some maudlin self-indulgent poetry, short fiction and blogs at geofflepard.com. He walks the dog for mutual inspiration and most of his best ideas come out of these strolls. He also cooks with passion if not precision.

Geoff Le Pard’s Amazon Author Page

My Father and Other Liars is a thriller set in the near future and takes its heroes, Maurice and Lori-Ann on a helter-skelter chase across continents.
Smashwords
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Dead Flies and Sherry Trifle is a coming of age story. Set in 1976 the hero Harry Spittle is home from university for the holidays. He has three goals: to keep away from his family, earn money and hopefully have sex. Inevitably his summer turns out to be very different to that anticipated.
Smashwords
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Life in a Grain of Sand is a 30 story anthology covering many genres: fantasy, romance, humour, thriller, espionage, conspiracy theories, MG and indeed something for everyone. All the stories were written during Nano 2015
Smashwords
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Salisbury Square is a dark thriller set in present day London where a homeless woman and a Polish man, escaping the police at home, form an unlikely alliance to save themselves.
This is available here
Smashwords
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Buster & Moo is about about two couples and the dog whose ownership passes from one to the other. When the couples meet, via the dog, the previously hidden cracks in their relationships surface and events begin to spiral out of control. If the relationships are to survive there is room for only one hero but who will that be?
Smashwords
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Life in a Flash is a set of super short fiction, flash and micro fiction that should keep you engaged and amused for ages
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Smashwords

Apprenticed To My Mother describes the period after my father died when I thought I was to play the role of dutiful son, while Mum wanted a new, improved version of her husband – a sort of Desmond 2.0. We both had a lot to learn in those five years, with a lot of laughs and a few tears as we went.
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Life in a Conversation is an anthology of short and super short fiction that explores connections through humour, speech and everything besides. If you enjoy the funny, the weird and the heart-rending then you’ll be sure to find something here.
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

In this the second part of the Harry Spittle sagas, Harry in now working in London, as a nearly qualified solicitor when an old acquaintance, Sven Andersen asks him to make his Will. If that wasn’t surprising enough finding out that Sven had not only died but also left Harry to sort out the mess of Sven’s affairs (including unwidning the residue of Sven’s father’s criminal empire) are problems Harry could well do without. Set in 1981 amongst the tensions of Thatcherite politics, the peak of punk and an upcoming Royal Wedding the Last Will of Sven Andersen will intrigue and delight as well as make you wince and wonder.
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Another cup of tea Geoff, more cake? So all that is left for me to say is

I am so happy you visited today. Well everyone else what are you waiting for get ordering you will not be sorry.

One-Liner Wednesday 21 August 2019.

It was Pilates this morning only the second lesson I have managed since the sepsis. Discussing how I was feeling, I mentioned my arm, back and foot as problem areas.

Teacher: which is worse?

Me : well me foot is a pain in the neck!

Teacher: your right! what have I been telling you for months it all connected.

Image from Pixabay

This is part of Lindaghill’s One-Liner Wednesday.

The Annual Blogger’s Bash. June 15 2019.

Where did yesterday go? I was up at the crack of 5am and on the train by 7.46am. I met Eloise, Marje, Marian and Lance at Victoria Station and then it was off to the venue.

Now I did try and take lots of photos but chatting and meeting with people takes precedense But here are some💜.

Above are from the left Marian, Eloise, Shelly, Mary Smith, Sherrie and the lovely Marjorie 💜

Claire Saul, her lovely hubby and April💜

Look at this colourful trio. Martin, Zoé and Rachel💜

Rachel and her husband Adam 💜

Ritu and Hubby, on crutches, Claire and her hubby 💜

One of the Judges Gareth Stevens and his lovely wife Jayne, and Esther💜

The panel Esther, Shelley and Laura one of our two fabulous guest speakers 💜

Photo by Eloise Da Sousa

Laura giving her speech, absolutely brilliant and so funny she had me in stitches.💜

Jemma Todd

Photos by Eloise Da Sousa

Jemma Todd was also incredibly interesting and I for one was totally enthralled.💜

Our Wonderful M.C. Graeme . 💜

Ritu receiving her prize from Geoff.💜

The lovely Sacha💜

Some of the committee.Sacha, Adam and Geoff.

Photo by Ritu

Ritu, Sacha, Geoff, the huggable Hugh and Suzie.💜

I totally failed to get a good picture of Isa , she is sitting at the table in blue top. I was delighted to see her again. It was great to catch up, I wanted a selfie with her but I failed😣 her partner from their blog Jo could not make it. Jo I missed you 💜💜

I really tried to meet everyone but I did not get to speak to these two. I am sorry. If you let me know who you are I will link you in. I am sorry I didn’t get to chat .💜 Just been informed by Lance the young lady is Claire. Just looking for the chap now.

Oh! I have remembered the lovely Simon sorry for the late entry Simon .

I also didn’t get to speak to Ananda Leeks If I missed anyone I am so sorry. Let me know and I will add you 💜

Ritu, me and Marje my Blogging sisters 💜💜💜

I didn’t get any photos of Samantha Smith Here is her winning blog post : If You Only Had Five Minutes, What Would TV You Save?

Excellent story I really enjoyed it 💜💜.

I also didn’t get a photo of of Susanne Tench and her brother. Nor did I get a photo of Jemima Pett

There were others there but I didn’t get photos so if I have left anyone one out please, please forgive me!

I can’t tell you how much it means to me to meet up with my bloggy family. I really love to meet up with old friends and make lots of new friends too. Everyone is happy to chat and so genuine.

If you have never been to a Bash I can really recommend that if you can you do because there is always so much to learn and so many opportunities to network.

We started off with a welcome speech, from Suzie then two awards , followed by the competition presented by Gareth Stevens, and the winner Samantha Smith was at the Bash.

Next Laura had us in stitches. Followed by a few more awards.

Then Jemma told us her story from book devouring teen to published author… absolutely fabulous.

Then lunch, time to relax and chat and mingle, always one of the best parts of the day.

Then it was back in and time for the panel, great questions and great questions.

After the Question and Answers it was Suzie’s Flat Lay presentation

Followed by Geoff doing the final awards, then Sacha closed up .

Time to chat more 💜💜.

So again it was over, months of excitedly looking forward to the ABBA’s planning travel and then poof it’s over and Marian, Eloise and I are quick marching after Lance back to Victoria. We had to step it out because Eloise’s train was due! We said goodbye, Lance made sure Eloise got her train. I saw Marian through to her train, after we had tried to get through a barrier that wasn’t working!

That left me so I found the underground down the escalator Victoria line to Oxford Circus

Image from Pixabay

Oxford Circus, down the escalator again . Then on to the Bakerloo line then up into the daylight at Paddington.

I had to run for my train, not a very ladylike thing to do, not a good idea either with a bad foot!

Image from Pixabay

So where did the day go. But it was great 💜💜 Thank you Committee you produced another winner. To everyone at the bash it was it was wonderful to meet up.

I CAN’T WAIT FOR THE NEXT ONE.