The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS March 25, 2023

Badge by Shelley Krupa..

LindaGHill is here with our prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday, she said”Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “the last thing you emptied.” Think of the last thing you emptied or something you empty often and use it as your prompt any way you like. Have fun!“

Well I do love a cup of coffee, sadly these days my my tummy cannot tolerate real coffee but I have discovered a decent instant that I enjoy. So something I empty often is a coffee cup. Like everyone else I am always emptying things like, washing machines, dishwashers, tumble dryers, dustbins, sinks ect ect. So rather than rambling on about that here’s a little story about Death… His job is emptying the world of its dead. This story is about how he emptied his cup, his skeleton and a Starbucks.

WHO EMPTIED STARBUCKS

Death was back in Starbucks again drinking coffee
he’d sent out invites but to the other three.
Like last time he had made his mark
He’d emptied the place those not dead sat stunned in the park
He finished his coffee, it was his second cup
Looked at the clock and decided his wait was up.
He knew his friends were tardy but enough was enough
He was busy collecting the dead and their stuff.
He rose from his seat and made for the door
Leaving a trail of black coffee on the floor.
“Damn coffee goes right to my feet” Off he stomped out into the street.
Pestilence,War and Famine were out having fun,
Too busy to join him, forgetting that he’s number one!
Behind him the cleaner followed with a mop
Turning he flashed a smile, the man fell with a plop!
Scooping him up as he went on his way mumbling to himself the start of another bloody day!
He did not need the others he was the boss,
Whatever they caused he picked up the loss.
So if you see him keep on his right side
Don’t offer him Columbian coffee you might hurt his pride!

© willowdot21.

Love Is In Da Blog: Day 25

Good Morning it’s day 25 of Bee Halton’s Love Is In Da Blog. Today’s prompt isb a Love Song that includes a commitment or a promise. Thanks, Jim, for this cld xhallenging prompt. Please, check out his blog, “A Unique Title For Me.“

I have chosen James Blunt and Monsters. The video is beautiful, it was made with his father.The tears are real. I love this song and this video.

About the siger.

James Blunt (born James Hillier Blount; 22 February 1974) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. A former reconnaissance officer in the Life Guards regiment of the British Army, he served under NATO during the 1999 Kosovo War. After leaving the military, he rose to fame in 2004 with the release of his debut album Back to Bedlam, achieving worldwide fame with the singles “You’re Beautiful” and “Goodbye My Lover“. Information Wikipedia

About the song

James Blunt’s father Charles, himself a kidney donor, was diagnosed with stage four chronic kidney disease. James Blunt wrote “Monsters” to “express his feelings about his father and his illness, almost as if it’s a touching farewell to his father”. In an interview with Good Morning Britain Blunt said.

“Really that has been an amazing moment. Because when you realise your father’s mortality it’s a great opportunity to say the things I’d like to say to him. So I have written a song called Monsters for him.”

In the same interview he made a plea for type O kidney donors to step forward. In January 2020 MSN reported Blunt’s father had been scheduled for a transplant. Information Wikipedia

James father survived happily.

Oh, before they turn off all the lights
I won’t read you your wrongs or your rights
The time has gone
I’ll tell you goodnight, close the door
Tell you I love you once more
The time has gone
So here it is

I’m not your son, you’re not my father
We’re just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you’re sleeping I’ll try to make you proud
So, daddy, won’t you just close your eyes?
Don’t be afraid, it’s my turn
To chase the monsters away

Oh, well, I’ll read a story to you
Only difference is this one is true
The time has gone
I folded your clothes on the chair
I hope you sleep well, don’t be scared
The time has gone
So here it is

I’m not your son, you’re not my father
We’re just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you’re sleeping I’ll try to make you proud
So, daddy, won’t you just close your eyes?
Don’t be afraid, it’s my turn
To chase the monsters away

Sleep a lifetime
Yes, and breathe a last word
You can feel my hand on your own
I will be the last one
So I’ll leave a light on
Let there be no darkness, in your heart

But I’m not your son, you’re not my father
We’re just two grown men saying goodbye
No need to forgive, no need to forget
I know your mistakes and you know mine
And while you’re sleeping I’ll try to make you proud
So, daddy, won’t you just close your eyes?
Don’t be afraid, it’s my turn
To chase the monsters away

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Jimmy Hogarth / James Blunt / Amy Victoria Wadge

Monsters lyrics © Cookie Jar Music Llp, Emi Music Publishing Ltd

TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge No. 306, 2/7/23

WELCOME TO #TANKATUESDAY!

短歌 火曜日

It’s time for Colleen Chesebro’s Tuesday Tanka.

Colleen said ‘This week’s challenge is a photo prompt. I’ve asked my friend, and photographer, Terri Webster Schrandt, from secondwindleisure.com to share her photos with us for inspiration. Terri runs a weekly photo challenge called Sunday Stills. Check it out HERE.”

Terri says: “This is a filtered version of a rose I photographed at the International Rose Test Garden in Portland.”

I have chosen to write an Abhanga in any number of 4-line stanzas with 6-6-6-4 syllables each. L2 and L3 rhyme. The end rhyme scheme is abbc. It is customary to title your poetry.

Nature’s Circle.

Past her best, beauty fades
Edging her petals dark
Still her presence to mark
Her colour glows

Radiant in her youth
She still outshines them all
Her green leaves and stalk tall
She bows her head

Nature has run it’s course
She will whither and die
Her scent through air will fly
It’s nature’s way.

From the soil she has grown
Nutured her and nurished
Through summer she flourished.
Life’s sweet circle

Ronovan Writes SIJO Wednesday Poetry Challenge #47. Use ESCAPE as your inspiration this week.

Escape

Finally the chance to get away, restraints slack, door unlocked.
Silently, heart pounding. Crawl into the night’s cool air.
Sweet smell of earth surrounds me then pain. Blackness as life escapes me.

PART OF RONOVANWRITE’S WEEKLY SIJO CHALLENGE.

One-Liner Wednesday.

God is good just sometimes he can be a tad picky!

© willowdot21

PART OF LINDAGHILL’S ONE LINER WEDNESDAY.

Christmas Lights.

photo from Sue Vincent

Christmas Lights

Fingers almost blue, toes numb like her soul.
Fear has her in it’s grip , she is no longer whole.
Lights twinkle on the water and the snow
Eyes closed she stands silently rocking to and throw .
Warmth and home seem a million miles away.
Under this bridge, damp and bitter her only place to stay.
Tears cannot fall when frozen but they hurt as much.
She longed for a gentle word or loving touch.
Watching the lights on the water dance.
Like little fairies they leap and prance.
Music floats across the water to her ears
Laughter and an happy voices, she hears.
Tired, so tired she slumps down on the frozen ground
Watches the lights from the house praying never to be found.
Maybe she could of spoken out but she had not dared.
Who would believe her, who would of cared
Slowly life slips away from her grasp.
Suddenly she is held in a warm, kind clasp.
A soft voice takes her to a happier place
She opens her eyes and sees God’s face.

Anywhere Christmas Years Eve2022: Another drug addict found dead under the the bridge opposite the Ferryman’s Inn.

© willowdot21

An old post from the days of Sue Vincent’s #writephoto

Lest we forget.

During  the  two  wars they also served who stayed behind.

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

.

All images  from  Google Images  women  at  war  ww1 and  ww2

Those Bright Young Things.

We sent them off to war,

These bright young men

We had no knowledge what they saw,

They came home, bright young men no more .

Yes though brave they were no longer whole

Those that survived had no soul.

Many died, the lucky ones, death to them was kind.

Those who returned were faded in body and in mind.

Their loved ones at first relieved

Soon found they had much cause to grieve.

Though there, in body broken,

Their fears left unspoken

Their minds were left behind.

They went out whole, these bright young things.

They returned lost, holding on by gossimar strings

They went full of pride for God and King

They ran head long into hell

On return they could not relinquish it’s spell.

So we had a nation of half men, half ghosts

Fearful, their heads still had them at their posts.

The trenches and the blasts of bombs, the smell of death

Clung to them and bled them dry, the whole in body, the blind of eye

The amputee, it was as if they had never left.

We sent them off to war,

These bright young men

We had no knowledge of what they saw,

They returned, bright young men no more.

Paintings by William Rothenstein.

.

The Red and the White.

Why

Argue

Both were brave

Each had their own

Principles to up

Hold. Neither less than bold.

One would carry a weapon

The other a stretcher, no gun

Both men died for their own beliefs

They were both lost and that loss brought much grief.

———

Then there is the Purple Poppy in remembrance of all the animals who died in service during conflicts and serve with us still in modern conflicts.

They pulled the gun carriages until they dropped

They carried messages and they got shot.

They search out the unexploded mines

They save lives a thousand times.

Spare a thought for the horse, pigeon, donkey, dog and many more

Remember them, they all help us in times of war

Just a heads up because I have been keeping mine down.

I really don’t know where to start but I feel if I don’t start soon I may just melt into the ether and I don’t want to do that!

Perhaps if I just go chronologically things might become clear to you and hopefully to me .

6th September we dropped Ruby off at an “almost sister’s house” to stay for four nights while we were away.

7th September we headed for London, west London to our old stomping ground to meet people we have known on and off for over 65 years. We were meeting up to scatter the ashes of our bestman Bob.

© willowdot21

There were eleven of us present , Bob’s ex-wife and his only son amongst the number. We met at the park at the bottom of the road he grew up in until he married and moved out.

The tree opposite the gate where we spread the ashes. © willowdot21

Standing around remembering old times. © willowdot21

The gate at the bottom of Bob’s road. © willowdot21

© willowdot21 Bob Last year.

After scattering the ashes we went for a pub lunch and reminised a lot more.

8th September we were packed and picked up my sister and her husband and drove up to Norwich for our niece’s wedding. Late afternoon we arrived at our hotel, after a long and very wet drive. We had a coffee then went to the station to pick up my eldest sister and bought her back to the hotel.

Then we heard the very sad but not unexpected news that our Queen Elizabeth had died. We had a long reflective and chatty dinner.

I was born in 1953 , a few months after the Queen’s Coronation. Therefore the Queen has been the figure head to the background of my whole life. We all knew she would not live forever but , old and tired and yes indeed her hands in the photo of her meeting Liz Truss, our new Prime Minister, looked very bruised, suggesting she had had a canular fitted. Even so her death came as a real shock.

One of my brother’s received a M. B. E. From the Queen, for recognition of his Army Career and service to his country. I saw the lovely photos of him, his wife and daughter at the Palace. My sister Frankie accompanied her husband to a Royal Garden party. We also saw lovely photos of that occasion too.

Apparently the road my family lived in when I was growing up was often used by the Queen on her way to Heathrow Airport or London Airport as it known then. This was before the M4 motorway was built. One day my mum was out walking with me in her arms. The Queen’s car went by, my mum lifted me up and she said that the young Queen smiled and waved…. I was too young to remember.

thank you for your service mam 💜

The 9th of September dawned bright and we went out for a walk after breakfast we found our way out to some woods and found a very spooky looking building which was an Asylum in its day. We met a nice young chap who told us all about the place….he was a painter and decorator and was working in the building behind which is a prison for the criminally insane…..

© willowdot21 .

So then back to the hotel to get ready , then all five of us squeezed into the car…not really it is a big car! Off to the wedding and the heavens opened! ..it rained all through the service , canapes and drinks and the meal and speaches finally it q I’ll cleared up to a lovely evening!

The wedding started normally enough, a friend of the bride was playing the piano beautifully when suddenly she started playing Darth Vader’s theme from StarWars. Low and behold Four Star troopers, Boda Fett and Darth Vader walked up the ailse , apparently they were there so Darth could claim the bride . Thankfully the Groom and Groom’s men successful saw the interlopers off. The service then continued without a hitch!

© willowdot21

A sulking Darth Vader and Boda Fett.© willowdot21

I even got kidnapped 😃 © willowdot21 .

All the while the rain was relentless. © willowdot21

Now rain at a wedding is supposed to bode good luck and happiness. It also brings rainbows which are definitely a good luck sign 🌈.

Lots of love for Steve & Sarah. © willowdot21.

10th September we packed up and after breakfast we took eldest sister to the station then went back to pick up other sister and her husband for the journey home. Another long day. In the evening we went and got Ruby back she had had a great stay with her new friend Bo, nearly sister’s new dog .

© willowdot21

Sunday was washing, dog walking and housework and reading book one of a two book series which you will hear more of soon.

Monday 12th started a week of Drs appointments , phone calls, and the like, hubby is still not well and having trouble with his ears and hearing and other worrying things. We have had our seasonal flu jabs and we booked up for our Covid booster. It’s all go here.

Shopping, helping family and neighbours also filled the week, the weekend was busy too and all the while I wanted to blog but just could not settle to it. There were a few family birthdays three infact!

Then Monday 19th was The Queens funeral and yes we watched it for most of the day. It was meticulously done and really very touching and beautiful. The Royal family really had a very long and exhausting fully of emotions and even tears for their beloved, Mum, Gran and great Gran….Rest in peace Marm you have done your bit.. God Save the King, Charles 111.

R.I.P. Elizabeth.

So here we are halfway through another week and all I can ask is that you could be patient and I will try to catch up …as soon as I can.💜💜💜

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Aug. 13, 2022

Hi Its Saturday and time for our prompt from Linda . Thus week she said : Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is starts with “u.” Find a word that starts with the letter “u” and use it however you’d like. Bonus points if it’s the first word in your post. Enjoy!

Underneath .

Underneath the path lies a secret
Layer upon layer of grief
Under the damp scented loam
As above feet do roam.
Unloved , unknown
Lost for evermore
Cold, never
To be
Found .

Underneath : Alanis Morissette.

Badge by Shelley Krupa..

Ronovan Writes #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge 421 SAND and Life.

Life’s opposite death
Keeps track of life by sand grains
Life just flows away.

Ronovanwrite’s .

This is part of Ronovanwrite’s Weekly Haiku Challenge.