~ My response to a CDHK challenge for a tan renga based on a Jane Reichhold haiku harks back to the often-quoted opening lines of a William Blake poem. ~
Author: Mellow Curmudgeon
My blog touches on many things, often with humor and/or haiku. I have been a scientist; an engineer; an Alzheimer’s caregiver.
Raise and Look
Glass mug of black tea.
Behold the liquid’s color:
radiant amber.
Amber~ Pic and a Word Challenge #299
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Geometry of Hope
The CDHK challenge [Carpe Diem Haiku Kai #1856: Restarting?] laments the nasty strife of the past 2+ years but finds a glimmer of hope in a haiga where the image is a superb sunrise photo. My response is another haiga, with 2 haiku and another visual metaphor.
Foaming at the Mask
~ Thought I was on a roll after I revised a copy of a previous post for a new challenge. Then I relearned a valuable old lesson. The hard way? Of course. ~
Xmas 2021 (one last example)
~ Most of December is in the “Yes, but …” season. This post displays the last of my current handful of examples. Maybe I will have more next year. ~
Xmas 2021 (another example)
~ Most of December is in the “Yes, but …” season. Cautiously optimistic, I will post another from my handful of examples now and hold any that remain for later. ~
Xmas 2021 (“Yes, but …”)
~ Most of December is in the “Yes, but …” season. Cautiously optimistic, I will post two of my handful of examples now and hold those that remain for later. ~
Innocence
Children need to learn
that paths are slick and rocky,
but some lead to light.
Image © Patrick Jennings
Rocky ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #292
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Vow of Silence
An excessive dread has consequences in this revised (and now illustrated) short story, with a somewhat upbeat twist after a few frantic minutes. The illustration has its own ironic backstory.
Tooth Truth: Canines & Molars
Who needs canine teeth? Dracula, for one. But not me. Molars are another story, with comical twists and a chance of being helpful if U ever need to consider replacing a molar with a dental implant.
When He Pulls Strings
Dancer’s wooden mask:
leather hinges swing open.
Drum throbs; shaman chants.
~ ~ ~ ~
Hinges swing shut as dance ends:
hidden face; revealed spirit.
Photo © Trustees of the British Museum
~ ~ ~ ~
Khan Academy | Transformation Masks
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Ornithocardiac Irony
I want an illustration for a short story that features a heart attack. The image should be like an abstract expressionist painting of the idea of a heart attack, not a stock image. While I don’t paint, I do take (and often edit) photos. Can I edit one of my photos for my story? Yes. It’s a birdbath photo, of course.
Oak Tree Hymn
Acorns spread the faith,
and leaves consecrate the world.
Church window, no wall.
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Show Case #2 (Writer’s Co-op)
What is behind the mask? After it is removed, there may still be more than meets the eye. Much more, as the varied pieces in Writers’ Co-op Show Case #2 reveal. Clicking on [SHOW CASE] in the banner atop any Writers’ Co-op page will reveal a drop-down menu with links to the growing list of episodes.
Click here to see episode 2 of the Writers’ Co-op Show Case curated by Sue Ranscht, which begins as follows:
This Show Case features nine pieces submitted in response to our second Writing Prompt: Behind the mask. We hope they stimulate your mind, spirit, and urge to write. Maybe they will motivate you to submit a piece for our next prompt:
Catharsis
Those submissions are due by the end of Monday, November 1, 2021, and will be published here the following Friday. Please attach yours as a .docx, .doc, or .pdf to an email to stranscht@sbcglobal.net. (Guidelines: any genre, approximately 6 – 1,000 words.)
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October Cloud
Sailing on fall wind,
a flock of droplets migrates.
Each is a small world.
Sailing ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #286
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Show Case on Writer’s Co-op
A new page on Writer’s Co-op is a biweekly show case of short pieces submitted in response to prompts. Submissions from anybody with a serious interest in writing are welcome. I needed only 12 pages to print all seven pieces from Show Case #1 in a large font, and I am glad to have read them.
Mellow Curmudgeon 