mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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#NaPoWriMo Late Bloom
April 23, 2018
bloom
Time passes quickly as the words fly through my mind
Fits and starts of creative linguistic crap is what I find
Will I become a poet in the future when I no longer care?
Or will my visions continue to languish about in the air?
Nobody knows, certainly not me
napo2018button
Join poets from around the globe for National Poetry Writing Month. Read, write, and contribute here all month.
#WritePhoto Midwinter Moments
December 28, 2017
— 7 Comments
lightAfter work we walked down to the shore to watch the sun set on the shortest day of the year. We were looking for comfort as the calendar told us to begin a new year. The resolutions we made in the past have been leading us to this point. Our point had no point, our days had no joy, and our business had lost a reason to be of service. We had become the victims of habit, impulse, drudgery and slothful thinking. Time had become flat and meaningless.
My sister asked me if I thought we would survive the winter. I answered honestly that I was not so sure we could. When she trembled and asked if I believed in luck and fate I told her I did not put much stock in luck. Fate is another matter, because we can not know our fate. We do fashion our own good fortune or lack thereof when we create our self image. We waited by the water and watched the light of the sun sink into the horizon while I wondered how I could change our luck, in which I had just claimed to have no belief. After dark I whispered to her, “All our needs are easily met.” The moon rose, shining brightly on the path to our home. Our spirits lifted and we felt a surge of bliss. We harvested hope in the night that would last all year. We floated home on a cloud of new optimism.
#writephoto
This short story is based on the photo prompt on this weeks’ Echo by Sue Vincent. She inspires us every Thursday with a new photo to which we respond with poetry or prose, comedy or dark dystopian drama. This group is diverse, bringing a talented response to the snapshot of the moment. Join us to read, comment, or submit your own response here. Thanks for stopping by today.
Paradox Passage
November 8, 2017
narrow passage
metallic angel
Between the walls of the ruined buildings plants grew wild
Some metallic angels flew over the houses and smiled
Merry pranksters fell down laughing long after the joke
Any resentment or anger had long ago gone up in smoke
Vintage remnants of times that will not be remembered
Scatter over the narrow path like a fire burned down to embers
#WritePhoto Crack In Time
August 24, 2017
— 10 Comments
cracked
Saturn cracked up when he made the spring erupt and spew
Hot molten lava down the side of the mountain leaving few
Alive to bury the dead and rebuild the city in a safe location
The handful of citizens still looked to the pantheon for all creation
Life began anew when the summer rains brought water to the land
Green shoots and busy insect colonies sprung up to cover the ground
After some time the wildlife carefully returned, built nests and found
That Saturn in retrograde sets very strong limits and restrictions
That break down many great obstacles to living without addictions
Father Time
Please join us on Thursdays for a photo prompt from Sue Vincent’s Echo that inspires these stories and poems. Comment, read, or write your own version here. There is great variety and talent in the mix.
#writephoto
#WritePhoto Dervish Wisps
August 17, 2017
— 8 Comments
dervish wisps
The dervishes gathered at the grave of the Sufi master
This forbidden practice was a traditional prayer of heretics
The twirling started slowly, accompanied by chanting
Riding on the wind bending the clouds with energy
Changing the relationship to be closer to the beloved
Floating above the dancing figures of their own bodies
They entered a state of pure ecstasy, unbridled delight
Flowed from their fingertips and out of every footstep
Holding the beloved in reverence they let go of all fear
#writephoto
Please join us each week to interpret a photo by Sue Vincent on her blog, the Echo. It is fun to read the different ways writers see the image. Every Thursday we meet, rain or shine. Please read, comment, or submit your own story or poem.
#WeekendCoffeeShare Monsoon Edition
July 15, 2017
— 7 Comments
Sonoran Desert
When it rains it pours in the desert. We finally have our summer rainy season. If we were having coffee this weekend in Tucson you would notice the uptick in humidity, and the relief all the flora is now expressing. The long dry spell is broken. This annual event is met with great rejoicing here, no matter when it arrives. We would all burn in hell without our summer rain. Have a seat, relax, and tell me about your week. We are still up to our ears in dates, so help yourself. For tea, we have every flavor you can imagine. I can serve it up on ice to keep you cool for our chat. What’ll ya have today? I am guzzling white strawberry iced tea..makes me remember spring, when it was not so hot.
If we were having coffee I would tell you about the ironic timing of events in the last week of my life. First I crashed the back of my car and sent it to the shop for repair. This incident kicked off a virtual cascade of related reactions. This is the first insurance claim on a car I have made other than a cracked windshield. I know the insurance company will raise my rates, and I have been thinking that my car no longer suits my lifestyle. With my new job I now have a commute and it would be better to have a more efficient smaller vehicle (for which I will also pay lower insurance premiums). I visited the Prius dealer and picked out my salesman. He is extremely cool, from Senegal. He claims to be able to dance better than all the West Africans in France…we shall see about that!! Moustapha and I will be cooking up the perfect deal for my new vehicle and image. I will be sure to show it to you all when it happens. There is much to study before I make this move.
I had scheduled a light treatment at my dermatologists office before I crashed the car. The treatment to remove precancerous spots from my face requires that I spend a few days in total darkness to recover. I had changed my work schedule accommodate what I call the vampire days. If you have to have your car repaired anyhow it is the perfect time to stay home in the dark. I had a great time yesterday getting rid of things. I have decided that along with my car and a layer of skin on my face I will shed everything I own that no longer thrills me. This process will take some time, but I am determined to finish the job. I feel liberated already by making these decisions.
I was distracted by real life enough to skip two days of writing this week. I started to write a memoir on Monday because the alliteration just works. I wrote a short piece about my father and fishing ( because alliteration rules) I skipped #TeaTuesday because we had a very long meeting plus training at the grow. A doctor presented both an hour of basic cannabis training, required by the state for those of us who hold the dispensary agent license, and a more advanced lecture for the whole staff. Both hours were jam packed with information. The doctor was a good presenter with plenty of science to back everything he said. This job is the bomb. I shot some good footage for #WeedWednesday but did not get the post written this week. Lucky for me nobody really suffers if I skip some days. I only disappoint myself.
Since I discovered that alliteration is such a great way to create an editorial calendar I decided to write fiction of Friday. I chose a familiar real character from my youth and made up a story about her life. I don’t think it qualifies as historical fiction, but I did make a start, so I am pleased with the idea. I know it is corny but #SelfCareSunday, #MemoirMonday, #TeaTuesday, #WeedWednesday, and #FictionFriday make me very happy. I write either fiction or poetry on Thursdays because I enjoy Sue Vincent’s #writephoto prompts. Do you follow a writing schedule or do you just let it flow?
What are you working on now? I think many of you have inspired me to attempt fiction, and I thank you for that. What kind of subjects do you like to cover? Where do you get story ideas? What remedies do your employ for writers’ block? I am curious about your process. Let me pour you another glass of tea and listen. Tell me your news.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
This weekly digital beverage party is hosted by our lovely hostess Diana at parttimemonsterblog. You can join the fun by reading, writing, and commenting here. The group is diverse and witty, and who doesn’t want to visit New Orleans every week?
#WritePhoto Messenger In Black
July 13, 2017
— 6 Comments
as the crow flies
They called out to each other when he entered the building. “CaCaw-CaCaw”, the sound of the crow echoed through the staff to warn that the boss has arrived. Quickly scurrying to clean up, sweep up, and look alive, everyone knows what the boss likes to see and what sets him off. This factory was for a while the last remaining business in the town. Generations of village folk have worked in the same jobs for decades. The relationships between the factory and the town were simple. The workers provided an honest labor force, and the factory provides jobs to keep the economy alive.
The casket industry is a lucrative niche in the death market. Since 1795 the luxury leaders in the industry had been Royal Flush. They were the providers of royal caskets, designed for pomp and ceremony. To stay in high society and leave a lasting legacy the final statement had to reflect an abundance of tradition and very flashy symbols of wealth and power. No expense was spared as the Victorians went about turning the funeral into a well orchestrated show with all the trimmings. Modern times brought new color and swag to the final container. The possibility to jack up the price with extras had never been better. Nobody wanted to be outdone by others as they made their final exit. Caskets were almost pure profit.
Times changed, global warming had severe consequences for graveyards everywhere. As the costal waters rose currents swept through cemeteries causing remains to float to the surface and drift out to sea. Nobody had anticipated this side effect. Suddenly burial was no longer the first choice of those who needed to dispose of their dead family members. Royal Flush was the last place any sane person would look for a civilized end. The factory doors closed and the workers all had to move to higher ground. As they looked back at the factory for the last time a black crow swept low in the sky and shouted, “CaCaw, CaCaw”. They understood his warning, his message. They saw the folly in resisting change and biting the hand that feeds. It was too late.
#writephoto
This story is written in response to Sue Vincent’s Echo, where a photo prompt is featured every Thursday. Join us to read, write, and comment here. Jump right in with your version! It is fun to see how many ways the picture is interpreted.
#WeekendCoffeeShare A Date With Dates
July 8, 2017
— 3 Comments
dessert from the desert
20 pounds of dates
If we were having coffee this weekend in Tucson, I would try to cool you off and ask you to join in a rain dance before you go. Our wildfires are very hard to control with no rain, so things are out of hand here in Arizona. I know the weather is warm all over this summer, but we are truly surrounded by a burning ring of fire. We went out early this morning to a produce distribution near our home. Our produce haul this week includes a 20 pound box of fresh dates. They are beautiful. Please help yourself to some while I pour you some iced tea. I will be studying Pinterest for date recipes to try that do not include baking…it is too hot for that. Sit back and tell me how your week and your writing has gone. Is your muse treating you well?
If we were having coffee I would tell you I am really enjoying that Audible subscription I purchased. I am tearing through the books, and loving the podcasts. I may disable myself from true reading with my own eyes, but I think it is super fun to have a great voice read to me. It is the perfect companion for my job. I continue to learn more every time I go to work. Yesterday I learned exactly where the big mesquite tree branch is in the parking lot. I was leaving work, obviously kind of distracted, and backed right into said tree branch. I had a long way to drive home with a shattered rear window, and later discovered body damage on the door that will require repair. I had to stay calm while hoping my window would not drop out on the road behind me in severe heat. I made it into my garage, had some exchange with the insurance company, then slept on it.
Of course I wish I had not damaged my car, but I always ask “Compared to what?” I did not hurt anyone else or anyone else’s car. I do have insurance coverage to repair the damage. I reflected on the central messages of my most recent audio books…I decided this accident was the flash of reality I needed to sell this car and get a much smaller more efficient model. I can save money on my insurance premiums by purchasing a small car, so I am going shopping for a Prius. I think it will be fun, and will suit my present lifestyle much better. I am not in a big rush. I have to get my car fixed in order to trade it in. This turns out to be some kind of turning point that will not require a dark night of the soul, just a car purchase. That is why it is an excellent idea to listen to Buddhist philosophy before you smash your rear window. Since one never knows when one may smash a window, it is always good to listen to the Buddha. The same might be said of death. Nothing is more valuable than equanimity.
How is your writing? I am still enjoying tea reviews and weed Wednesday. I shot some footage yesterday to use next Wednesday that I think will turn out well. My short fiction this week was again kind of gloomy and dystopian. The memoir book has been very helpful to me as a guide to creating fiction. I have not written much of it, and have not thought about character development and story arc, etc. Like my poetry, I have miles to go before I create my masterpiece, but I find the journey interesting and stimulating.
Speaking of stimulating, have some more iced tea. I have Peppermint Butler brewed for a cool zing and a caffeine buzz. It pairs well with the dates. If you know any simple, bacon free (I am a vegetarian), date recipes please let me know. I think I might attempt date chutney, but I am low on ideas beyond that.
Please stay hydrated during your visit to our hellish weather. Visit our hostess, Emily, at Nerd In The Brain to stay in touch with this digital party. Share your own post, drink some coffee, and let us know what is happening in your life.
#WeekednCoffeeShare
Since this is a digital and moveable feast, next weekend we will converge in New Orleans at the blog of our original coffee share hostess, ParttimeMonster. We do this through the magic of the internet. Thanks for stopping in today.
#WeekendCoffeeShare
Keeping Our Cool
July 3, 2017
— 1 Comment
best wishes
To whom can we look for guidance in crisis?
The sea is full of troubled waters and dying fish
Our battles and embroiled excuses do not end with ISIS
Our future floats lifelessly on the surface, a futile wish
For earth to find the harmony needed to stay alive
While we argue viciously about every possible decision
Blindly contradicting truth only helps ignorance thrive
Time leaves us with fewer options to complete our mission
Transcendence
June 24, 2017
— 1 Comment
metal
Over the edge of the chasm the hot molten metal poured
The danger loomed larger as the sound of engines roared
The door to hell was opened quickly without warning
There is little time to make amends and none to take flight
Running, tired and thirsty, taking refuge until morning
Revealed our footprints and our trail in the broad daylight
If we did not find another way our demise would be assured
That is how we found transcendence and finally were cured
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