Chaotic – Daily Prompt

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It was chaos in the Jones’ household. The night before the holiday and everyone was packing their suitcases.

“Mum, I can’t find my pink blouse and my trainers, do you know where they are?” shouted Marie from her room.

“Aren’t you packing your stuff?” I asked Martin, who was playing his PS4. “How long are we going to be there?” he asked coolly.

“Mickey wants to come, too” Jaime came to my room with his favourite toy. “OK, darling, put him there.”

“Don’t forget to pack my binoculars, Dear” reminded my Honey.

And so the suitcase lay open.

PHOTO PROMPT © Ron Pruitt
PHOTO PROMPT © Ron Pruitt

When we first got married, Him Indoors and I visited the Philippines. We flew to Bicol, one of the provinces in the north of the Philippines and on the way back, flights were cancelled. Instead of waiting for the next flight which could be the next day or the next week, things could be very flexible in the Philippines. Anyway, we decided to take the bus to Manila. Everyone seemed to have the same idea. The bus station was full of people, chickens, pigs, children, cargoes, you name it, they were there, chaos! We ended up being in a decrepit, no air-con bus. We had to stand the first couple of hours. Did I mention that the bus was so full, people were literally hugging each other, not forgetting all the chickens, pigs, baskets of fruits and vegetables, etc. There was a stop – wheel fell off. We waited 3 hours for the man to get nuts in another town. We stood by the side of the road in the middle of the night. People started getting out, so we were able to sit. Then we stopped the second time – puncture on one of the tyres. Another wait. After that, the driver raced another bus along the motorway with a horse and a cart in the slow lane. Never again, we promised. Such a bus experience!

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This week’s photo prompt is provided by Iain Kelly. Thank you Iain!

Marie and son John were on the way to school when a car overtook them. Marie’s car skidded and rolled down the cliff. Luckily, both of them were able to get out of the car before the car caught fire. The man who overtook them saw the smoke, felt guilty and called the ambulance. The paramedics arrived and assessed the situation. They rang the emergency helicopter so they could take Marie and John to the nearest hospital.

Meanwhile, Sam found the surprise birthday present from his Dad. It was a drone cyber flyer plane, the one he saw in the shop. His Dad remembered! How happy he was and immediately set it up and started flying it. Then he couldn’t control it anymore and hit the front of the emergency helicopter. The helicopter crashed and chaos ensued.

For: Chaotic

Other “chaotic” posts:
https://sonjabenskinmesher.wordpress.com/2014/09/30/chaos/
https://annapurani93.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/chaotic/
https://lanternwords.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/be-not-chaotic/
https://sassyeasycook.wordpress.com/2016/11/24/turnaround/
Daily Prompt: Chaos cures boredom

Anticipation – Daily Prompt

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“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ll be landing in half an hour. So please fasten your seatbelts, put your chair in an upright position and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments…Enjoy the rest of the flight.” That was the captain speaking. Luzviminda could hardly contain herself. She was coming back home after four years of being away from everyone. She left a girl, now she was coming back a well travelled lady and a fiancée. She couldn’t believe all the experience she had in those four years.

After college Luzviminda was lucky enough to be invited by her aunt to travel to France and stay with them. It was in the winter and she could still remember the delight of first seeing snow. She asked her aunt to take a photo of her and sent it to her family. France is totally different from her country and she had to learn fast. She had to learn French to start with, so she watched all comedy shows and cartoons and tried to learn the language. She also started looking for a job. It wasn’t easy but she persevered. Luckily, she managed to get a job in one of the Consulates in Geneva. Her knowledge of English got her the job, as she was doing the English correspondence, while the others were doing the French and the Amharic ones. She loved that experience.

Then, after a while, she applied to do an apprenticeship in one of Germany’s chemical company. Actually, she applied to hundreds of companies in Europe. That was one determined lady! She was accepted to do the apprenticeship in the Inorganic Department. There, she met her future husband. After six months, they had to part their ways, as he had to go back to finish his studies and Luzviminda decided to visit her father in the USA.

In America, Luzviminda found a job in a Cosmetic Company, doing the Accounts Payable. They loved her there and were impressed with her ability to learn the job well and precise. The future husband followed her there and spent summer with her. They decided to get married in the UK in a year’s time. So Luzviminda decided to go back home and informed her mother and siblings.

“I can’t wait to tell them about my experiences. I can’t wait to see them all again. Life has been good to me. And now before I start a new life, I’d like to go home first, say thanks for everything that happened and get my Mother’s blessing. Half an hour more and I’ll be home!”

For: Anticipation

Other “anticipation” posts:
Well, what do you know?
Wordless Wednesday: Anticipation
https://loisajay1213.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/daily-prompt-anticipation/
https://wordsonwingsblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/the-meeting/
https://26letterspoetryblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/23/train-window/

Suffering Sun

sufferingsun

sun
scorching
too much suffering
giving too much heat to earth
hot
everyday blazing like fire
can’t help but give heat
sweltering
sun*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* Oddquain is a short, usually unrhymed poem consisting of seventeen syllables distributed 1, 3, 5, 7, 1 in five lines, developed by Glenda L. Hand.

oddquain butterflies – a “merged mirror oddquain” where the two stanzas of a mirror oddquain are merged together, one of the middle 1 syllable lines is dropped, resulting in one nine line stanza of the form 1-3-5-7-1-7-5-3-1. Please note that a oddquain butterfly is not a “oddquain” because it doesn’t have five lines, but it is “butterfly” made up of two oddquains that were merged together into one poem.

For: Prompt #1914 Visual Prompt of the Week – The Suffering Sun — The Writing Reader, Scorched

Other “scorched” posts:
https://ourrandomview.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/daily-prompt-scorched/
Daily Prompt: Scorched earth
Uncorked
https://passion912.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/burn-melt-die/
https://annapurani93.wordpress.com/2016/11/20/scorched/

Tart – Daily Prompt

An open pastry case containing a sweet or savoury filling:
‘an apple tart’

A woman who dresses or behaves in a way that is considered tasteless and sexually provocative:
‘she wears skirts this short all the time—she’s such a tart’

Sharp or acid in taste:
‘a tart apple’

For: Tart

Other “tart” posts:
Sour Patch Kids
https://insach21site.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/tart/
https://frankprem.wordpress.com/2016/08/18/single-male-shopper/
http://www.devildollmusings.com/2016/11/16/cookie/
https://lanternwords.wordpress.com/2016/11/15/sweet-never-tart/

Fish – Daily Prompt

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on a stormy night
fishermen tried to catch fish
brave men of the sea

brave men of the sea
so their families can eat
tough income to earn

tough income to earn
love of fishing is vital
miracle from sea

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

Our fish tank has been with us since HRH the son was 8. He loved this tank, spent hours and hours looking at the fishes, talking to them. We used to go and choose new fishes from the shop, get them used to the water in the tank and slowly introduced them to the ones already in. He never forgot to feed them and from time to time, gave them fresh treats. Every time we had some visitors, the son would first show them his prized fish tank. Soon, it was time for him to leave our nest to study in another country. By that time, he had other interests aside from the fish. I had to do the cleaning and the feeding. We didn’t buy new fish anymore. Now, there are only 2 fishes in the tank. It’s like a paradise for them, this huge fish tank for two. (150 words)

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I love swimming. First thing in the morning, I’ll be in our sea near our house. There’s no better way to start fresh after an hour’s swimming with the fishes and other creatures in the sea.

One of them is my friend, Sirena. She’s half-female, half-fish. She’s blue-skinned with scaly body coverings and fins on several parts of her body. She has a lovely voice. Even though I can’t sing, sometimes I join her singing. Her melodies are so mythical and strange like nothing I’ve heard on land before.

“Oh hi, Sirena, I haven’t seen you in ages, what’s up?” I greeted her.

“Hi, Ladylee, I’ve been very busy lately. We’re preparing for my coronation in two weeks’ time. You know my mother just passed away, caught and killed by a big net to get all the dolphins here. She was one of them and now we have no queen.” Sirena swam to me with her friend Nemo.

“Sorry to hear about your Mother. But hey, a coronation, that’s great. Can I come? I’d love to see you get crowned!”

“Sure, you’ll be my special guest. My sister Sienna will look after you. All the creatures of the sea will be here. We’ll have some bands playing. Nemo here is the conductor of the band. It’s going to be a great party! We’ll probably give you some gill potion so you can stay longer down under.” She suggested.

“Oh my, oh my, this is great. I look forward to it. I’ve got to go now. I still have to work. Enjoy your swim, Sirena.”

And so, we swam back in different directions.

Great fun to be under the sea
Swimming with the fish and algae
Clear azure sea is amazing
Such adventure this snorkelling

Coral reef is another world
It’s like being in a dream world
I can swim for hours, that’s the thing
Such adventure this snorkelling

Saw a school of fish and turtle
Swimming with them is so blissful
Such a wonderful life, floating
Such adventure this snorkelling

Great fun to be under the sea
Such adventure this snorkelling

snorkelling under the sea
deep silence of nature
admiring life down under
fishes and corals
sharing experience
happy with
you!

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

For: Fish

Other “fish” posts:
Fish, as published in Toortsie’s Banting Bash!
https://dragoneystory.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/fish/
https://annapurani93.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/fish/
https://hotwhitesnow.wordpress.com/2016/06/21/you-dont-know-jack/
https://lanternwords.wordpress.com/2016/11/14/to-fish/

Lofty – Daily Prompt

graphics-kites-225381Hello everyone! Hope you are all fine. I’m sharing you a song which was popular when I first left the country in the 80s. We used to sing this and somehow, made me realise my high ambition in life and also to have fun in life. Have a lovely week everyone!

Matayog ang lipad ng saranggola ni Pepe
Matayog ang pangarap ng matandang bingi
Umihip ang hangin, nawala sa paningin
Sigaw ng kahapon, nilamon na ng alon
Malabo ang tunog ng kampanilya ni Padre
Maingay ang taginting, rosaryo ng babae

Lofty flies Pepe ‘s kite
Ambitious old deaf
The wind blew , disappears
Cry of yesterday , swallowed by waves
The faint sound of the Father’s bell
Noisy resonance , woman’s rosary

For: Lofty

Flames – Daily Prompt

Jessamine

As the flames leapt skyward
Farewell our Jessamine, farewell
We closed our eyes and sighed
Gone but not disremembered
Your memories lingered on
The happiness you gave us
In that brief time you were here
We’d treasure every moment
Perhaps you left some legacy
Legacy of faith, love and fun
Life is short and must use it well
Rest in peace, our darling Jessamine

For: Flames

Other “flames” posts:
Flames #DailyPrompt
https://inkdropblog.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/flames/
https://rajkrishna88.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/a-planet-called-earth/
https://annapurani93.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/flames/

Open Doors – Photo-Fiction #63

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When one door closes, one opens
When the moon sets, rises the sun
We find what’s next to our action
With our problems, we can do tons
Lots of choices, which one to choose
And with that choice, sometimes we lose

Don’t despair, make the most of it
With determination and grit
Either swim with the flow or quit
Do what we can with all our wit
Cooperate or not, our choice
Let the others hear our own voice

Action, reaction, that follows
Highs or lows, we pay what we owe
Time carries on, even we doze
All these years, we have friends or foes
We have to keep our doors open
We can have fun, perhaps, we won*

(c) ladyleemanila 2016

* The LaCharta, created by Laura Lamarca, consists of a minimum of 3 stanzas with no maximum length stipulation. Each stanza contains 6 lines. The syllable count is 8 per line in iambic tetrameter and the rhyme scheme is aaaabb ccccdd eeeeff and so on. “La” is Laura Lamarca’s signature and “Charta” in Latin, simply means “poem”.

For: Photo-Fiction #63, Or

Other “or” posts:
This Or That

“I Love You” – God

https://inkhammer.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/the-slaughter/
https://heyhillaryjane.wordpress.com/2016/11/11/where-the-heart-is/
Where are the Veterans?Who do we remember?

Vegetal – Daily Prompt

For: Vegetal

Other “vegetal” posts:

Vegetal…………huh?

https://the15thday.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/a-serious-case-of-the-huhs/
Harvest
How War Brought a Silver Lining
https://backonthegrid.wordpress.com/2016/11/10/a-walk-in-the-woods/