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Ronovan Writes #Weekly # Haiku #Poetry Prompt# Challenge # 55
So what’s Ronovan got tucked up his sleeve this week? The prompt words Five and Thrive are a rhyming pair these two words suggest youthfulness, and doing well – all in all a very positive way to go.
Maya Angelou’s wonderful quote and Ron’s prompt words bring to mind thoughts about a daughter of a family friend of mine who has been through multiple operations dating back to when she was just a baby. She’s such a brave girl, in all the time I’ve known her she has never complained about what she has had to go through. Sophie is now sweet sixteen, and an inspiration to us all, her positivity is truly a credit to her and her family. This first haiku is a special get well wish for this lovely lass who is currently in hospital after undergoing surgery. We wish her the very best, a speedy recovery and much fun and laughter in her life, she truly deserves it. xx
For Sophie
You’re five times braver
This haiku is for you
Thrive reach that summit
I’m certain you’ll thrive
Your five special qualities
Will always shine through
Positivity,
Braveness, strength of character,
Your love of life too.
(The final three lines aren’t using the prompt words
but they just seemed to fit so well……………)
So, with this positivity in mind let’s find five fun things to do:
Five Special Things
Five amazing tips
To thrive, eat, smile, laugh, create,
Be adventurous
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
Words good or bad, are my very own!
If you’d like to take part in Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge here’s the link: https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-55-five-thrive/
Hope you liked this week’s Haiku. Do leave a comment I’d love to hear from you.
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
#Blog Battle Writing Week 20: Prophet
Well it’s time for another Blog Battle, if you haven’t come across Rachael Ritchey’s Blog Battles here’s your chance to join in this fun community of writers.
This link will take you to her blog battle page: http://rachaelritchey.com/blogbattle/
The rules are:
Week 20 Theme will be Prophet
Date to Post: Tuesday, July 28th, 2015
Rules:
- 1000 words max
- fictional tale (or true if you really want)
- PG (no more than PG-13) Content – let’s keep this family friendly!
- Your story must contain the word(s) from the theme and/or be centered around the theme in a way that shows it is clearly related
- Go for the entertainment value!
- Post your story by Tuesday 11:59 PM PST
- Use the hashtag #BlogBattle when tweeting your story, put a link back to your #BlogBattle Short Story in the comments section of this page, and/or include a link to this page in your own blog post (it creates a “ping-back” which will alert me and our friends to your #BlogBattle post)
- Have fun!
The prompt word this week is Prophet. I thought I’d give you another little taster of my WIP, a children’s fantasy set in Edinburgh. I have written about 12,000 words in total for this new manuscript, so there is still a long way to go! This is the opening chapter of Morag Eu-Fung’s adventures, which is still to be edited/critiqued, by my writing group so all comments appreciated.
Hope you enjoy!
Grandma’s Prophesy
Morag shouted, a wide grin erupted on her moon-shaped face, any spirits evil or otherwise were probably deafened and finding a hiding place in a crater somewhere. Now Morag’s voice sounded hoarse. Eilidh rolled her eyes, and frowned, her forehead creasing tightly in a sisterly display of disapproval. Morag acknowledged the frown by sticking her tongue out at her sister, but it was too late, Eilidh had turned away totally missing Morag’s rebellious gesture.
Just at that very moment, the night sky lit up with another jubilant burst of fireworks. The rainbow of light seemed to catch Morag’s dark brown hair which hung loose, and then alighted on her coat which was unbuttoned, thrown on. Another burst of colour settled momentarily on her fingerless mittens. Morag’s face glowed, her breaths panting, like a tribe of joggers, trying to keep up with each quick step of excitement. As if to match the momentum of Morag’s breathing a sequence of fireworks burst into another wonderful display, light fell, illuminating the freckles on Eilidh’s face which squeezed together impersonating a series of tiny black dots. Somehow Eilidh’s freckles reminded Morag of what you might see after staring too long and hard at an optician’s bright light.
Morag’s dad had outdone himself. Where had he managed to find such a wonderful array of fireworks? The firecrackers had been noisy; the neighbours must be at breaking point by now. Morag imagined them in their houses gritting their teeth, and muttering with growing annoyance. She giggled. No doubt they could smell the aroma of burning bamboo sticks too. Anybody would think that they were living in Hong Kong or somewhere equally exotic, but no they were in Scotland, at least they were living in the capital city Edinburgh and not in some back water. The centre of Asian culture, no, not really, but most of the inhabitants of their house thought differently, and those who didn’t kept that opinion to themselves!
Mum, dad, grandma and grandpa joined them but watched from a distance. Morag and Eilidh huddled together in the back garden sharing this moment until Eilidh spoilt it with her selfish words.
“Come on Morag, let’s go, it’s over.”
Eilidh didn’t even have the decency to let the very last firework fizz out properly. Morag ignored her sister, she lingered, savouring the memory of the sight of the sparkling fireworks exploding into the darkness of the night, they might be gone but the atmosphere crackled with the promise of a New Year. She was so absorbed in her own thoughts that for a moment she hadn’t noticed everyone else trooping back into the house. But when she did she questioned why they always did as Eilidh said? Before Morag could wonder anymore Grandmother trudged up and grabbed her by the collar of her coat and yanked her back to reality.
“Whooa Grandma, I’m coming, stop pulling at my coat,” said Morag, as she turned for one last stolen glance at the night sky.
Grandmother might seem to be the patient one but when it came to tradition she was always the first one in line, on a mission, in a hurry, organising the family in her quiet, devoted way. She had come outside to collect Morag without bothering to put on her coat. Her black dress was tightly drawn across her plump body, acting as a fearsome barrier to the cold. Morag studied Grandmother Lean’s wrinkly, tired face. She’d been working really hard, busily preparing everything for Chinese New Year. Grandmother had very rarely sat down, whilst grandfather settled down into the best chair in the house and refused to get up! Typical grandfather!
The reunion dinner had been well worth all the effort. Morag’s favourite dumplings had sat like tempting morsels quivering with expectant anticipation on the dining table. Within one of the dumplings a gold coin lay hidden and whoever found the coin was considered to be lucky. Morag had hoped that it would be her. She had looked at the dumplings hungrily and wondered which one to choose. Her hunger had got the better of her and she had chosen the biggest, fattest, one. In her haste she had opened her mouth wide and had taken an enormous bite, almost eating the dumpling whole. Of course, her elder sister had chosen the smaller more delicate dumpling and had found the gold coin. Typical! Why did her eldest sister have to be the lucky one? It was so unfair. Ugh! Still, maybe it was just as well, Morag had swallowed the gold coin last year by mistake, and they had had to rush her to hospital! After the gold coin incident, Eilidh had taken great delight in calling Morag a greedy pig. Morag didn’t want that name tag, even though the pig was one of the illustrious animals to grace the Chinese Zodiac.
The first day of this New Year had begun well. Grandmother Lean had greeted Morag and Eilidh with an individual ang pow, a little red packet.
“Spend it wisely, and all will be well,” Grandmother had prophesied.
Of course Grandmother hadn’t said this to Eilidh, she expected Eilidh to spend it wisely without being reminded. Eilidh would too, she knew how to get on the right side of grandmother and keep her sweet.
Morag had bowed respectfully to her grandmother, even though she was a bit annoyed by Grandmother selecting her for the “spend it wisely” message but she knew better than to say anything, and she certainly didn’t intend to open it in front of her. This was considered to be very rude! So she sneaked upstairs and opened the packet in her room, £20. Wow. She couldn’t wait to spend it.
She remembered her grandmother’s words.
“Spend it wisely.”
She loved her grandmother and knew that the spirits of her ancestors had been listening and that to disobey would be very, very, unwise. She must try her best to buy something worthy of her grandmother’s wish. She prophesied that she would be good, a little chuckle escaped betraying her like a prisoner from her lips.
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
Hope you like my #BlogBattle story. I’m enjoying writing this WIP. Do let me know what you think. I would love some opinions on the Chinese New Year Theme. Thanks a million.
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge Review 54
Can you believe it? I’m this week’s Serious Haiku choice, now that’s a wonderful surprise. Marjorie of Kyrosmagica: Anxiety and Pet Hugs. Seriousness from our resident Humorist. @Marjorie_Mallon
Vashti Quiroz-Vega of The Writer Next Door is the humour choice this week with: Po-Po.
Check out all the wonderful Haiku entries.
RonovanWrites Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt Challenge Review 54.
The Cherished Blog Fest
THE CHERISHED BLOG FEST
I discovered the Cherished Blog Fest via Dan Antion, at No Facilities.
So what is my cherished possession?
It is this very lovely camphor wood chest that dates back to my childhood in Hong Kong. My mum and dad brought back various items of oriental furniture from their time in the Far East. When my brother and I left home we were both given a beautiful chest to take away with us. I store all my favourite photos of my childhood, my life and my children in this precious chest, as well as wedding momentos, anniversary cards, and special birthday cards.)
It is totally deserving of the term cherished.
In fact this chest became quite a catalyst of inspiration.
Here’s a couple of paragraphs from my manuscript on the theme of precious items hidden in a chest:
Reaching inside her camphor wood chest she delved for her secret lucky dip of stashed bits and bobs that she kept away from the prying eyes of her parents. Inside the chest were crystal books, pretty little stones, trinkets, a tattoo henna kit, and her much loved drum-sticks. She placed her art set in amongst all her precious things and closed the chest tight.
And –
An overwhelming feeling came over her that today would be a day that she would remember forever. It wasn’t just a dream! It had really happened, and the proof, the Red Jade Crystal, lay hidden in her precious chest of secrets.
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
How to join in the Cherished BlogFest
Rules as per the organisers:
Cherished is the word!
The Cherished Blogfest is about the most cherished object in your possession. I once came across an assertion that life is but memories. Without memories there is no life. Memories trigger our emotions and we interact by our emotions. The things that we love, that we cherish the most, that we hate and loathe, and fear—we treat them as such because of the memories attached to them, invested in them.
The Cherished blogfest is NOT just for the members of the BFF: Peter Nena, Damyanti Gosh, Dan Antion, Sharukh Bombat, Paul Ruddock, and Cheryl KP.
We would also love you to tell us about the objects that spark off your fondest memories.
Therefore, for the Cherished Blogfest, we invite you to talk to us about one of your cherished objects. Tell us what it is, post a picture of it if you like, and tell us why you cherish it.
Keep your posts to a maximum of 500 words, and join us on the 24th, 25th and 26th of July 2015 in sharing memories, emotions, information.
Above all, join us in making new connections and renewing old ones. Visit the blogs of the cohosts and follow them, even as you increase your own followers and readers.
Add your name and blog link in this Linky List, sign up for the Cherished Blogfest, and share your cherished memories on 24th, 25th and 26th of July 2015.
Place the badge on your sidebar, and help us spread the word on social media.
NB: The Badge is a courtesy of Cheryl KP and Daniel Antion, both of whom are truly extraordinary people, full of heart, passion, dedication, and love.
Hope you enjoyed my Cherished Blogfest. Do you have a particularly cherished possession that you’d like to share too?
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
My Kyrosmagica Review of Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
Goodreads Synopsis:
In this darkly riveting debut novel—a sophisticated psychological mystery that is also a heartbreakingly honest meditation on memory, identity, and aging—an elderly woman descending into dementia embarks on a desperate quest to find the best friend she believes has disappeared, and her search for the truth will go back decades and have shattering consequences.
Maud, an aging grandmother, is slowly losing her memory—and her grip on everyday life. Yet she refuses to forget her best friend Elizabeth, whom she is convinced is missing and in terrible danger.
But no one will listen to Maud—not her frustrated daughter, Helen, not her caretakers, not the police, and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son, Peter. Armed with handwritten notes she leaves for herself and an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth and save her beloved friend.
This singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present. But the clues she discovers seem only to lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II.
As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more fifty years ago come flooding back, Maud discovers new momentum in her search for her friend. Could the mystery of Sukey’s disappearance hold the key to finding Elizabeth?
My review:
This is a remarkable debut novel full of insight into the day to day life of someone suffering from dementia, and the impact that this terrible syndrome has on family and friends caring for the dementia sufferer. What amazed me most is the way in which this sad decline is portrayed so well, obviously Elizabeth Healey had first hand knowledge of dementia.
The following passage is taken from Elizabeth Healey’s website:http://emmahealey.co.uk/
In 2008, after the death of one grandmother and the decline of the other, she began to explore the idea of dementia in fiction, and she moved to Norwich in 2010 to study for the MA in Creative Writing at UEA. She is the winner of the 2014 Costa First Novel Award for Elizabeth is Missing.
But what is even more remarkable is the way in which Elizabeth Healey has taken a very sad and serious subject and given it a somewhat humorous voice.
“Oh, Helen,” I say. “I’ve been meaning to tell you. That girl you’ve hired, she doesn’t do any work. None. I’ve watched her.” “Who are you talking about now? What girl?” “The girl,” I say. “She leaves plates by the sink and there are clothes all over the floor of her room.” Helen grins and bites her lip. “Pretty good description. Mum, that’s Katy.”
Of course Katy is Maud’s granddaughter.
It’s as if Maud, the aging dementia sufferer is vaguely aware that something’s wrong and she’s almost laughing at the crazy things she does. Like her buying heaps of peaches because she can’t remember what it is she ought to be buying. She has masses of paper messages to remind her what she should be doing, yet she seems to remember events of the past in some detail.
As the novel progresses, the humourous passages begin to disappear and are replaced by Maud’s decline as her dementia progresses. There is a sense of Maud’s memory slipping even further and therefore inevitably Elizabeth is Missing is at times a sad read, so be prepared for that.
The little things that are forgotten, suddenly seem to matter so much to Maud, her frustration is palpable:
“I don’t look up. It’s such a little thing—knowing where to put cutlery—but I feel like I’ve failed an important test. A little piece of me is gone.”
Elizabeth is Missing also works so well as a mystery. A little piece of Maud is missing and her friend Elizabeth is missing too and this inability to find Elizabeth distresses Maud terribly. This is the one thing that she clings to, the one fact that she is sure about. Maud is determined to find her much to the dismay of her family, and the police:
“I have been to the police station four times. I know because I have written it down. Four times, and they will do nothing. They think I’m a dotty old woman. I think they might be right. “
Alongside this there is also the mystery surrounding the disappearance of her sister Sukey, who vanished many years ago. The two plot threads interweave in a totally entertaining and engrossing way, enabling us to get an insight into the youthful Maud too, who seems somewhat in the shadow of her older sister Sukey.
So would I recommend Elizabeth is Missing?
Yes absolutely. Highly recommended to readers of Mystery, Fiction, Contemporary, and Adult Fiction.
My Rating:
4.5 stars.
Have you read Elizabeth is Missing? Do leave a comment below I’d love to hear from you.
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx
Ronovan Writes Weekly Haiku Poetry Prompt Challenge #54 Free and Think
RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #54 Free&Think
This week’s prompt words for Ron’s Weekly Haiku Challenge are Free and Think.
Here’s the link to Ronovan’s blog to join in the challenge: https://ronovanwrites.wordpress.com/2015/07/20/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-54-free-think/
Both of my Haiku this week are more serious in nature, this is a bit unusual for me but somehow the prompt words seemed to lead me down a more thoughtful path. Of the two Haiku the second one is more light-hearted.
The following Haiku are especially for anyone who is or has ever experienced the overpowering symptoms of anxiety. This is much more common than you would ever believe possible, it seems that this fast paced world that we now live in is the perfect breeding grown for anxiety symptoms.
Anxiety
Free my racing pulse
No thought but relentless fear
Anxiety bites
My second Haiku is inspired by AAT, whatever could that be?
Read all about it after this haiku, a much needed hug for all sufferers getting through another day, living with the crippling effects of anxiety.
Pet Hugs
Cruel thought assailant
Anxiety wires your brain
Pet hugs free event
© Marjorie Mallon 2015 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.
Words good or bad, are my very own!
At my daughter’s University, they had this special event, dogs where brought into campus for students to help counter stress relief. A hug a dog day or something like that! The official term is Animal Assisted Therapy or AAT for short. Which also happens to be the abbreviation for Accounting technicians, I know which of the two I prefer!
What a great idea, not the accounting I hasten to add. I’d rather hug a cat or dog than add up a row of figures any day of the week, and I should know I used to be a book-keeper many years ago!
Here’s a link to find out more about Animal Assisted Therapy:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal-assisted_therapy
Let’s not go without mentioning a new development regarding our cat friends, CAT CAFE’S!
I’ve just found out there’s one in Edinburgh, which I must go and visit.
It’s called Maison de Moggy and it’s in Stockbridge: http://catcafes.co.uk/uk-cat-cafes/maison-de-moggy/
I’m planning to go up in August, but the trip will be a stressful one as my mum is going into hospital for an operation. She loves cats so maybe when she’s feeling up to it, I’ll take her for a bit of R & R to the cat café.
For more cat cafés in the UK and abroad visit: http://catcafes.co.uk/
There’s a shed load of benefits attributed to owning a cat or a dog. Here’s the ones that spring readily to mind: great for reducing your blood pressure, making you more active (taking your dog for a walk,) widening your social network with other dog/cat owners, staving of loneliness, and reducing stress!
No wonder so many writers have a dog or a cat. I’m missing out…… My pet free way of unwinding is going to Tai Chi or doing a bit of Yoga, and having a bubble bath and a glass of wine does wonders for me too….
So whether it’s hugging a human friend or a dog or cat, it’s all so very good for you.
Check out Val Boyko’s wonderful blog which is full of tips to nourish and restore you: http://findyourmiddleground.com/2015/06/22/stressed-quick-tips-to-nourish-and-restore/
Please do comment, I love to hear from you. Have you a dog or a cat? Or an unusual pet? Have you any tips about reducing stress?
Marje @ Kyrosmagica xx