Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 44 – #Haiku #Haibun or #Tanka: HUNT & FIND

 

It’s my last day in Edinburgh, sigh… Sad to go today, have had a wonderful time visiting my mum, dad, brother, mum in law, and friends. I’m managed to pack a huge amount in six short days. My highlights have been going to see the kelpies, a fantastic theatre show at the Pleasance #EdinburghFringe – The Curse of Cranholme Abbey – https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/curse-of-cranholme-abbey

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Eating lots of scrumptious food both at home (my mum is an amazing Malaysian cook!) and at local restaurants. Walking around the fun and unusual shopping streets, I’d definitely recommend Cockburn Street for its quirkiness!

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It’s fun seeing all the street performers and these young people from Korea – Beyond The Mirror  – caught my eye – https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/behind-the-mirror

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Here’s a spectacular view wouldn’t you agree?

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Whilst in Edinburgh during the International Festival and Fringe you inevitably see some extraordinary sights, so with this in mind, here’s my Tanka.

 

in recognition of your outstanding contribution of time, dedication, and expertise to the 2018 World Hu

To join in with Colleen’s poetry challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/08/01/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-44-haiku-haibun-or-tanka-hunt-find/

Have you ever been to the Edinburgh Festival? I love it and always try to go every year.

 

Bye for now,

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Buying Link – The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone:

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge – #Haiku #Tanka #Haibun: HEAT & CONFUSE

Colleen’s prompt words this week are heat and confuse.

I reckon I’ll write a passionate Tanka this week! Why? I’m feeling happy having just set up my author page on Amazon: Amazon Buying Link… for my debut novel The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone, even though it was stressful setting it up….

Yes, formatting isn’t my favourite job. It made me confused, hot, headache prone and more than a bit irritable, so let’s have some passionate poetry to make me feel less stressed! Lol…

It's National Kissing Day!

To join in with Colleen’s wonderful weekly poetry challenge follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/07/25/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-haiku-tanka-haibun-heat-confuse/

Keep an eye out for my next post – my book cover reveal!!!  Yippee!!!

Bye for now,

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COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #POETRY CHALLENGE 41 – #HAIKU #TANKA #HAIBUN: MUSIC & ART

I couldn’t have asked for better prompt words – music and art.

Both feature as a wonderful source of inspiration in my writing. In our family, there’s always music playing – my husband is a keen guitarist and loves to strum away whenever he can. He serenades me at night in our garden…. Our next door neighbours get cranky about this! We are lucky to have a room dedicated to music with many guitars and an electronic piano too.

Creativity, Photography and Art inspire my writing to such a degree that I have decided to collaborate with one or perhaps two artists/friends to showcase the character/s, and crystal cottage that feature in my book The Curse of Time – Book 1 – Bloodstone which I intend to release late this summer. More about that to come…

One of my artist friends Catherine S. Walker had her first open studies event last weekend. My friend Timea and I had a lovely time visiting her and viewing all of her awesome art. I’d love for Catherine to create a stunning art piece of the crystal cottage that features in my book…

Take a look at Catherine’s awesome artist page on Facebook: Artist Page: Catherine S. Walker, scroll down her facebook page to see her Acrylic and Watercolour paintings and line drawings: trees, rocks, flowers and landscapes. And detailed buildings too…

So, my Tanka this week… is especially for Catherine, wishing her much success. We spent the day enjoying her art, sitting in her garden, and blowing bubbles!

My good friend Timea looked so wonderfully elegant in these photos…

 

Bubbles in the sun,Playing a musical dance,Basking in our sweet friendship,Admiring her art, we praise,A special day for Catherine. (1)

 

Bye for now, time for a celebratory cocktail… No bubbles, just a parasol!

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My social media links:

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Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
Twitter: @curseof_time

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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/07/11/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-41-haiku-tanka-haibun-music-art/#comment-43822

COLLEEN’S WEEKLY #POETRY CHALLENGE # 40 – SUGAR & SPICE

Colleen’s prompt words this week are Sugar and Spice –  after her two cute Pomeranians:

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So with Sugar and Spice in mind I’d thought I’d introduce you to …

Zog, a little friend of mine who visited us recently. I thought Sugar and Spice might like to hear about this very cute doggy true life Tanka and Tale:

Zog The Gentleman Dog

 

I’d been in London for the day but knew Zog was coming to stay. What I didn’t approve of was that three rather naughty men, (including my husband,) where going to leave him alone in our house while they went off to the pub. Talk about men behaving badly! Humph…

Guess what? My daughter popped home and in his bid for freedom poor Zog rushed out the door and refused to come back in the house. Can you blame him? He must have thought his owner had abandoned him and he was now being re-housed with a strange new family! My daughter Georgina panicked, believing that Zog would do a runner. So she called me on my mobile, expecting me to miracle a solution in typical wonder mum fashion! I know this blog is often referred to by its original title: Kyrosmagica, (crystal magic) and I still like to think I have some magical skills but this was beyond my white witch capabilities!  I couldn’t jump off the train particularly as I now had a bunch of  fellow travellers who were now pretending not to listen to my frantic instructions to rescue Zog on my mobile phone! I had no chance of physically helping in the quest to save Zog from escaping, so Georgina called her boyfriend, who popped over, reassured Zog and convinced him to come back in. What a hero! By the time I arrived home poor Zog seemed much happier, and we all had fun taking him for a walk at separate intervals to keep him occupied.

When I had the dog-walking pleasure, I realised that:

  1. Dogs go crazy excited when you pick up their leads. And leap up your leg in a spectacular fashion (even if they are pretty small.) Their enthusiasm is kind of  infectious and enchanting. 
  2. He might look small and cute but he pulls at his lead like a maniac when he sees a cat or another dog! I had to show him who’s boss! 
  3. When do they ever pee or poo? This dog refused to do either? Perhaps the trauma of being away from his owner had caused him to be constipated, and unable to pee? Poor Zog, or maybe he was just being polite. Maybe he didn’t want to do so in view of us ladies! 

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Later that same evening the rascals, (three men behaving badly,) came back from the pub. In, proud Zog fashion he turned his nose up at the idea of forgiving them! Moreover, he had nothing to do with his owner.  

By now, Georgina had disappeared – after the stress of nearly losing Zog  she needed some respite – besides teenagers are never in… so I became Zog’s new best friend. He followed me all around the house – I couldn’t even take a pee, or have a shower without him coming!

The next morning I opened the patio door to let him out – he was bursting to explore (or do a pee,) I’m not sure which. Later, I realised Zog had been on a mission. A very special mission. He came back with something in his mouth that he deposited on my kitchen floor. Being used to cat’s offerings – dead mice, decapitated mice, etc… I took a step back, somewhat alarmed, but I had no need to be. Zog’s mission had been to gift me a tiny flower, (a pretty weed,) – but in his eyes it must have been the finest specimen of his appreciation that he could find. Isn’t that so lovely? So Zog is my inspiration for my tanka today.

Here he is. Zog the Gentleman dog.

 

Zog The Gentleman Dog

Isn’t Zog so cute? What a sweet dog. I’m smitten!

Hope that Sugar and Spice enjoyed my special Tanka for them, Colleen.

To join in Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge, please follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/07/04/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-40-sugar-spice/

Much love,

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My social media links:

Facebook: Authors/Bloggers Rainbow Support Club

Twitter: @Marjorie_Mallon
Twitter: @curseof_time

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Fellow Administrators of our Authors Bloggers Rainbow Support Club #ABRSC on Facebook, myself, my good friends Colleen Chesebro and Debby Gies. Click on Colleen’s and Debby’s photos to be directed to their awesome blogs. These ladies rock!

 

 

 

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 38 – FAIRY & MAGIC

Today, my husband and I had a grisly conversation about death… not exactly a cheery morning chit chat but I thought if I have to go one day and no doubt I will…. this is how I’d like to imagine it… Not some black, bleak, meaningless end.  No, I’d like a supernatural being to visit me. No vampires please unless you are so handsome and your final bite is worth it! Perhaps a magnificent unicorn to carry me far away on some incredible adventure, or a mermaid to take me swimming in some exotic land… Wait a minute…. What about many supernatural beings, (except zombies – they don’t rock my boat!) plus the delicate kindness of the fairies to see me off?…. Now, that sounds perfect!

Continue reading Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 38 – FAIRY & MAGIC

Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 37 – SMOKE & VEIL #Tanka #micropoetry

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The prompt words this week are smoke and veil. They fit in beautifully with a particular character in my book : Book 1 – The Curse of Time – The Bloodstone which I am currently formatting with a planned release date to be confirmed this August…

The particular character I have in mind looks a bit like the young man in the photo below…. I shall be doing a character interview post soon.

Photo courtesy of my keen photographer daughter Georgina. Thank you to  J. English, (media studies, drama student,) for agreeing to be our model!

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Tanka Tuesday (4)

 

To enter Colleen’s weekly challenge follow the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/06/13/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-37-smoke-veil/

#Tanka, #micropoetry, #poetry, #5lines,

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Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 36 – HAPPY & SAD

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This week’s prompt words are Happy and Sad, very appropriate given the situation in the world at the moment. It seems that humanity is doomed to live in a state of happiness one minute and sadness the next. So, to try to lift our spirits I’d like to share with you some happy photos from Strawberry Fair.

Our friends Richard and Catherine…

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There are also some videos on my Instagram:

My husband, and our friends were probably the oldest dudes in the music tent joining in the fun! But, the youngsters didn’t seem to mind, everyone was just having fun, forgetting their troubles.

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To join in with Colleen’s poetry challenge follow the link: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/06/06/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-36-happy-sad/

 

Bye for now,  much love…

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Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 35 – PAST & FUTURE

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I had a disturbed sleep last night waking up at 5am. I managed to get back to sleep and awoke again at 7am. I checked my twitter feed  and discovered the horrifying news about the terrorist attack in Manchester. I cried. I couldn’t cope with the sad news about another attack especially one which struck at our young people. This is cruel, beyond comprehension.  I contemplated the morning and realised how beautiful a day it was. A single bird remained atop a tree, not moving so I picked up my mobile phone and captured it. Seconds later it flew away. If only those young people could have flown away. If only that man hadn’t done what he did.

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How ironic. The sun shone, but how could this be? How are we to continue when such atrocities happen? I suppose the answer is we have no choice; we have to, or the terrorists will win. So, I wiped my tears and tried to do something positive. I went for a walk. I hadn’t planned to take photos, but I did.   I’m sharing these at the end of my post, as a way to heal heartache. Life has to go on, but sometimes (being a parent,) you can’t help but feel the pain of such a devastating loss. To lose a child. This shouldn’t happen. Ever.

So today I am dedicating my Tanka to all the youngsters who lost their lives in Manchester, to their families and friends and to those who are still missing. My thoughts and prayers are with you.

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This is in response to Colleen’s challenge: https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/05/23/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-35-past-future/

Here are my photos of Emmaus, a charity for the homeless near me. It’s a great place to go to for a cup of tea and cake. There is a garden, ample parking places and everything you buy goes towards helping the homeless. I bought several new mugs, and a couple of other things, and snapped photos of their recycled art sculptures, their hens roaming in the garden, bee area, and several quirky bits and pieces. It helped. A little.

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Take care, stay safe.

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Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 33 – CLEAN & SHARP

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For this week’s poetry challenge Colleen has given us a tricky prompt – clean and sharp. Clean isn’t exactly my favourite word and neither is sharp! I suppose both of them coupled together conjure up moments in our household where my hubby gets a bit cross with me for spending so much time blogging and writing and so little time cleaning the house! Lol… I’ve never been terribly domesticated… Well, he knew that before he married me so surely he can’t complain…

So perhaps a little humour is the way to go…

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Ha ha! Better hide this blog post from my poor hubby… or I’ll be in trouble…

To join in with Colleen’s poetry challenge follow the link:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/05/09/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-33-clean-sharp/

Bye for now,

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Colleen’s Weekly #Poetry Challenge # 31 – PEACE & TEAR

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My entry to Colleen’s weekly poetry challenge this week is inspired by a piece I am editing for Dan Alatorre’s Word Weaving Competition.

It is taken from a part completed memoir I’ve written of my dad’s early childhood before the Second World War, including his travelling adventures to the Far East, Middle East, Pacific region, Caribbean and Africa. This is a short nostalgic paragraph about him lamenting the loss of the forests that he used to play in plus a poem about the same subject using the words peace and tear.

Before the Second World war children used to play in extensive woodland. This treasured land is now an estate of houses, which encroach upon the sloping fields leading further and further into the now diminishing wood.  Yes, land is at a premium, and builders build property upon every spare inch of space – forget about the Thousand Acre Wood, it’s more like postage stamp wood.

I think Eeyore would have this to say: ‘Here today and gone tomorrow.’

The once wooded area has now become a permanent car park for the nearby primary school, built well after the war.

Today, there is just one sorry playground, a tiny place for local children to play in among the houses. It sits like a sad apology to the past.

In my childhood, I remember a veritable playground of fields, marshy land, and hedgerows, where children dawdled for hours playing cowboys and Indians and Doctors and Nurses. One of my favourite childhood pastimes was to construct a pretend shelter with my pals. A local woman would inspect the shelter and play along with our game with a serious air.

Nowadays, children play with manufactured games, watch TV, engage in computer activities, and twiddle with their mobile phones, oh how the world has changed!

This freedom meant that during the war years we would play in  strange places, some of which weren’t at all safe. The concept of health and safety didn’t exist! Nowadays children can’t even get a work experience placement without going through a minefield of paperwork, which is a sorry state of affairs if you ask me.

Children enjoyed the simple pleasures of life, such as collecting cigarette and royal navy cards. Though, some weren’t so innocent, one lad with the same name as me took great pleasure in bullying his parents and the poor unfortunate cat.  He would set the cat’s tail alight. His parents appeared terrified of him. He behaved like a vandal before vandalism become popular. This bully never bothered me, on the contrary, he encouraged me to stay around. I concluded that he enjoyed an audience for his daily wickedness!  I would play with many boys, but none so infamous as Gavin Vernon who stole the stone of Scone  from Westminster Abbey on Christmas day 1950!

© Marjorie Mallon 2017 – aka, Kyrosmagica. All Rights Reserved.

We kill in peacetime,Forests to make way for homes,Tearing down the past.No one seems to care but m

If you’d like to join in the challenge:

https://colleenchesebro.com/2017/04/25/colleens-weekly-poetry-challenge-31-peace-tear/

 

Bye for now,

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