Our challenge is to write a story by interpreting the photo below in only six minutes.
Pablo was tired of his grandfather’s constant reminder to look at something called “The Big Picture”. He was always so DARN positive! It was foolish and old fashioned and, frankly, meant nothing to him. Pablo had worries galore. “Where would he get a new plow?” “When would his son be old enough to help with chores?” “Why didn’t the weather cooperate with his farming timeline?” One day, news of his neighbor’s son being killed in a freak accident brought him to his knees. Pablo was devastated for his neighbor and, of course, offered him his assistance with his farm in addition to his own duties. He sat overwhelmed with his workload and placed his face in his hands. Suddenly, his 5-year-old son grabbed him around the neck and kissed him on the cheek offering comfort to his distraught Dad.
And that’s when Pablo knew, for the first time, what his grandfather had always meant.
We are asked to find inspiration from an assortment of images. This is the one that I chose. It wasn’t clearly labeled to offer its creator credit. I apologize for that.
Heroes seek less for themselves than for ‘Good’, But those courageous ones still long for peace. The most daring hearts chase the “What should?” Heroes seek less for themselves than for ‘Good’. They won’t flinch as weaker souls would. Where might we be if they ever cease? Heroes seek less for themselves than for ‘Good’, But those courageous ones still long for peace.
Once upon a time two hundred and seventy years ago during The Pandemic Period, many industrious entrepreneurs realized they could get rich on taxpayer’s money by building complexes to house the pockets of noncompliant citizens who refused to take a government mandated experimental ‘medicine’.
Contrary to safety codes (and human decency) Containment Buildings sprung up everywhere and those ‘antivaxxer criminals’ were rounded up and imprisoned there. They were fed a constant barrage of ‘approved’ information and irresistible promises until some of them decided to comply. Those who ‘held out’ were ultimately left ‘in the dark’ until one day their caretakers came no more to their doors. Soon, desperate hunger drove them to break out. The most industrious ones “MacGyvered” their own escape then aided the others.
When they ventured out into daylight, they found no one, absolutely NO ONE, alive. The now Free People escaped immediately into the forests distancing themselves from the carnage and were the ones responsible for rebuilding our civilization. Nature had prevailed! The weak and unimaginative were culled from the rest. Our Forefathers never found out what actually had happened so a large variety of tales persist.
Dear children, This is why you’re here and thriving today.
I first came across Lee’s work on Twitter – @LeeMadgwick – and was struck by his surreal landscapes, and those enigmatic buildings. I immediately wanted to share them with you guys, and see what poetry came out of them, and Lee was kind enough to give me permission to do that. Please stick with these images, as these are the ones we have permission for – but if you want to see more of Lee’s (amazing) work, you can find him at leemadgwick.co.uk.
So it’s very simple tonight – choose an image, and write a poem inspired by it. Please credit Lee, and please link back to this post, and to good old Mr Linky. And don’t forget to read and comment on other people’s poems.
Shadows forge a crown of light Combating joys and sorrows meet Enchanted doves in easy flight Shadows forge a crown of light Sheltered moments free from plight Exposing anguish to defeat Shadows forge a crown of light Combating joys and sorrows meet —————————- I Triolet Form
If this week’s image inspires you and you wish to participate, please write your post, use the tag #FFFC, and link back to this post. I hope it will generate some great posts.
Making a Difference
Charly (short for Charlotte) had known Joshua for six years. He had become like an Uncle to her. She happened upon his small homestead when she was six. One, of many times, she ignored her parents’ warnings to stay on the paths and within range of a ‘holler”.
Joshua was a grizzly old fellow who wasn’t very happy to receive visitors, at first, but the precocious child had him chuckling before their first encounter ended. He wasn’t actually as old as he appeared to the child but, at fifty-five, his unkempt greying beard and hair made him ‘an ancient’ in her eyes.
Their visits became precious to them both. Charly was an only child and Joshua hadn’t understood his own loneliness until his anticipation of those visits became his greatest joy.
What each of them learned from one another, these last six years, would have made a heartwarming novel.
Charly learned to ‘see’ the woods. Joshua taught her about all the signs and sounds that most untrained eyes, and ears, would completely miss. Charly asked one question after the other earning the pet name “Charly Chatterbox” from her mentor. Joshua was given the gift of wonder from Charly. As he explained Nature, and even his life, Charly’s questions opened him up to new ‘meaning’ inspired by her endless, “Whys?”.
Today was Charly’s 12th birthday and spending part of it with her dear friend was a must. The new snow made her trek a slow one. But as she moved, she could now ‘read’ the woods. A mound of turkey feathers held a story. It was a new kill. The progression of scattering and consumption was small. Blood spatter made it the evident ‘kill sight’. The footprints indicated the predator had been a bobcat but there was also evidence of an opportunist in the form of fox prints. She suspected the cat was a female because it appeared that she abandoned the kill too soon. Joshua told her that the mother often tears off food to bring to her kittens first, then returns. Charly eyed the wide perimeter beyond the kill. “Yep, there’s the Mama in the pines. Don’t worry lady, I won’t take any.” Then she moved along to Joshua’s cabin. He was there sitting beside a fire with a smirk on his face. “Happy Birthday Charly Chatterbox!” She sat down beside him. Then he gently opened her a hand to place a hand-carved wooden charm, a perfect likeness of his cabin, in her palm. As she fingered it, tears ran down her face. “This is beautiful! I’ll treasure it always.” Then she wrapped her arms around the man almost tipping him over. Next, Charly cleared her throat and told Joshua that she wouldn’t be visiting as often, soon. Her Mom and Dad were sending her to a boarding school for ‘refinement’. Joshua only nodded because he knew this day would come.
Charly visited when she could on school vacations then went to college keeping ‘in touch’ with Joshua through letters. He never wrote back but that was okay. She knew he wouldn’t.
Today, sitting in her CSI office as a lead investigator, she fondled the wooden charm that she still wore, around her neck, on a leather cord. “Joshua, I’m going to need your help on this one.” Then she kissed the charm and returned to carefully examining the crime scene clues, laid out before her, just like she had learned when she was taught to ‘see’ in the woods.
The year is now 2024. Our bus moved along swiftly in spite of the noontime traffic. There was silence, except for the occasional rattle of handcuffs, as our group shifted restlessly in our seats. Even the compressor attached to our metal masks was soundless as it pumped our exhaled breaths through multiple filters, as well as, stifling intermittent screams. We were the first, as collecting the rebellious and non-compliant is easier in densely populated areas. We wouldn’t be the last. It didn’t matter whether any of us had natural immunity or immunity gained from having survived the virus, we were Anti-Vaxxers and deemed a public health threat for asserting our individual right to personal autonomy in the face of a treatable, extremely survivable, NOW, almost extinct virus. The government urgency was clear- to eliminate us before the population, at large, learned they too were already in invisible governmental handcuffs constructed entirely from exaggerated fear and indifference to far greater threats to their own health and happiness.
Mensen maken de samenleving en nemen daarin een positie in. Deze website geeft toegang tot een diversiteit aan artikelen die gaan over 'samenleven', belicht vanuit verschillende perspectieven. De artikelen hebben gemeen dat er gezocht wordt naar wat 'mensen bindt, in plaats van wat hen scheidt'.
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