Rhyme and No Reason!

Blogger, author and rhymester who likes to find the humour in life.

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. An Order for Nanjo Castille — November 10, 2017

Carrot Ranch Flash Fiction Challenge. An Order for Nanjo Castille

I have become determined to overcome my fear Flash Fiction, by continuing to practice! Over at the Carrot Ranch, Charli hosts a weekly prompt. This week’s one is very unusual and definitely appealed to my sense of the ridiculous!  Please go over there and check out the story behind this week’s prompt.

This is the image that we were given to use, and these are the rules:

 

November 9, 2017 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a fictional story about The Real Nanjo Castille. You can set any gender, era or genre to reveal the character behind the mystery. You can also imagine the daily life of The Real Nanjo Castille. Go where the prompt leads.

Respond by November 14, 2017 to be included in the compilation (published November 15). Rules are here. All writers are welcome!

I have gone with a reply to Nanjo’s e-mail. I hope that is not breaking the rules!

Dear Mr Castle, or can I call you Nando?

I heard you have some classy bags and perfumes for sale for a tenner. I am after a Christmas prezzie for my mum and she can’t stand that Coco Caramel, but is rather partial to Optimum.  I think John Paul Goatier’s perfume in that bottle-shaped like a girdle would suit her better. Oh, and I need a handbag for my sisters. Have you got any of them Blueberry or Herman’s ones in stock? I’m prepared to pay you twenty quid for the lot! Let me know, please.

Jef Leppard

A Sparkle as my Guide —

A Sparkle as my Guide

I wrote this poem about depression; how it makes me feel and getting through the other side.

 

In the depths of darkness and despair

I feel so alone, like no-one is there

Surrounded by dangers unseen and unheard

Trapped and frightened, like a caged bird

Thoughts so jumbled, make no sense

But pain and heartache are so intense

From the world, I just want to hide

And keep my feelings bottled up inside

But wait, there is something that has caught my eye

It looks blurry through the tears I cry

Yes, it’s shimmering and shining bright

A distant glimmer, shaft of light

It seems so very far away

But I know I can draw closer day by day

From my dark corner there is hope

And support to help me cope

The light grows brighter every day

My world has gone from black to grey

I continue onwards, spirits rising

My soul had started re-energizing

I came through the other side

With just a sparkle as my guide.

***

If you suffer with depression, I have written a post with some strategies I use for coping that might help, which you can read here.

Town and country sunrise… | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo — November 9, 2017

Town and country sunrise… | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

A beautiful sunrise and inspirational post from Sue.

“I can’t remember ever actually watching a dawn,” said my son in a plaintive little voice.  He had been looking at some of my dawn photos, taken that morning from my doorstep. He …

Source: Town and country sunrise… | Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo

#Writespiration 52 Weeks in 52 Words Shoes — November 8, 2017

#Writespiration 52 Weeks in 52 Words Shoes

This week for Sacha’s #Writespiration challenge we are to write a day in the life of a pair of shoes. Not only that but we have to use only 52 words!

We may not be sexy and chic

Worn every day of the week

It’s comfort, not style

That makes us worthwhile

And the fact we don’t leak!

 

We never complain of our fate

Squashed beneath all her weight

Stomping all day long

Still going strong

Despite looking a bit of a state!

 

The Christmas Countdown Has Started! —

The Christmas Countdown Has Started!

Before the last pumpkin has rotted away and the fireworks fizzled out, the Christmas adverts have started on the TV! Now I love Christmas, but it is just a bit early to start the annual panic. I thought that you might enjoy this poem I wrote a while ago, about the guilt I felt for not being organised.

There’s only 7 weeks until Christmas

And I’ve not even started to shop

No presents, no food, and no booze yet

I don’t even have any pop!

The town is all lit up and sparkling

Santa’s grotto has also arrived

The shops are blaring out music

The old Christmas favourites revived!

All the heart-warming adverts on TV

They are sure to bring a tear to the eye

But my festive spirit is lacking

And I’ve not even made a mince pie!

I really need to get started

There are so many things still to get

I will make more of an effort

But it’s still not  December yet!

Winner of Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest #1 « Carrot Ranch Literary Community — November 7, 2017

Winner of Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest #1 « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

The first winner of the Flash Fiction Rodeo has been announced! Check out their heart-warming story.

Source: Winner of Flash Fiction Rodeo Contest #1 « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

What My Sisters Mean to Me —

What My Sisters Mean to Me

A sister is a good friend

Who knows you very well

A sister is a confidante

To whom secrets you can tell

A sister is a shoulder

To cry on when you’re sad

A sister is a comfort

For when things turn out bad

A sister is a treasure

More precious than pure gold

A sister can be relied on

Whatever the future holds

A sister will support you

In all you say and so

A sister is a Godsend

And lucky me to have two!

Self(ie) Confidence — November 6, 2017

Self(ie) Confidence

Selfies seem to be so popular at the moment, especially with the young. Now I am not very photogenic and am not that keen on having my picture taken at the best of times. My daughter, however, is just the opposite!

She loves to take selfies whenever we go anywhere and very often tries to get me in on it as well. When one of my best friends got married last year Miss Hap took a load of selfies at our table.  I ended up being in several of the shots, either stuffing myself with food and looking like Bessie Bunter, or having some sort of gormless expression on my face. (I know that might be normal for me but I don’t want her bandying the photos around her friends for their mocking pleasure)!

Now I don’t mind it when she uses one of the funny apps on the phone to scrunch up the face and twist it around a bit so that you end up resembling some evil pixie type of creature as that is really quite amusing. What I do hate though is the ‘Fatify’ app or whatever it is called!

You might have noticed that I am not the slimmest of people, but by the time this app has finished with me, I have gained yet another three chins! Likewise the ‘Oldify’ app, that is hideous as well. Having said that they are all in good fun and thank goodness she sees them as that way too.

In my day, ‘the camera never lied’ but of course now that is far from the truth. We have all heard of these ‘celebrities’ that have photoshopped their already slender bodies in order to shave off a few inches here and there, plus erase some ‘unsightly’ wrinkle, or mark. The end result is a far from realistic image of a supposedly ‘perfect’ person.

Luckily for me, Mr Grump likes a woman with ‘a bit of meat on her bones.’ I am aware that I may have a little too much to be healthy and for that reason need to lose some weight. I do not make a big thing out of it though as I don’t want to make weight an issue which might start influencing my daughter.

My daughter is extremely active and spends loads of time running around, The fact that she is only 14 years old as well, I do not think she should be overly worried at this point about her weight, and thank goodness she doesn’t seem to be. I do try to encourage her to be a little healthier though.

I love this ‘selfie’ of myself and my daughter, it is my favourite picture, despite being a couple of years old now. She has done something to it with an app, but it only alters the colour, it doesn’t add or take anything away. I hope she continues to be body confident, enjoys her youth and natural beauty.

Selfie of me and my daughter
#FundayMonday Sexting —

#FundayMonday Sexting

Today’s video poem is all a craze that I have got absolutely no hope of mastering – sexting.  Perhaps it is just as well, really as god knows who might end up reading it, or what predictive text will make of it.

 

If you enjoyed those poems, and have time for a cuppa then you might like to check out my book Rhymes of the Times. It has many more poems like this and is perfect for dipping in and out of when you fancy a little pick-me-up.

 

 

Rhymes of the Times

 

Click here to be taken to my author page where you can purchase the book.

 

Halloween Party Shells #SillySaturday — November 4, 2017

Halloween Party Shells #SillySaturday

I have teamed up again with the talented Sandra (or Daffy as I like to call her), from Wild Daffodil  to bring you another bit of silliness this Saturday.  Sandra is incredibly artistic and creative, and I just love the images she has created out of shells, stones and flowers.

One of the nicest things about Sandra’s blog is that you never know what she is going to get up to next, from beach art to knitted wigs, and mandalas to making spirals in her garden.

Here is our little story for this week. The Shells have got together in all of their finery for Halloween for some dancing and a special picnic.

The Halloween party was in full swing

On the beach, in the middle of the night

The Shelleys were doing the ‘Moonwalk’

Under its bright, silvery light

Later, when they got hungry

Image Courtesy of Sandra Dorey

There was plenty for them to eat

Ghoulash, or stake and chips main course

Key Slime Pie or Pustard for sweet.

Drinks or course were a-plenty

Snot chocolate or a nice cup of pee

Maybe some whine would be better

For their Halloween festivities.

They all held hands as they walked home

Dressed as they were, all in white

I bet that if you had seen them

They would have given you a hell of a fright!

 

 

 

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