Unconscious Mutterings -
September 2, 2007 | Filed Under Poetry, Unconscious Mutterings | Leave a Comment
Lunaniña offers 10 words for us to free associate with each week. Her meme is called Unconscious Mutterings. It is so easy to play along and fun to see what our minds associate with the words she picks. Why not play along with us all. Her words are on the left, the words we come up with on the right.
- Scrabble :: game
- NyQuil :: drunk
- Roadtrip :: fun
- Idiot :: him
- Bandages :: wrap
- Series :: world
- Summer :: fun
- Prompt :: words
- September :: evenings
- Chicken :: soup
See how easy Unconscious Mutterings is. . .That’s it, the meme is complete. But, I can’t let a prompt like that go by, I love an excuse to write too much!
So. Each Sunday I take the 20 words from the meme and attempt to put them in a story or poem in order, keeping the word forms and tenses the same.
Today, a poem.
Magic Happens
We play Scrabble
as if it were more than a game
We laugh, with guilt, over
an afternoon NyQuil caused me to act drunk
We relived our Roadtrip, concentrating on
only the fun and not the idiot
(why do we assume it was a him?)
who broke into our car in Albuquerque
We talk of bandages and you pointed out
the broken arm I attempted to support,
a simple wrap that tried to tear your hair
from its roots
We talk of our series of dreams about not world travel
but merely a simple RV beside a lake in the mountains
where our summer would be only fun as we floated 900 feet
above sea level in a mountain lake
It was a simple prompt that brought these words that we hold
in our shared heart
And on September evenings from this day forward, I may serve
him chicken soup to fortify his resolve to reach for that star
as I devour spices and chiles and beans, guaranteed to bring
dreams once beyond even my imagination.
MeeAugraphie
09/02/07
Unconscious Mutterings -
August 19, 2007 | Filed Under Poetry, Unconscious Mutterings | Leave a Comment
Another chance to free associate with ten words chosen by Niña Lumina at her Unconscious Mutterings meme. If you think it would be fun run on over and write your ten words or thoughts. Her words followed by my thoughts this week:
- Darling :: loved one
- Majesty :: her
- Pebble :: stone
- Fate :: comes
- Instant :: matters
- Screen :: play
- Unplugged :: now
- Dairy :: milk
- Benefactor :: mine
- Market :: farmers
That’s it, wasn’t that simple, but fun? Now, I take it a step farther and write a poem or story using all 20 words in order above, attempting to also use the same tenses used above. It is good exercise, but also an excuse to just have fun!
The Farmer
He was a darling
and the only loved one
that understood majesty.
Like her, he saw
a pebble as a stone,
not beneath his feet
but in wonder.
Fate never comes,
he believed
only instant actions
and matters of the heart
deserved to be on the screen
only comedy allowed on the stage
of life
Play your guitars unplugged,
he would beg, and
now was too late for
the dairy to unleash the
cows from their machines
and let their milk
flow naturally to their
calves as hers flowed
to her son.
You are the benefactor
of the earth he would yell
at night, as he left the
bar to sleep a few hours
before hauling his corn
to the farmers market
to give back what he was given
all that was not sold was shared
and because few people pulled
themselves from their overstuffed chairs
or out of their golf carts that lined the
course, or away from their laptops
he shared more than he sold.
MeeAugraphie
08/19/07
Her words are hers to offer or not, my words are also not to be used without permission, thank you.
Unconscious Mutterings - Return to husband
August 12, 2007 | Filed Under Flash fiction, Unconscious Mutterings | Leave a Comment
Lunaniña has a great and simple meme, Unconsious Mutterings. She gives us ten words to free associate with, even provides the code to make it easy to have it show in list form. Click on that link and you can play each week! My ten responses are below. I had a harder time with the words she chose this week!
- Voyage :: journey
- Patricia :: Potts
- Transformation :: change
- Vocabulary :: words
- San Francisco:: California
- Edward :: Mayer
- Sawyer :: Jane
- Literary :: agent
- Tiger :: Woods
- Seal :: Lion
Of course, those that are regular readers, know I can’t let it go at that! Each week I use the twenty words, in the order written above. (I don’t change her order either.) How do I use them? Either in a poem of a short fiction piece. I wanted to write a poem this week, but those words refused to cooperate — or my muse did, one. So, I present my attempt at a short story using them.
Return to Husband
A voyage meant adventure to Jacob,a boring journey to Patricia, with no excitement waiting at theforeign shore, only Mr. Potts. She expected no transformation, no change in his manner. Living with her husband was like having a vocabulary of no words. There would be no visits to San Francisco again, no California beaches, only Edward dismissing her presence with a nod, as he reached for the brandy, handing one Mr. Mayer, one to Mr. Sawyer, and one to Mr. Grayson.
Patricia bundled Jacob into his coat, touching his still warm cheek with her lips as she did so, then stood back up and hugged Jane, both her literary agent and her best friend. “We will be fine, Jane.”
“I know,” Jane replied with no conviction. She knew what an inconsiderate bore Mr. Potts, Edward, was. She would have risked the rath of all and left him, but Patricia had Jacob to worry about. She lowered her voice and added, “I will sell your book, soon, and you and Jacob can return here to live, in America.”
Not expecting a response, Jane reached down quickly to wrap her arms around Jacob and whispered in his ear, “You, Master Jacob, are the man for the voyage home. You will protect mommy from tigers in the woods. Right?”
Jacob shook his head, “But there aren’t woods in the ocean.”
Jane replied, “But you may land on an island and islands have woods and great seals that dive and swim in the water around them.”
“And lions, too!” Jacob shouted, caught up in the adventure.
“And lions, too,” Patricia added. “We must get in the taxi, Jacob, the lions are waiting to roar for us.”
A big “Rooooaaaarrrr” came from tiny Jacob.
The two women smiled, forgetting for a moment the boring months ahead, on both continents.
MeeAugraphie
08/11/07
NOTE: My words are not to be copied or used without written permission. To use Lunañina’s words, check with her!