Monday May 31st, 2010

The exercise:

The prompt on this last day of May: the hourglass.

I'm getting married in exactly two months.

That has nothing to do with the poem I wrote, but it seemed like something worth mentioning.

Mine:

I hear each grain of sand

As it falls through stale air;

I say I'm not worried,

But you know that I'm scared.

I just want to freeze time,

To make this moment last;

But the sand keeps flowing,

Now I'm stuck in the past.

My present is too tense,

My future too unknown;

If I can't find answers,

I'll find myself alone.

Sunday May 30th, 2010

The exercise:

Your prompt: the prince.

Went to see Prince of Persia this afternoon with a couple of friends. It was pretty good, in a big action summer blockbuster kind of way. Some bits made me cringe, but there were a few good laughs scattered about to go along with lots of fun action.

Anyway, on with the show.

Mine:

The royal party entered the smoky tavern and seated themselves at the round wooden table at the center of the room. The man dressed in crimson and black, the preferred colors of the ruling family, sat facing the entrance with his back to the kitchen.

"Elric? Order us a few pitchers of whatever passes for their best ale," he instructed the servant to his right. His bodyguard, a man with more scars than teeth, frowned slightly but said nothing as Elric scurried to do his master's bidding.

A few moments later the barmaid, who bore a striking similarity to an inbred donkey, arrived with a tray of pitchers and empty mugs balanced in both hands. Setting them down on a nearby empty table, she quickly distributed the drinks around the table, making sure to serve the young prince first.

"A toast, then!" The man raised his mug and studied the men gathered around him. "To the king!"

"To the king!"

In unison they took deep swigs of their frothy beverages. As one they returned them back to the table with a mighty thud. And together they belched appreciatively.

But only the man in the royal garb turned a sickly green and pitched forward, landing face down on the table and spilling his drink over its surface. It took only a cursory investigation to realize he was quite dead, his drink poisoned.

"Well then," Prince Elric said with a long-suffering sigh. "Which of you shall be the next to pretend to be me?"

Saturday May 29th, 2010

The exercise:

Your four line poem topic this week: the bachelorette party.

Kat had her bachelorette/hen/stagette party last night and it sounds like it was a really good time: a trip to the spa, a nice dinner, a few drinks. 

I'm doing my bachelor party next weekend and I'm already looking forward to it - sounds like we'll be heading down to Seattle to catch a baseball game and then hit a casino, possibly staying overnight. Final details are still being figured out but I'm sure it'll be a blast regardless.

 

Mine:

A little idle chattering,

A little girly pampering,

And plenty of good food and ale...

But the groom said no Chippendales.

Friday May 28th, 2010

The exercise:

Your four lines of prose this week shall be about: clowns.

Because why not?

Yay, weekend!

Mine:

Mary was in the kitchen washing dishes when a knock at the front door disrupted her daydreaming. She quickly dried her hands while checking the time on the oven's electronic display before rushing to see who it was.

I hope that's not the kids already - Damon's birthday party isn't supposed to start for another hour!

But the three clowns waiting for her on the porch, with their painted white faces, neon red wigs, billowing yellow and blue costumes, and concealed black guns, didn't much care what time the invitation had told them to arrive.

Thursday May 27th, 2010

The exercise:

Your prompt today: empty words.

Too much talking at work, not enough progress being made. Other than that, it was a pretty good day. I am pooped though. Weekend, I await you most eagerly.

Mine:

it's hard

not to notice

the echo

when you speak

it's as though

you're a bard

forever trapped

in a cave

and though i'm wrapped

up in your glow

i still see

your hollow

hollow

soul

Wednesday May 26th, 2010

The exercise: 

Your prompt today: the run-around.

Survived until the end of the day today at work. I suspect I'm about to crash though.

Mine:

“Hello there! How can I help you?”

Her smile was as fake as her suntan, but not nearly as phony as the warmth in her greeting. With clenched teeth and tensed jaw muscles it was difficult to manage an intelligible reply. The fact that she was the tenth customer representative I had been directed to in the last hour didn’t help matters either.

“I’m sorry sir, could you speak up?”

I considered, only for a moment or two, repeating my profanity-laced request that she place her stapler in a rather uncomfortable location on her person, but chose instead to bite down, hard, on my tongue. Then I waited until the blood pooled before giving her a wide, bright smile and letting it leak from both corners of my mouth.

As she ran screaming around the office, her arms flailing around like fish in the bottom of a boat, my smile only grew wider. It felt good to turn the tables at last.

Tuesday May 25th, 2010

The exercise:

Your Two Haiku Tuesday prompt this week: in the marsh.

There is an area of protected marsh on the west side of the lake in Osoyoos and Kat and I had a nice walk over there on Sunday afternoon. Both of my haiku are based on that. But only because I didn't have my camera with me - if I'd had it I wouldn't have seen a thing.

Managed to only leave work two hours early today. Hoping to last the day tomorrow.

Mine:

A real live beaver?!

At last, I'm officially

Canadian now!

*     *     *

A red-winged blackbird

took time from its busy day

to show us around.