Haikus inspired by the visit to the Writers' Circle

DEDICATED THE THE WRITER OF THE SHORT STORY:

MUSEUM

Crystal protected
ancient detritus - once lost
or loved - now displayed.

DEDICATED THE THE SPEAKER ON THE SUBJECT OF RHYME SCHEMES:

ART

Encapsulated
hand expressed spirit of each.
Limitless the price.

As this was written in less than 5 minutes in total hysteria for CIC - I thought I'd see if I could improve it

ART 2

Encapsulated
hand depicted images;
what cost art? Priceless.

It has been an art-y couple of weeks as the 'resident artist' reaches total stress - for her this translates as vaguely bothered!

Oh no! Mira's off to Grad School ...

Mira has resigned from CIC - sad!

I love thinking through Flower's thoughts on each of the Blog challenges.
This has shaped lots of areas of the story that I hadn't really considered.
The whole story has such a bare bones plan - one vision of the three boys by the bridge hanging the littlest over the edge and a lot of research into grief.

Well at least I'll gain more editing hours.

My friend is so much better - happy!

I got to see her for the first time in 8 weeks.
Yipee!

Didn't get much marking done...

because the next Harry Potter popped by.

So, I sat there with the writing folders - levelling - in theory...

But a persistent little idea kept circulating around in my head - he kept whispering that he was the next Harry Potter.

So, not wanting to be the author who turns the next Harry away because they're too busy with 'the day job' to sit down and write the details (while he is warning me that this is an opportunity that shouldn't be missed) - I hunted down my general note book and let him pitch his idea.

First I was having size-ist issues with Tony and then his dad wasn't letting me away without thinking things through properly. Vee, his Mum, was just heading off to welcome the new neighbours to the run-down, rediculously cheap house next door to their increadibly well-maintained show home when I had to yell at them all to back off and give me some time with the tasks that keep the roof over my head ... at the moment!

It's all sorted except the maths - multiples of three - huge numbers of them!

Emote that ...

The 'artist in residence' is up to her neck in exam preparation.
So, she turns to the writer in residence and says: 'I need a piece to put into my study of the work of Jenny Holzer - there is a key word if you can get it in...'

I closed my eyes and took myself back to the time after 'shock and disbelief' and before real 'acceptance'. The day the total stranger said he hoped 'the boy' "would go home and die in his sleep"!

I HATE TO LEAVE THE HOUSE; IT ISN’T MUCH BUT THERE’S NO-ONE IN HERE WHO LOOKS THAT LOOK AT ME: THE ONE THEY USE WHEN I’M OUT WITH HIM. OUR HOME IS NO HAVEN OF PEACE, BUT IT IS A SANCTUARY COMPARED TO OUT THERE WITH HIM. HE EXISTS AND I WAS THE ONE WHO WANTED HIM, IN THEORY, SO THAT’S ALL THERE IS TO IT. ANTISOCIAL, AMORAL AND AGGRESSIVE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN AT THE TOP OF MY LIST OF QUALITIES MY CHILD SHOULD HAVE BUT FATE JUST LOVES TO PLAY WITH LIVES. I ASKED FOR HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SMART, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I GOT. I TRY TO GO OUT THERE BUT THEY LOOK AT ME: I HATE THE PITY OF THE BETTER INFORMED, LOATHE THE CONDEMNATION OF THE LESS AND CRINGE FROM THE LOOKS FROM ANYONE HE HAS HURT.
I LIKE HOME – PRISON AND SANCTUARY.

Then I went to the pub and Man Utd probably secured the league title - they can't screw it up and really wreck my life can they?

Down at the pub with the Red Devils

Feared for my immortal .... no - not that kind of Red Devil!

I thought it might be good to watch the game live, so, off to the pub I strolled (well, drove but that sounded so much more dull).
Gave serious thought to going home at half time - not loving watching the game surrounded by Spurs supporters who were loud in their enjoyment of the first 45 minutes.
Well, it is a 'game of two halves' after all - I liked the second half best!

Go United!

And after 7 weeks in intensive care ...?

I am so happy
I’m utterly relieved
I’m stunned and amazed
I’m going to stop going on because 4,000 variations are rarely needed - even though, this time, they might be warranted:

My friend – proof-reader extraordinaire – has been in intensive care for seven weeks …seven depressing weeks, with few glimmers of hope.

Viral hydro-encephalitis.

Three weeks ago doctors tried a different type of anti-biotic. They warned that this was not a ‘quick fix’, and that the affects wouldn’t be seen for 2 to 3 weeks:

Week 1
We waited …

Week 2
We waited … and the best news we had was that she was ranting about her father – and, although this could be seen as an improvement, as she was stringing words together, it was not exactly the most hopeful news.

Week 3
We heard that her Mum had seen improvements - but you know what Mums are like.

When the staff said that they were going to allow the first two friends in to see her for nearly 6 weeks, we knew that there really must have been an improvement.

The phone hasn’t stopped ringing and the e-mails are flying:

• She sat up and began with: ‘Pull up a chair’
• She joked about going away for a 'Girls' Weekend' now that her husband couldn’t pull the ‘I don’t think I could cope’ line
• Wanted to know who had chosen the pink pjs – a redhead with an aversion for pink
• Named every child on the photo-card sent in by her class
• Asked about birthdays she knew had passed
• Remembered and joked about the themed party that is coming soon
  

Weak – true

Speech – a little slow

Won’t be released from hospital for another month.

The doctors don't know if it was the anti-biotics or if the virus had just worked its way through but, frankly, I don't give a damn!

That thought (the one that couldn’t be said out loud) is coming true!

Wow!

Still learning

Writers' Circle

Went to the scenic one in the park - beautiful setting.

Heard all about the works of Edgar Allan Poe - including short stories and poetry. 'He's a bit wordy!' This is not my comment because, after all, that would be 'the pot ...'

But, having read everything the library had, that was written by Arthur Conan Doyle, James Fennimore Cooper and Alexandre Dumas (and carrying around the Complete works of Shakespeare for light reading), before I'd left school ... this did not come as a complete surprise.

I'd also read some of Poe's stories back-in-the-day, and when the younger version of 'spice-up-your-life' had a gothically inspired English teacher in Year 8, but I hadn't really appreciated his work. He surely had sparks of original thinking. Go Edgar!

Of course, I have to appreciate anyone who can write 4,000 words describing a cottage!

When I finish editing I'm going to go back to read his work - it may be counter-productive to start now!

I did sign up for one of the on-line forums (as per instructions) but ... nobody there will be able to pass around the custard creams!