Sunny Side Up - A Saturday Centus

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Hello and a hearty welcome to my fellow bloggers, poets and fans of the written word!  This is my contribution, albeit a little late, to week 65 of Jenny Matlock's wildly fun and entertaining writing meme called Saturday Centus.  

From her blog, off on my tangent, Jenny posts a prompt every Saturday that we Centusians use to write very short 100-word stories or poems.  Then we link them back to Jenny's blog post so that we can all share with each other the diverse directions we went with the prompt!  It's a lot of fun and something I look forward to each week.  If you haven't tried it yet, what's stopping you!

This week our illustrious teacher has decided to challenge us once again by offering up this photo in lieu of a written prompt from which to base our stories.  As much of the country is sweltering in triple digit temperatures lately, (well except for us in California where the weather is nearly always perfect) the image of an egg frying on a sidewalk is symbolic of the abject misery so many are being forced to endure.

Poetry has never been my bailiwick, though I do enjoy reading it and the brilliant imagery it holds.  There are some exceptionally talented poets that contribute to this meme whom you will no doubt quite enjoy reading if you are so inclined. Stepping out of my comfort zone again this week I have written a silly rhyming verse that I hope you will enjoy.  It is a continuation of sorts of a well-known English nursery rhyme.  I have entitled this week's effort:

Sunny Side Up

Trumpets blared a sad refrain

Heard throughout the land

To quickly spread the awful news

Of the tragedy at hand.

Though they tried to save him

Their efforts proved in vain.

His injuries were too severe

For him to live again.

“Humpty Dumpty will be missed,”

Declared the parish priest.

“But no memory will be more tightly held,

Than this fabulous funereal feast.”

The sun’s blistering heat

Had turned the sidewalk to a grill.

Watching their friend fry like that

Gave some an eerie chill.

“A toast to our fallen friend,

As an egg he couldn’t be beat.

So beloved was he during his life,

And now as a breakfast treat.”

He who throws dirt loses ground.

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Not In This Lifetime, A Saturday Centus

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This is the 64th week of Saturday Centus, a fun and challenging literary meme hosted by Jenny Matlock at her blog off on my tangent.


Most weeks  Ms. Jenny holds us to just 100 words plus the supplied prompt with which to craft our little stories and poems.  


This week, however, the heat has apparently gotten to her, the poor dear. She's shaken things up in Centusland by allowing us a mere 15 words in addition to the prompt.  

Don't worry Jenny.  Help is on the way.  Step away from the light!  Medical personnel are right now rushing to your aid with a pitcher of Margaritas! Get well soon!

This week's prompt is "Before I die I want to...."  and was inspired by this building in New Orleans.

My epic 21-word submission this week is entitled:

Not In This Lifetime

Before I die I want to

Write a bestseller,

Win the lottery

And have a sane government.

Hey, I can dream!

It's a great pity the right of free speech isn't 

based on the obligation to say something sensible.

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Trouble In Paradise, A Saturday Centus

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Welcome to my contribution to week 63 of Saturday Centus.  Our wonderful host for this fun meme, Jenny Matlock from her blog off on my tangent, has decided to do a little shake-up this week.  Instead of the usual 100 word limit, we are to use only 25 words this week plus the prompt which is "I'm not getting any younger."

As if 100 words wasn't hard enough!  Thanks Jenny for a fun prompt and for challenging our creativity once again!  Here is my teeny-tiny effort for this week.  I have entitled it:

Trouble In Paradise

“Aaugh! 

I spend hours getting pretty for you, but you don’t care.

I’m not getting any younger, Charlie.”

 

“Or thinner!”

"I'll kill you."

 "Just get me a beer first."

The four most important words in any marriage...I'll do the dishes. 

- Anonymous.

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Just Misunderstood

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Here's my week 62 Saturday Centus effort, squeaking in just before the deadline.  The prompt for week 62  from Ms. Jenny Matlock from her blog off on my tangent  is "and the sign read..."   Here is my 100 word effort for this week.  I have entitled it:

Just Misunderstood

The neighbors on Spruce Lane said Mr. Mooney was crazy.

Wearing a thick wool sweater and neoprene shorts wasn’t weird enough.  He had to don the Pith helmet and ballerina slippers too. 

His front yard revealed other clues that he was of unsound mind.  Like the signs…so many signs!   “Welcome to Thursday,” “Free the Lemons,” and “Fish Crossing,” were among them.  Another clanged against the rusted metal gate, and the sign read “Do not feed the grysbok.” 

Painting the trees with phosphorescent paint was definitely different too.

Yes, to the neighbors he was “Loony Mooney,” but to me he was just Dad.

When I was little, my grandfather used to make me stand 

in a closet for five minutes without moving.   

He said it was elevator practice. 

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Democracy Under Assault, A Saturday Centus

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Happy Fourth of July weekend to my fellow Centusians and bloggy buddies and welcome to my contribution to week 61 of Jenny Matlock’s Saturday Centus!   As you probably already know Saturday Centus is Jenny’s inspired literary dream-child which she graciously shares with us each week from her blog off on my tangent.

I am a day late joining in this week because I spent Saturday soaking up the deep-fried ambience of our local county fair.  There, with massive corndog in hand, I studiously examined the many interesting exhibits and grade school art projects as the intoxicating aroma of livestock filled my senses.   A day full of sensory delights to be sure!

The way SC works is Jenny gives us a prompt each Saturday morning, usually a written phrase but sometimes a photo, and we are assigned to write a short 100-word piece using that prompt.  The rules of this meme state that the prompt cannot be split or altered in any fashion.  Also vulgarity and photos or illustrations are not allowed except by special permission of Jenny. 

Even heavily censored vulgar photos with black “censored” boxes over the various naughty parts will absolutely not fly so don’t even attempt it.  And you know who I’m talking to, don’t you?

Writing with a maximum word limit of 100 words plus the prompt is a great way to learn how to write succinctly and be selective in your word choices.  Plus it is always a lot of fun to face the challenge and complete it each week.  After writing your story you need to link it back to Jenny’s meme post so the rest of us can read it and enjoy your creative take on the prompt.  Just click on the Saturday Centus button to see what other writers have submitted.

In honor of The Fourth Of July, our beloved Jenny has given us a prompt of “Oh, say can you see” to get our creative juices clicking on all cylinders.   In a bit of a departure for me I have offered up a bit of verse this week as my contribution.  What isn’t a departure for me are the political overtones.  I apologize in advance to any I might offend, but seriously if we don’t stop this insane Republican power-grab our country is doomed!  I have entitled this week’s submission:

Democracy Under Assault

Oh, say can you see

What the hell’s going on?

Betrayal in D.C.,

Is their sanity gone?

     Evil men full of greed,

     Such as John, Paul and Mitch,

     Willfully deny those in need.

     While giving billions to the rich.

They lie and promise a better future

Better yes, for their corporate masters,

While the rest of us share a different fate.

As they make our lives a disaster.

     We need to vote out these buffoons

     And end their power-hungry ascent.

     America was meant for all to enjoy

     Not just the richest two percent.

"A Tea Party group has a summer camp for kids, the only one where they sit around the campfire and tell scary stories about taxing the top 2%."

                                                   -  Conan O'Brien

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