This poem was inspired by Reena’s challenge which brought to mind the caterpillar in James and the Giant Peach who proudly calls himself a pest.
A pest as described by Wikipedia: A pest is any organism harmful to humans or human concerns. The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops, livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in their homes. Humans have modified the environment for their own purposes and are intolerant of other creatures occupying the same space when their activities impact adversely on human objectives. Thus, an elephant is unobjectionable in its natural habitat but a pest when it tramples crops.
Repetition: Three terms or images in the verse must be repeated 3x each.
I’m late with this post. What can I say, I had a life sized guitar to make this weekend for Michael’s birthday and it didn’t leave much time for other things. I also made Gregory a hummingbird cake for his birthday and I cooked chicken korma for 20 people and made salads and vegetables to go with it.
And now for the poem:
Rain Dance
We must dance to summon the rain
The land is parched; thirsty cattle low
We must dance to appease the gods
It’s not easy to please the gods; they’re vain
We must dance for rain so the rivers flow
The gods always admire our feathers and beads
We twirl and stamp, hitting the ground with rods
When rain comes, we’ll plant life sustaining seeds
The challenge: The challenge, or exercise if you prefer: Look at a favorite photo, painting, mural, or other image. Drink in the feelings that it brings to mind. Then write something related to the image. Short or long, fiction or memoir. It doesn’t have to be a complete story. A vignette is fine.
Zebra on a path in the bush. Can you see the huge scar along its side? It must have been attacked by a lion and survived. White rhinos on a missionAcacia branch blocking the road – thank you elephants!
No Passage (shadorma)
Wall of thorns
What lurks behind your
Natural
Barricade?
You completely block the road
Impenetrable
We’re on the Road to Nowhere A personal favourite lion picture – I’m going to paint this one for my Into the Light series
Holly Schlivnik dreams of being a writer, but fate has other plans. A family crisis throws her into an improbable situation and her life will never be the same. Determined to make her own luck when things don’t happen the way she plans, the irrepressible young woman takes a sledgehammer to the glass ceiling and shatters it to smithereens. The wise-cracking, irreverent transplanted Californian goes on a raucous, rollicking rollercoaster ride of hysterical adventures as a ladies’ apparel sales rep traveling in the deep South and finds herself along the way.
My review
I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
This is a most entertaining read about a young woman’s entrance into the rag trade. Holly Schlivnik has just finished collage and is feeling directionless following a disastrous job interview when her father, a travelling rep for ladies apparel, calls on her to fill in for him at a show. Holly suddenly discovers that she has a talent for selling clothing. She decides to accept her father’s offer of a job as his assistant and soon sets out on her own, her car filled with clothing racks and samples, to drum up sales in the deep South of America.
This is a story of personal growth and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Holly blossom from an awkward and inexperienced girl into a confident and determined sales woman. She has to learn to deal with all sorts of different people, from Jodie the transwoman, to selfish and inconsiderate buyers and business owners, to Jewish business men who want to make a political statement.
Holly manages to take it all in her ‘short stride’ and learns to deal with all sorts of inconveniences and difficulties that her father, as a man, didn’t have to face. Behind the scenes, she has her supportive and non conventional grandmother to give her excellent advice and keep her facing forward. Holly’s family is Jewish and I enjoyed learning more about her family’s traditions and attitude to life.
There is a lot of humour in the book, which makes it very entertaining. Holly learns a lot during the period of her life covered by this book, and has to cope with losses of a love interest and a family member, recognise what she wants from her career and her life and understand how much she’s prepared to sacrifice to achieve it, and also face anti-Semitism and gender intolerance. Holly also has to weigh up options and make life changing decisions.
This is a book that readers who enjoy coming of age stories with a good dollop of humour and a fast pace will enjoy.
This week, I’m starting with the poem. Puente was completely new to me, but I gave it a good bash. Writing about love is also not my thing. My love is too deep and too intense for words, but I have tried.
Tone (required): Either the 1st or the 3rd stanza should have a happy tone, and the other should have a sad tone;
For the 2nd stanza (suggested): Use a quote, idiom, phrase, etc.
Theme (required): Love
Puente?
The puenteform has three stanzas with the first and third having an equal number of lines and the middle stanza having only one line which acts as a bridge (puente) between the first and third stanza.
The first and third stanzas convey a related but different element or feeling, as though they were two adjacent territories. The number of lines in the first and third stanzas is the writer’s choice as is the choice of whether to write it in free verse or rhyme.
The center line is delineated by a tilde (~) and has ‘double duty’. It functions as the ending for the last line of the first stanza AND as the beginning for the first line of the third stanza. It shares ownership with these two lines and consequently bridges the first and third stanzas.
The dining room doors in the early eveningThe pool verandah with the door leading to the dining area in the early eveningThe swimming pool at sunsetComing back to the lodge in the eveningLook who was hanging out on the side of the road outside the lodgeNot a bad picture given he was hidden in the shadows in the early evening.Sunset in the bushVervet monkeys on the path to the roomsI love the light in this picture of a vervet monkey.
These are the large doors leading onto the balcony surrounding the dining room at Thakadu River Lodge. The balcony overlooks the river.
The dining room attracted visitors in the form of vervet monkeys.
This vervet monkey terrorized an Italian couple who insisted on being moved right across the dining room to just outside the kitchen door. The monkey was naughty, it jumped up and pinched a roll off the table. The restaurant management kindly moved my family to the rejected table next to the outside doors. Clearly, they thought we could cope with a few mischievous monkey visitors.
Perhaps my standing on the pathway watching a mama and her adorable baby clued them in to our lack of anxiety:
Picture caption: Can you see the baby clinging to mama’s tummy
This monkey like us so much, it came to our tent for a chat.
The rondeauis a syllabic construct of three verses: a quintet, quatrain, and sestet. The lines are of two distinct lengths: 1) the main length and 2) the refrain. The refrain is the first few words of the first line.
Three stanzas: A quintet (five lines), a quatrain (four lines) and a sestet (six lines).
The first half of the first line in the quintet is the refrain line. This refrain is used for lines 9 and 15.
Rhyming:
The quintet has a rhyme scheme of b-b-c-c-b.
The quatrain has a rhyme scheme of b-b-c-A, where A is the refrain drawn from the first half of the first line of the poem.
The sestet is rhymed b-b-c-c-b-A, where A is again the refrain line.
The refrain line is usually 4 syllables or two verse feet.
Chasing The Light
My paints give me freedom, I mix colours with great delight
Applying a spectrum of shades, I attempt to capture the light
My heart throbs with creation, I feel completely alive
An antidote to everyday life, this is how I survive
Chasing the interplay of shadows, lying just beyond my sight
***
A splodge of gold, a dash of yellow, capturing sunrays bright
Don’t look for darkness in my work, I’m not a creature of the night
The subtle interactions of hues on canvas, these I ingest to thrive
My paints give me freedom
***
Daily doses of war and economic woe wound; my spirit must take flight
Living in ignorance is not an option, but my soul is entitled to respite
Through immersion in nature’s splendour, peace and happiness I derive
The artist’s palette and creative journey, enthusiasm for life must revive
To maintain my personal faith in humanity, against despair I always fight
My paints give me freedom
This is my most recent painting called The King:
This is a YT video I made of the painting. I added the soundtrack from YT’s offerings:
Today, Kaye and I are posting the first article in our new In Touch With Nature series. We hope you will enjoy learning a little more about the natural world.
When you leave for a trip, who knows you’re gone from your house? Family and friends, sure. Neighbors, perhaps.
So does the chauffeur who drove you to the airport. Alan Burris takes advantage of working for a car service to know when clients will be away from their houses for several nights. Some houses are easier, since they don’t have a security system — and these houses are on his list for a night visit to steal valuables.
The Resnick house has been on Alan’s list for a while, and now it will be empty for a few nights, since Mr. and Mrs. Resnick are spending a long weekend in Chicago.
But is the house really empty? Alan’s about to find out what it’s like to not be alone in the house, his car, his apartment, and his head. And with another person hanging around, to what length will Alan go to get rid of them?
My review
I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and entertaining story that centres around the concepts of consequences for actions and a guilty conscience.
Alan Burris’ life was not panning out as he had planned. His girlfriend had recently ditched him because his job as a chauffeur for wealthy people took up most of his evenings and weekends. She wanted him to find a job with better future prospects and more free time to spend with her. The problem was, Alan liked his job ferrying successful business men to and from the airport and driving couples to events and places frequented by the rich and famous. Although Alan resented his clients for their money, success, and self centredness, his position gave him access to information about their lives and movements. He knew where they lived, who they lived with, and when everyone was away. Alan ran a successful sideline breaking into his client’s homes when the opportunity presented itself and stealing jewelry and other items of value.
The story started with Alan driving a regular client and his wife to the airport. Alan knew they had no children and he saw their combined trip as the perfect opportunity to break into their house. The best laid plans have a habit of going awry, and Alan came across some strange and deeply disturbing artwork in the client’s home office. The pieces worked their way into his mind and he couldn’t forget them. The art was not the only surprise in the house, Alan got a further shock, which resulted in him taking out of character remedial actions.
Alan was not a particularly likeable character. He was jealous and had negative thoughts about his clients. He felt he was justified in robbing them because they were rich and successful and they didn’t bother much with him – he was just the driver of the Lincoln that drove them around. It was evident as the story progressed, however, that Alan was not a really bad person. He had a conscience and his actions on the night of the robbery, combined with the weird artwork, conspired to send him into a downward mental spiral. It was fascinating to effectively watch him become more and more unhinged.
The plot reminded me in some ways of my favourite of Edgar Alan Poe’s short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. A well written and entertaining story.
A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.
In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.
In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.
LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.
They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.
My review
This book is a wild ride, highly entertaining and imaginative. With time travel as its central theme, readers are treated to insights into the future, and the past, as well as scenes in the present. This makes for a fascinating and complex storyline.
Nick is from the future and is a Time Regulator, working for Time Travel, Inc. His job is to ensure that any use of time travel technology is for legitimate reasons and travelers do not create ripples in the time continuum that might change the future. Nick has a fascination with the old west and has no idea that his information collecting and personal gratification visit will set in motion a series of unimagined ripples. Nick is not a particularly nice person and is full of smug self righteousness about the purpose of his job, despite the unfortunate conundrum he sets in motion.
Amaryllis is from the present. She’s caught in a most unfortunate situation which she believes she can control, but can’t. Her principles, no matter how skewed they are, are vital to her self esteem and acceptance of her lot in life. When they are breached by her lover, she reacts in rage and ends up on the run from the police. I enjoyed the character of Amaryllis. She is determined and loyal, a good friend despite her unfortunate past and present.
Amaryllis’ friend, Monique, is my favourite character in this book. She is a support character, but her complete control over her life, despite very adverse circumstances, is a much needed antithesis to Amaryllis’ headstrong and highly reactive personality. Monique is the voice of calm reason in the story. I hope I will see more of Monique in future stories by this author.
LeRoy is from the past. He crosses paths with Nick and it changes the course of his life when he becomes embroiled in a time travel ripple. I enjoyed LeRoy who was level headed, despite the strange detour his life’s path takes after his chance encounter with Nick, and a real gentleman. The comparison between the characters of LeRoy, from the past, and Amaryllis’ drug dealing partner, Claude, from the present, is fascinating and quite sad. Even their names bring to mind vastly different expectations and imagery.
You will have to read the book to find out how the lives of these characters all intersect in the novel and how the time ripple is resolved, but it is an exciting and unique storyline that will keep you engaged throughout.
For Thursday Doors, I am sharing another door picture from our trip to Thakadu River Camp at Madikwe Game Reserve.
This is the door into the lounges and dining room area. I really like this picture as the mixture of the golden light and the bluish shadows appeals to me. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/01/18/traffic-jam-doors/
Enjambment is: the running-over of a sentence or phrase from one poetic line to the next, without terminal punctuation;
ALL lines of S2 must have the same number of syllables
This poem is about …
Picture caption: My charcoal drawing of a small elephant cuddling into its mother
River Fun
What a special experience
to see a herd of sixty elephants
playing in the river. Splashing,
rolling and ducking each other,
like children in a giant swimming
pool. The matriarch still maintains
good order among her subjects.
***
Mum lingers in the road
Waiting for her young one
Who wants to join the fun
Humans – wait your turn, please
Photo caption: Two elephants playingPicture caption: Continuation of the elephants pay in the riverPicture caption: Mom and two babies waiting to cross the roadPicture caption: The cutest baby ellie ever.
This is a YT video of the dominant elephant in the river:
These two elephants were practically completely submerged:
Picture caption: New Release Book Banner showing the cover of The Soul Whisperer’s Decision
Today, I am delighted to welcome Gwen M. Plano to Roberta Writes with her new book release, The Soul Whisperer’s Decision.
Picture caption: Book cover of The Soul Whisper’s Decision by Gwen M. Plano
Blurb
Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home. Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his own sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past. An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings.
Backstory
I have a special interest in the Near-Death Experience phenomenon. Since the 1980s, I’ve read original research of accounts, and I’ve also read numerous books by survivors. Though I’ve not experienced an NDE, I’ve had several inexplicable experiences of a loving presence at times of great duress.
For ten years, 2002 – 2012, I was an administrator at a college near Camp Pendleton in California. I worked directly with the Marine veterans and, to a lesser degree, veterans from the other branches of the military. I quickly discovered that almost all the Marines suffered PTSD and/or physical injuries from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. I became their advocate and tried to provide a ‘safe’ place for the veterans to meet, hang out, and process. To this day, my experience with the veterans remains the highlight of my thirty years in Higher Education.
When I wrote The Soul Whisperer’s Decision, I sought to illuminate the struggles of those who have experienced extreme violence. And, as well, I tried to show the healing power of love. None of us can erase our past or another’s, but by our choices, we can carve a hopeful future for ourselves and others.
Gwen M. Plano, aka Gwendolyn M. Plano, grew up in Southern California and spent most of her professional life in higher education. She taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Gwen’s academic background is in theology and counseling. Recently retired, she now lives in the high desert of Arizona, where she writes, gardens, and travels with her husband.
Gwen’s first book is an acclaimed memoir, Letting Go into Perfect Love. Her second book, The Contract between heaven and earth, is a thriller fiction novel, co-authored by John W. Howell. It has received multiple awards and is an Amazon Best Seller. The Choice, the unexpected heroes is the sequel to The Contract. It is also a thriller, involving the attempt of an unfriendly nation to take over the world. The third book in the series, The Culmination, a new beginning is an action-packed military thriller that spans the globe and involves multiple Heads of State and the threat of World War III. Only love can change the fate of humanity.
When Gwen is not writing, she’s often in the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, where she finds inspiration.
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