The Friday Challenge #FromOneLine 269 prompt is a perfect reminder to live in the moment.
They danced with such abandon
Stars swirling at their feet
Clouds of glitter on their stage
Flamingo pink skies of dusk
Delicately embraced the twilight
Only dreams can play music such
Lyrics mingled with the heart’s rush
What is life, but what it is today
Live in the fleeting moment, for
January would tell a different story
For #FromOneLine ☆ Friday Challenge ☆ 265 a very short story (vss) inspired by the grottos and limestone caves of Vietnam that I recently visited. They seem to be the perfect settings for tales of fantasy and I am sure they have inspired many writers.
They navigated by touch, the jagged edges – cold and piercing. Deep inside the moist cave, they grasped hands and took delicate steps, cushioned between the stalactites and stalagmites. Which way to go, they did not know.
The ground was flimsy, or was it their petrified mind concocting fearsome stories? Toxic fumes rose and subsided, with a hiss. The walls closed in and a thought appeared like a streak of lightning – “This is the belly of the dragon.”
Then, the walls moved away and in the brief sliver of moonlight, they saw a lava-spewing throat. The mouth of the cave shut in a loud gasp and a crunch resounded in the depths. The nightmare was coming true. This was no mistake.
#FromOneLine ☆ Friday Challenge ☆
If anyone had been watching
The stars are brighter tonight
They sway in sparkly hammocks
To tunes of whispered cries
Wish upon a star, they said
For dreams can be fulfilled
By twinkly drops of cosmic light;
I, too, looked up at the brilliance
To catch a truant starling in flight
My pleas fizzled in its fiery demise;
I turned away, sad, despondent
But I found it in my pocket.
This Thanksgiving, I woke up to some heartwarming news. One of my favorite poems, written with much tenderness, has found a special place in a book. My poem is now a part of this collection of writings and illustrations from over 160 creatives inspired by the opening line “If I were a house.”
This fourth collection of #FromOneLine writings is a collaborative project with Sleep Pod – All profits raised from the sale of this title will go to Sleep Pod, to support the incredible work they do in helping keep rough sleepers and refugees warm and dry.
FromOneLine – If I were a house, anthology is now live on Amazon and available to purchase in the US and UK. An eBook version will be available in the next couple of days. In India, the book is also available on pothi.com.
“Thank you so much for being part of this book. I hope you are as pleased with the end result as I am, and I hope that together we can raise lots of funds for Sleep Pod, whilst also giving your words and artwork extra wings to travel around the world.”
Note from Meghan Dargue of the Kobayaashi Studios
As I rejoice for being a part of this global community of creatives, my heart is filled with gratitude for the day, I discovered the #FromOneLine prompt on Twitter. I loved the writing challenge and it soon became a part of my creative routine. I admire Meghan Dargue’s artwork, as I get the first glimpse of the book in this video. She is a talented artist and a wonderful person. I want to give a loud shoutout to Meg for not only bringing the creatives together but for always being kind, gentle, and encouraging in her communication. She helps us make the world better with words and drawings.
It always feels like home
With the aroma
Of warm bread and cheese
Ginger, vanilla, and cinnamon
Filling up the rooms
With the scent of welcome
Spices wafting away
From slightly ajar windows
Baking, cooking, brewing
The clutter of pots, pans
Subduing voices
In the head
Ignoring bitterness
In the heart
Aspiring only to capture
Flavors that can conceal
This lingering starkness
Inside the white walls
Blue Pen Strokes 