Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Silent/Silence.”

June 1, 2019May 31, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 39 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this week’s prompt is “silent/silence. Let’s let Linda Hill explain. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “silent/silence.” Use one or both in your post. Have fun!”

Ah yes, the old order to have fun. If you would like to have fun with a prompt visit, Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS June 1/19

“Hello, darkness my old friend.”

“Now what?”

“I’ve come to talk to you again.”

“Stop. Your singing reminds me of fingernails on a blackboard.”

“Because a vision softly creeping.”

“You invited me over. Stop, or I’m leaving.”

“Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence. Okay, I’m done.”

“What’s up with the Song of Silence?”

“Well you know today is Stream of Consciousness Saturday.”

“Yes. Isn’t every Saturday the same.”

“Yes. This week I thought I would do something different.”

“Oh, like the rest of your crowd won’t think about this song.”

“Yeah, I think they will.”

“So what’s so different?”

“I sang the first stanza.”

“Yeah, so.”

“Now I have let loose and earworm that will take over the population.”

“You are nuts. You know that?”

“Tell me you don’t hear that song.”

“Okay I do, but it won’t last long.”

“In restless dreams, I walked alone.”

“Ouch.”

“Narrow streets of cobblestone.”

“I get it. Stop.”

“‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.”

“Let me try. And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more.”

“Gotcha.”

“People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never share
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence. Help me.”

“Naw. You are doomed. See you next week. Good luck getting rid of that one.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue # 219 by Keith Channing

May 28, 2019May 27, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

In Keith’s words. Using this photo (Below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.

The photo

“Well sir, just sit back and relax. We’ll be airborne in a few minutes.”

“I’m not sure about this.”

“Now, sir. You are as safe with me as if you are in your favorite chair in your living room.”

“That’s what I’m worried about. This is like a chair. You sure this thing can fly?”

“It is called a lightweight, sir. It flys like a bird.”

“But can it lift the two if us?”

“I have made hundreds of flights. Trust me, it can lift the two of us. In addition, we will have some friends join us.”

“On this thing. Now you are kidding me, right?”

“Not on this vehicle. Behind us.”

“Behind us?”

“Yes, we will be leading a flock of geese.”

“Geese? Aren’t a bunch of them called a gaggle.”

“Gaggle, flock. No matter. They will follow us for some exercise.”

“Why don’t they go on their own?”

“They think our ship is their mother.”

“Come again?”

“When they hatched, they saw my lightweight first. You know the old imprinting birds do. Well, the eggs were in a nest next to my plane, and the rest is history.”

“Is that them walking around.”

“Yup. You ready now?”

“I guess so.”

“Remember to lift up as we gain speed.”

“You’re kidding?”

“A little lightweight humor.”

“I’m not laughing.”

“Here we go. oops.”

“Oops? What’s oops?”

“Forgot the goose call.”

“Isn’t is like a honk.”

“No, I mean the device.”

“A problem?”

“Not really. You can make a goose sound, can’t you?”

“No. I have no idea how.”

“It’s okay. More lightweight humor.”

“Still not laughing. I see they are following us.”

“Yup.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “

May 25, 2019May 24, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 48 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is . . . Well, let’s have Linda explain.

“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “rhymes with rosy.” Find a word that rhymes with “rosy” or use the word “rosy” and base your post on it. Enjoy!”

Notice the word “enjoy”? So if you would like to enjoy this kind of writing experience, visit Linda’s blog and see how easy it is to get lost in your own enjoyment. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 25/19

“What are you doing now?”

“Looking for a word that rhymes with rosy.”

“Whatever for? Oh, wait you are doing that Linda Hill thing right?”

“Every Saturday I do the Linda Hill thing. Every Saturday, you wander in and ask me what I’m doing. Then we get into some kind of discussion where I end up looking like a fool. You would think you would get it by now.”

“That you are a fool?”

“No. That I’m doing a prompt.”

“I just wondered since you have that big ole dictionary in your lap.”

“As I said, I’m trying to find a word that rhymes with rosy.”

“Why not just google it?”

“May violate the rules.”

“Too easy, huh?”

“Maybe.”

“How about posey. You know pocket full of posey as in ring around the rosy.”

“You know where that poem came from, don’t you?”

“Uh. No. Tell me.”

“At the time of the black death, it was a rhyme describing circumstances. Flowers in the pocket to offset the smell of the dead and the ashes from burning corpses.”

“Come on, I hear that was a myth. You read that in the dictionary?

“No. Saw it on YouTube. Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posey, ashes, ashes, we all fall down.”

“Grim, I say. How about nosey. You could do something with that.”

“As in my nosey friend.”

“Very funny. Okay, try mosey. You know, let’s mosey down to the bar for a drink.”

“I like that one. You buying?”

“I didn’t mean it literally.”

“Of course not. Would be too cozy.”

“Gad. Let’s go. This is exhausting.”

“Yay. do you think Rosie is tending bar?”

“I certainly hope not. A nice Bob would be a break.”

“Killjoy.”

“Dork.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Adverb.”

May 18, 2019May 17, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 38 Comments

Lately time seems to fly. It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday again already. Linda Hill has declaired this week’s prompt to be “adverb.” Here is what she said, “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “adverb.” Start your post with any adverb and just run with it. Have fun!” So you see what I did up front. Used the term lately to start off. I know you couldn’t care less but if you would like to join in and “have fun,” as Linda commands visit her blog and read how. It is very easy. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 18/19

“‘Certainly you’ll have fun’, they said.”

“Who said?”

“All those folks who passively sit and watch me suffer.”

“I’m sorry but I’m still not getting the gist of what you’re saying.”

“The writerly folks who do this prompt without even a thought.”

“Okay. You need to start over cause I’m lost.”

“You know I do a prompt weekly.”

“Yes to my detriment.”

“And I seemingly suffer doing it.”

“I have witnessed your angst, yes.”

“Others rarely have the same trouble as me.”

“How do you know?”

“Just look at how flawlessly they exicute the prompt.”

“I think you are too hard on yourself.”

“Hold on. I was the one who expressly gave instructions that I would use adverbs exclusively.”

“Yeah, I got the order.”

“You blatently used ‘too.”‘

“Huh?”

“In that sentence above, you particularily used the word ‘too”‘

“Okay.”

“Too is always an adverb. Certainly you knew that.”

“It slipped my mind. I have a few other things going on.”

“Well it really doesn’t matter. The bit is officially ruined.”

“Come on.”

“Remarkably It just proves my original premise.”

“Oh I think you have done enough to satisfy the prompt.”

“Shockingly you are still at it.”

“What?”

“Enough is an adverb. Surely you are trying to annoy me on purpose?”

“You know what would annoy you on purpose?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ll tell me.”

“A knuckle sandwhich that I conviently have right here for you.”

“Salt directly in the wound.”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #217 by Keith Channing

May 14, 2019May 13, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 53 Comments

In Keith’s words. “Using this photo (below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The Photo.

“Mmm mafmum dros emufff.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said I think I’ve had enough.”

“Aw come on. You like my omelet.”

“Yes, but I have had an omelet every meal for the past five weeks.”

“Yes and look at you. A big bird.”

“I know, and I’m thankful for your care.”

“Yeah, you were a mess. You were naked and cold on the ground.”

“I don’t know how I got there. I can’t imagine my mama tossing me out.”

“Sometimes when there are a lot of hatchlings the nest gets crowded. A couple of toss and turns and there you are.”

“S’wonder I didn’t break my neck.”

“I couldn’t put you back in the nest. It was too high. Anyway, you are healthy now.”

“I would say so. You have done a nice job.”

“Aw. Thanks. So back to the omelet.”

“Well, I know you try to avoid meat. I, on the other hand, need meat.”

“Meat? What are you talking about?”

“Oh, I don’t know. A stray worm, cricket, or spider would go well.”

“OMG. The thought makes me gag.”

“Yeah and the thought makes me dream of sinking my beak into one of those wiggly ones.”

“I guess I could go into the garden and try to find a worm. Would that be okay?”

“It would be heaven. One more thing.”

“What’s that?”

“A nice Chianti and some fava beans would go well with that.”

“I named you Hannibal, but you don’t have to get carried away.”

“It was fun though, wasn’t it? Clarice”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Strain.”

May 11, 2019May 10, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 36 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is “strain.” Here is what Linda Hill says about the prompt this week. “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “strain.” Use it any way you’d like. Enjoy!” Well you read her instructions. If you would like to participate visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 11/19

“You are a strain you know that?”

“Strain? What does that mean?”

“Stupid and a pain that’s what that means.”

“Aw, come on. Can’t be that bad.”

“I was just going over the checkbook and see this entry for five hundred dollars.”

“Had to replace the car tires.”

“You need to tell me before you put such a strain on the budget.”

“But the tires were bald.”

“You could have made some payments.”

“You know how much I hate debt.”

“I do. Okay. I guess you will enjoy the beans and weenies for the month.”

“Sure beats a blowout. Speaking of strain. Is your mother coming to stay this month?”

“Very funny. No she decided to put off her trip till later in the year. she has a new boyfriend.”

“A new boyfriend? What does that make? Number three already this year?”

“She is very particular about who she hangs around with unlike yours truly.”

“Cold wind over the bow. Puts a strain on the mainsail.”

“You pop another surprise like the tires and it will be a hot cannon ball over the bow. through the mainsail.”

“Oh. I love it when you talk dirty.”

“Only you could pull an innuendo out of that statement.”

“Say you love me.”

“And strain my patience further? Time for you to mow the lawn.”

“I knew it. Nothing says love like a good lawn mow.”

“To you alone.”

“Huh?”

“See you later after you love your lawn.”

“No more strain?”

“Yeah. I’m over it.”

“How about a new grill?”

“Get out.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt “Fall From the Sky.”

May 4, 2019May 3, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this week’s prompt is “fall from the sky.” Yup this is it. To quote Linda Hill, “Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “fall from the sky.” Write about anything that falls from the sky–real, imagined, or idiomatic. Have fun!” Humm I have to think about this prompt for a minute. Want to rid my mind of Chicken Little who thought the whole sky was coming down. I don’t think that’s what Linda had in mind. If you would like to deal with this kind of quandary, visit Linda’s blog and read how simple it is to fall off the end of the Earth. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS May 4/19

“You look confused.”

“I’m up in the air about my travel plans.”

“What are you talking about? You’ve been planning a trip to Paris for years.”

“I know. It’s not the destination that bothers me.”

“The timing then?”

“No. Spring in Paris is perfect.”

“Where to stay?”

“All set. I have reservations.”

“I give up. Can’t imagine what you are doubtful about.”

“The flight.”

“Yeah, that nine-hour stint can be boring.”

“It’s not the time in the air that has me wondering.”

“Then what is it?”

“I don’t really understand what keeps a heavy 767 300 up in the air.”

“Oh. Piece of cake. It’s lift.”

“Lift?”

“Yes, the difference in air pressure rushing across the top curve of the wing from the bottom. It’s all physics.”

“I don’t get that. I just imagine the thing falling from the sky.”

“Now why would you think that?”

“Look how big and heavy those things are.”

“Here let me make an airplane out of this paper. When I throw it the forward momentum causes the air to be displaced above the wing. Since nature abhors a vacuum the lower part of the plane rises to fill in. See it flies.”

“Yeah but that is a paper airplane. It’s light.”

“What do you think would happen if I put this paper clip on the airplane?”

“I have no idea.”

“See the plane falls from the sky so to speak.”

“Making my point exactly.”

“But what if I make the wings bigger.”

“So there is more area being displaced?”

“Yup. There you have it. The plane flies”

“So it’s the wings that keep it up in the air.”

“That’s why your Boeing 767 300 has such big wings. It is all calculated as to how much wing it takes to lift that mother.”

“So as long as the wings are there all is good.”

“You got it.”

“What if they fall off.”

“Then the whole thing falls from the sky.”

“Back to my point.”

“How about I take the trip for you?”

Tuesday – Anything Possible – Kreative Kue #215 by Keith Channing

April 30, 2019April 29, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 39 Comments

In Keith’s words.

“Using this photo(below) as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.”

The Photo.

“Be real quiet. We are almost there.”

“To the target?”

“Yup. It is just beyond the tree line.”

“How do you know?”

“My GPS has it pinpointed.”

“Man, this brush is so thick I can’t see a thing.”

“I know. We will need to cut through it. We risk making a lot of noise.”

“I don’t know why we didn’t just take the road.”

“And be spotted? That would have been the end of us and our mission.”

“You sure the boss said to take it right?”

“Yeah. The order was to take it not to just look at it.”

“Alright. Don’t get testy. I was just asking.”

“You know our group is counting on us right?”

“I do. Death before failure.”

“You got it. Now if my eyes don’t deceive me, there is a trail over here. Most likely made by deer.”

“Should we follow it?”

“That’s what I’m thinking. So much quieter. Follow me.”

“Oh, this is nice. Look there it is.”

“Man. Look at the size of that silo.”

“What if we take on fire.”

“You know the orders. Avoid engagement unless provoked.”

“Roger that. I’m ready.”

“Okay on my count we will rush the silo and take it.”

“Wait, a question.”

“What?”

“There must be 100 metric tons of grain in there.”

“Yeah so?”

“Don’t you think that is a lot for us two mice to carry home?”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Rib.”

April 20, 2019April 19, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 52 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is “rib.” Linda Hill says we can use it as part of a word or as a stand-alone. In any case, we are to have fun. If you would like to join in visit Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to tease your brain in trying to think up a word with “rib” in it. I have one, ‘attribution.’ Naa, that’s no fun. I think I’ll go with using rib alone. Here is a link to Linda’s blog.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS April 20/19

“Can I get another rib?”

“What? You’ve had a full rack already.”

“I know it’s just they’re so good.”

“You have to learn to control yourself. There are others here you know.”

“Not so loud. They’ll hear you.”

“Quit being such a glutton. Go have something else.”

“You know I like meat more than anything.”

“It wouldn’t hurt you to have some greens once in a while.”

“The thought makes me gag.”

“It is time you own up to taking better care of yourself. As far as I can see all you do is lay around and finally move when dinner is served.”

“How come all this negativity all of a sudden. All I did was ask for one more rib.”

“You think it is easy taking care of the family and providing for y’all?”

“No. I think you have a big job.”

“Then why don’t you do something to help.”

“Like what?”

“Like leaving enough food for the others.”

“Look this is a big zebra. There is plenty.”

“You don’t know how those cubs can eat. You know I’m getting tired of this ‘King of the Jungle’ mantra you carry on.”

“Come on. Not my fault that I am royalty. Makes you a queen.”

“Big deal. Meantime, I gotta run down another zebra.”

“You look so good doing it.”

“Oh be quiet and eat your rib. Do something with that mane in your eyes.”

Stream of Consciousness Saturday – Prompt – “Fab”

April 6, 2019April 5, 2019 ~ John W. Howell ~ 54 Comments

It is Stream of Consciousness Saturday time again and this weeks prompt is“fab.” Linda Hill says, “Use it as a word or find a word beginning with “fab.” As always, use any way you’d like. Have fun!”

So there you have it. Have fun. If you would like to have fun with words, go to Linda’s blog and read how easy it is to have fun without drugs or alcohol. Here is the link.

The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS April 6/19

“So what is the prompt this week?”

“Fab.”

“What’s fab?”

“The prompt is fab.”

“I’m sure it is. Tell me the prompt.”

“Fab is the prompt.”

“You doing a Yoda impersonation?”

“No why?”

“To quote ‘Fab is the prompt.’ We all get the prompt is fab, exciting, unique even. The prompt is fab. We’ll give it to you. Now, what is the prompt?”

“You have me down to my last nerve. Let me try to explain this way. The word fab is the prompt.”

“Oh, I get it. Fab is the prompt. So what are you going to do with it?”

“Anymore than we’ve already done? I think we killed it.”

“That’s fab. I think we killed it too. That reminds me.”

“Reminds you of what?”

“Fab Four.”

“Please.”

“Fab detergent.”

“No longer on the market.”

“Fab ra jay.”

“No such thing.”

“Fab a lous.”