Friday, December 29, 2017

Limits

1/28/12 - Carrot Ranch Challenge
99 Words - Prompt - wishing star

Maybe a tad irreverent.  All I can say is, it is what came to mind. ......... Oh well.

"Limits"

“Wish I were, Wish I might……… Ah, screw it.  This doesn’t work anymore.”

Crestfallen, Jesus stood on the Mount and stared up at the night sky.  Moments passed as he wallowed in self pity.  Off to his left, a brighter star than the rest seemed to come closer.

“Boy, I told you there were limits. “

“But Dad, how can I turn this planet around if you won’t cooperate?”

“Well son, I’ll tell ya.  No water walking, leper healing parlor trick is going to upstage that damn Free Will clause I enacted ………… Time to pull the plug.”
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Contrary to my write from the hip style, instead of going with my first effort, I tweaked this one into three slightly different takes.   This was the third version.  And though I am still on the fence somewhat as to which one I like the best, I felt this one told a more complete story.

Regardless, seems I have gotten over that awkward period of re-acquainting myself with Flash. Cool. Trying to make it better is a good next step.

Oh Yeah - I wrote the first draft to the tune "Honey Dripper" as performed by Dr John, the Night Tripper.   Some of the Devil's music.


Enjoy 

Later Gator ..............................................

Thursday, December 28, 2017

Conquering Hero

This was a piece I wrote for a flash fiction challenge awhile ago.  I wrote it in memory of a friend who did not die in Vietnam.  He died because of Vietnam.  

Found it again and thought it might be appropriate to re-publish it here with a new year looming and all.  What can we do to keep this kind of legacy from repeating itself in our future?
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His eyes were full of the things he had seen.  His mouth, full of stories better passed over than passed down.  Memories caught in his craw and woke him sweating cold in the dread of his nights and left him staring into his darkness til Dawn’s early light.


Well meaning people wearing blue scrubs and white coats did what they could.  As it was with so many others, it did not work out.  Scarred and broken, he was sent back to a homeland that would never be the same for him.  His innocence pooled bloody on too many foreign plains.  Feeling forgotten, discarded and alone with his demons, he sought solace in barbiturates, whiskey and gin.  He could never forget his role in the premeditated chaos of Man killing Man in faraway lands.

One day he gave up, double hit China White, laid down and he died.  Before his curtain closed, with one final sigh, the untold stories and nightmares at last said goodbye.  Our conquering hero had finally found his peace.
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Later ..............................................

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Tread on Me

Being a member of the Masses always bothered me.  Not that I was a card carrying member, it was the use of the word "Masses".  The word leaves no room for individuality or self expression.  And just what is a single member of the "Masses" called?  A Mass?  A Masshole?  The possibilities are not endless.

Well, I do not need to worry about it anymore.  Among the many improvements the Donald has made around our landscape, he has, if unwittingly, given us a new name now that we are officially the largest Banana Republic in the World.

We are now Peons tending the toilets and gardens of the rich and famous, not just "the Masses".  Peon sounds so much more important.  Better than "minion", as minion leads one to believe we are all willing participants in Donald's quest to "Make America Great Again".  This does not mean a Trump minion is not a Peon.  They are just the stupid Peons.

Anyway, just some of what stumbled across my mind this morning with my first coffee.

Keep it 'tween the ditches ..................................

Monday, December 25, 2017

Red Sky in the Morning


This is a shot of the southwestern sky from my door yard at Dawn, yesterday, Christmas Eve morning.  No better proof of the old adage, "Red Sky Morning, Sailors Take Warning".   Because today, Christmas 2017, we have been getting over an inch of snow per hour since breakfast.  Looks like a solid seven to eight inches of more white crap out there.

About as white a Christmas as anyone could wish for I guess.  But I tell you what.  It is kind of wasted on Mainers.  Snow on the ground is just another day on the planet during Winter up here.  I would have been pleased as punch if  Christmas had just opened up with a nice clear frosty day.  A Winter Sun up here makes everything pop when it is able to bounce its rays off the snow cover.

Hope everyone's holidays pan out as planned.

HO!

Friday, December 22, 2017

Paisano

99 words exactly – Prompt – “White Flowers”

During a season that is supposed to be about the joy of life, giving and goodwill to Man, we should also take a moment to reflect on those who have lost, are lost, and will continue to lose in the future. 

Paisano

Hovering over Pauper Grave #242, uninhibited tears fell onto the single white Chrysanthemum Jack clutched in his hand.   Six inches of snow had found its way into the cast off Bean boots someone threw at him from a Lexus.  He did not even notice.

It was six Christmas Eve’s ago he had identified the body of his hard times friend.   Closing his eyes, Jack could still see Rodney’s gap toothed grin after they had constructed their last blue tarp cardboard palace together.

Jack tossed the Chrysanthemum on the grave and watched it disappear into the fresh snow. 

“R.I.P. Rodney”.
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Maybe it was my recent re-read of Steinbeck’s “Tortilla Flat”.  Or maybe it was today’s NPR piece on the Homeless Vigil held in Portland, Maine around Christmas every year.  Toss in some white flowers and there you have it, something to write about.  

Whatever reason ya’ll have for celebrating, please enjoy it, savor it, and carry it as far into 2018 as you can. 

Ho …………………………………………….
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Cross posted at  Lostin the BoZone, Too

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

What the Hell Happened to Us?

When I was in my late teens and early twenties, I was proud of the Boomer Generation I was part of.  We made up a majority of the citizen soldiers whose resistance created so much change for the better.  Civil Rights, Anti War, Environment, all benefited from our efforts.

That was then, this is now.  Today, I am ashamed of my generation.  We had claimed we did not want to become our parents.  And we didn't.  We became something worse.  We shed all the good character traits of our parents and absorbed all their flaws.

Sure, there are many of us who have kept the flame burning, but for the most part, Boomers have become a generation of cynical, self absorbed assholes who don't give a rat's ass about the next guy. 

We created the extreme partisanship we all live with today.  What the Hell happened to us?

Sunday, December 17, 2017

The Big Bang

This Kodak moment I snapped a few weeks ago was a rather pedestrian image that did nothing for me until I messed around with it.  Once I had it at this point, I considered what it reminded me of.

After some contemplation I decided that it reminded me of what scientists describe as "The Big Bang" theory of the beginning of the Universe.  Everything inside the circle getting organized while the outer wave swallows all the loose matter in its path. 

I know the theocratic views favor different scenarios, but they all seem to indicate no matter what happened, it was a sudden event and everything we know expanded from this beginning.

I have no clue why the various takes create so much friction, hate and discontent.  The beginning seems such a stupid thing to squabble over.  But then humans aren't happy unless their panties are bunched up over something.

Keep 'tween the ditches .......................................
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BTW, for anyone interested, I posted a piece of flash fiction over to "BoZone Too".

Friday, December 15, 2017

Enjoy the Decline

So I have been M.I.A. for awhile now.  The better part of a year or so I'd say.  In that time much has transpired, gone down, happened to, happened because, and resulted in more negatives than pluses.  Actually too many incidents and accidents to mention in one blog post.

I delayed my re-entry into the blogosphere because there was just too much to cover.  I felt fucking overwhelmed.  Where does one start when all that surrounds them seems to have gone down the shitter?  Fires, Hurricanes, Pedophile candidates, and nuclear confrontations have surrounded my small spot on the rock.

And then there is Trump.  Mix him into all the madness and what we have is not a world that seems to have gone insane, but a world that has definitely lost its mind.  The lowest point Humanity has hit in my lifetime.

Regardless, one recurring tendency seems to have become obvious to this untrained observer.  While the USA has managed to slip out of top billing among World Leadership, we have become the number one, with a bullet, the largest Banana Republic on the planet.  And since the horse has already left the barn due to the self interest of the Right and their owners, there is no sense in pissing and moaning. ............

...........................  Just sit back, spark up a doob or sip on a cocktail with an umbrella in it and Enjoy the Decline.


On a personal note, this past year without a job to go to everyday or worry about every day has been very interesting.  I thought I would get so much more done at home.  I guess I did get more done than I would slogging to a job every day, but that Honey Do list just does not seem much smaller.  Had some health issues I now hope I have on the run and my wife came up with breast cancer.  Thankfully we now have a plan and are dealing with that optimistic first phase of the disease.  I'll tell you what, Life outside my small circle seems so petty and meaningless once Cancer entered.  Yeah, my perspective has changed fer shur.

Keep it 'tween the ditches .............................................................