No Need for Tech #poetry #nature

it’s certain every morning

what then can one do

plan on early mornings

cock a doodle doo

nature in its cycle

nothing digital

man-made has its limits

the rooster has but few

***

our neighbor recently adopted a rooster. no way to stop his early morning song so we might as well join with a yawn…

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Borrowing Sleep’s Step #haiku #tanrenga #photography

borrowing sleep

from the scarecrow’s sleeves
midnight frost

© Basho (Tr. Jane Reichhold)

 

sleepwalker’s nightly path

no one knows where you go

~mdw

 

 

I am reminded of my son’s odd sleepwalking habits. He seemed to have a path that he always followed (it always ended on the stairs). It got longer as he got older; The neighbors would often find him asleep on their stairs.

 

The Carpe Diem prompt is to write a Tan Renga using Basho’s fine haiku.

Late Night Writing #Amwriting #poetry

Where were you …

when I lit the waxy wick

at 3 am

unrolled the parchment

that resisted and cracked

*

Where were you

when I inked my quill

container upended

and spilled

not so deftly I protected my craft

*

Where were you

when the words ran so fast

then flowed

into the sea with a crash

truly buoyant for a raft

*

where were you

when my head came to rest

fingers not faintly stained

sleepy head messed

asleep before I hit the rack

Where were you

?

No matter the era when you are awakened by an idea, you stumble to your desk, try to find a light, write down the words before you lose them.

It’s almost 9 am and my words are dozing… “YAWN”

What’s your best time for writing????

Photography credit: This photo courtesy of Creative Commons, Neal Fowler http://www.flickr.com/photos/31878512@N06/4598679917/

At the bottom of the staircase #flashfiction #children

copyright Jennifer Pendergast

“Who’s there?” The nightgown clad girl called down into the chasm.

“No one” was the reply. “This is going to be too easy,” a sinister smile claimed a dark visage.

“Oh, okay then I don’t have to worry about the monsters that usually come out about this time.”

“Monsters? What monsters”?

“The ones trained to protect me while I sleep,” she curled up with her monster pillow falling fast asleep.

“Oh!”

She could not hear the gasp, breaking of bones, or chewing noise at the bottom of the staircase.

This delightful spiral staircase is this week’s photo prompt for Friday Fictioneers hosted by Rochelle Wisof-Fields. Friday Fictioneers is a weekly flash fiction meme prompting writers with photography to write fiction  in 100 words or less. Give it a try!

Jolted Asleep #atozchalllenge #dreams

I felt jinxed, high-jacked, juxtapositioned with another person in the double -helixed dimension of realities.

It had to be a bend in time or worlds or something.

My hands could not move to examine the note but I was able to read the note over and over again. My senses were on high alert. I was looking for clues, foul play, anything….

Words that stood out : Poison, Clock Ticking, Get Help

I tried moving more than once but could not.

I have had a few dreams that seem like I have to do something

but…

I was always able to rouse myself if the dream was freaking me out. Like NOW!!!

“She’s so peaceful, she looks like she’s dead.”

“Look there is a slight rising of her chest.”

Someone touched me and was flung 20 feet away from me.

“She must have some kind of magic protection around her.”

Protection could be a good thing or a bad thing I frowned. If I need help from someone, how will they break the barrier?” If only I knew what poison…

Just then I started watching me – that queer out of body view from above. I was breathing regularly so it wasnt ____ .My skin was not jaundiced rather it was a natural color… check.  I was not numb so it can’t be___.  I was super thirsty???

“Well duh you would be too… but listen you are in a coma your body doesn’t metabolize normally. And you always crave Pepsi – Always!”

I was glad that  I had done some pharmacology studies including illicit drugs.  My boyfriend, Bobby, who jilted me sophomore year was obsessed with forensics, so was I.

“Think you have to get this poison thing right.” I felt like telling myself “then what???”

What I needed was a good hug from myself right now.

I also realized that I needed to figure out who this princess character that I was impersonating was.

I had plenty of time on my hands – tho my hands would apparently be of little help.

This is my installation for the “J” portion of A to Z Challenge where 1800 writers are running about trying to find letters to fit there stories (I mean stories to fit letters ). Last week’s started the story with “Dreamer”; next Wednesday will continue this dreaming princess nonsense…

I recently started following talented artist Arna Baartz. This watercolor “Water Girl” seems to speak of a watery, dreamlike state. You can see more of Arna’s work here. Thank you Arna for the opportunity to show off your work.

Awakened by a dream #poetry

In the darkest hour of  night

when sleep had its strongest grasp

under the silvery glow

of a radiant moon

if you listened you would hear

a  soft fluttering

gentle steps

as she quietly slipped in

**

she neither needed nor wanted

more than the moon

she found what she sought

a chest barely rising and falling

up turned lips lit by the ripple of light

endeared to her dreamer

her hands painting on a warm canvas

***

In a startle, his eyes opened

until…

It was she

his dream

she was all he could think of when awake

she always came in his deepest sleep

their dance was magical

only witnessed by the moon

***

she slipped out quietly

contented sigh exhaled

his lips relished the memory

another perfect dream

“Jusqu’ à la prochaine fois” she whispered

as she tiptoed into the night

Thanks for joining us for another week of One Shot Wednesday. One Stop Poetry strives to be a community where poets can gather encouragement and inspiration from each other. Please enjoy!!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/klearchos/4737078602/

Yes the One Stop Poetry team was there (cyberly speaking)

Blogging when sleep deprived

Best Blogging

When is your blogging the best?  Do ideas surge from your mind at the beginning of your day? Maybe you blog best when the day is coming to a close and life is quiet. It’s possible that you blog best when your life is in a frenzy. Have mobile phone will blog. Blogging can take place in traffic, on the train, during a boring conference…

Why Blog when tired?

Lately all of my blogging and my other writing, for that matter, has been occurring while I am sleep deprived. My definition of sleep deprivation? When you have less than four hours of sleep per night (or day in my case).

The good news about writing when you are sleep deprived is the words pour out on the page. Whether they make sense or not is another matter. The fact that I am blogging about sleep deprivation is an indication that I am at the end of my week. Three times five or fifteen hours of sleep for my week (yes I’m so sleep deprived that I’m writing my calculations out).

Functioning without sleep can be done

I didn’t used to believe it could be done. I worked with a Doctor in surgery who could go twenty days without ever having a full eight hours of sleep. How did he do it? I was intrigued so I interviewed him and watched him. He told me music, yoga, exercise, and reading stimulating books kept him awake. I won’t tell you where this Doctor performs surgery in the event you end up at his hospital.  I still don’t know how he did it. He didn’t just need to keep his eyes open he had to skillfully hold a scalpel and apply just the right amount of pressure to each incision. I can’t cycle for fear of falling off my bike.   Reading a stimulating book will put me to sleep.

What’s up with alpha?

When I was in Hawaii, I learned that dolphins sometimes swim in alpha mode. Their brain, during that time,  is on low power. They swim while they are half awake/ half asleep. So if you are wondering what I am talking about; I am simply writing in alpha mode. I am half asleep /half awake. Talking about Hawaii makes me want to lay on the hot sand and (yes you guessed it) SLEEP.

Just Sleep!

You might ask why don’t you just sleep. If I could sleep, I would but I realized I can’t sleep during the day and I work at night – so there you have it one very sleep deprived writer by day nurse by night. So when you are writing at an ungodly hour on little or no sleep, think of me. (snooze)

P.S. I love editor types – you can give my words sense.