Prompts Are the Mainstay for Bloggers

Linda has concluded her Just Jot It January and Fandango just started up FFE where he provides a Daily Adage for us to write about.  Bee is doing her Love is in Da Blog again for February and Teresa who left over the WordPress scandal that Fandango reported about (and I for the life of me can’t remember the name of this) is back again with exciting new challenges.  It won’t be long before the April A-Z challenge is back here again and lucky for me, I have all of my topics picked out already.  I have already written 4 posts today and Bring Me My Newspaper got 22 views, Being a Perfectionist received 20 views, My Wife Anne de la Roch only got 9 views and Leaving Home and Exploring the World which got 6. That should have been enough writing for one day, but I am a glutton for punishment, so I decided to try and fit in 24 more prompt words, which may or may not be sagacious.

If I ignore the daily prompts, they could all dry up and blow away and then where would I be, left up the creek without a paddle most likely.  At times my responses may be uncouth and readers will pass them by with upturned noses, not willing to savor my aromatic phrases.  I could say that the devil made me do it when I write about sex and drugs, but that would be a lie, as Sexy savvy Sally could attest to.  I have a reluctance to follow the conventional rules for blogging and some people will find this to be imprudent, but I feel that it is fine and I hope others perceive my writing as being dulcet.  It has only been a few days since I last wrote a multi-prompt post and it was starting to feel like a century had passed by, so I was compelled to write this, just so I could feel alive again.

Every blogger must have a toolbox in their camp that they use for topics and the prompt challenges do this for me as they are the mainstay for my topics, but each blogger is different and everyone must develop their own discernment on how they will handle things.  I surrender to the prompts and let them take me to unknown places, without a sliver of an idea where I am heading.  They might lead me to a charcoal shadow, or lend a hand, or elbow me to open wide, or just settle under a willow and gaze at a snowdrop.  I usually like to end my posts with a song, but today I have the Bohemian Rhapsody trailer for you.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Mainstay, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Wide, for the Daily Spur prompt – Camp, for Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – Alive, for FOWC with Fandango – Century, for January Writing Prompts – Sexy savvy Sally, for Ragtag Community – Aromatic, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Willow Hand Shadow, for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Devil and for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Wordle 166, hosted by Yves where the prompts are – Snowdrop Fine Uncouth Sagacious Upturned Dulcet Reluctance Follow Charcoal Surrender Elbow Sliver Discernment.

Don’t Ease Me In

The wind cut into his skin and grey skies pressed down on the rotting town, but at least he was home.  The guy had been “all night long coming home”, so he probably did a lot of drinking with his friends and even though he is back home now, he is not ready to end the party.  On September 28, 1939, legendary jazz pianist and composer Jelly Roll Morton played ‘Don’t You Leave Me Here’ for Alan Lomax, which is very similar to the Texas Ragtime song ‘Don’t Leave Me Here (Don’t Ease Me In)’ that was recorded by Henry Thomas in 1928.  On several songs, Thomas accompanied himself on guitar and on quills, a folk instrument fabricated from cane reeds.  The instrument is similar in sound to the zampoña, used by musicians in Peru and Bolivia.  His legacy is sustained by four songs. ‘Fishin’ Blues’ which was covered by Taj Mahal and The Lovin’ Spoonful.  ‘Bull Doze Blues’ which was recorded by Canned Heat with new lyrics, and retitled ‘Goin’ Up The Country’ and ‘Honey Won’t You Allow Me One More Chance’ which was covered by Bob Dylan as ‘Honey Just Allow Me One More Chance’.  His song ‘Don’t Ease Me In’ was covered by the Grateful Dead.  Henry Thomas made a series of recordings from 1927 to 1929, before he decided to retire from music.

Tracing the origins of old songs can get confusing and lead to chaos, as in the chorus of the Henry Thomas song, he sings “I’m Alabama bound”, which can be traced back to a 1910 instrumental single by Prince’s Orchestra that was written by John J. Puderer and Robert Hoffman.  Adding to the confusion, Trixie Smith recorded ‘Railroad Blues’ in 1925 and that song contains the lyrics “I’m Alabama bound”.  The song ‘Alabama Bound’ was a hit for Papa Charlie Jackson in the mid 20s, & in different forms found its way into the repertoire of such diverse artists as Jelly Roll Morton & Leadbelly.  In an interview with Alan Lomax, Jelly Roll Morton claimed to have written the song ‘Alabama Bound’ in 1905 which he recorded in 1939 as ‘Don’t You Leave Me Here’ claiming that he made the song up when he was in the Alabama barrel house circuit.  A bar where whiskey is served straight from the barrel is called a barrelhouse.  Add a piano and you’ve got yourself a party.  The barrelhouses of the rural South were rough wooden shacks where the African American laborer community gathered to drink and dance at the edge of small towns and levee camps.  I can’t dance.  No really, I can’t.  Please stop asking.  I am glad we got that settled.

What is this song about, do the lyrics have any significance?  To ease is to make milder or less severe, to relieve or assuage one’s grief or pain.  He “was standing at the corner Talking to Miss Brown” and when he “turned around, She was way cross town”, but she was probably not up to any type of treachery or involved in any conspiracy, she just knew how to jet away.  He is out with a dollar in his hand “looking for a woman”, even though he has one at home that is “sweet and true”.  Some people just can’t be trusted, as when you turn your back and they steal pickles and maybe this guy was the pickle thief from La La Land.  His girl brings him coffee and tea which are both wet and probably quenched his thirst after a long night of drinking.  I am sure that she would have given him a beet, if he asked for that, as they are packed with essential vitamins, minerals and plant compounds, some of which have medicinal properties, but maybe he did not like beets, thinking that they taste like tar.

Don’t ease, don’t ease
Don’t ease me in
I’ve been all night long coming home
Don’t ease me in
I was standing at the corner
Talking to Miss Brown
Well I turned around, sweet moma
She was way cross town
So I’m walking down the street
With a dollar in my hand
I’ve been looking for a woman, sweet moma
Ain’t got no man
The girl I love
She’s sweet and true
You know the dress she wears, sweet moma
It’s pink and blue
She brings me coffee
You know she brings me tea
She brings ‘bout every damn thing
But the jailhouse key

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Assuage, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Beet, for Normal Happenings Daily Inkling prompt – I Can’t Dance. No Really, I Can’t. Please Stop Asking, for the Daily Spur prompt – Significance, for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie First Line Friday hosted by Dylan, for FOWC with Fandango – Conspiracy, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – La La Land, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan January prompt – Chaos, for January Writing Prompts – The pickle thief, for Ragtag Community – Retire, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Wet Tar Jet and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Community.

You Can’t See Me

Twenty four year old Kate was playing with her three year old nice Kelly and she crossed her right arm over her eyes and said, “Na, na, na, na you can’t see me.”  Little Kelly replied, “Aunt Kate, just because you have covered up your eyes, saying that I can’t see you is not a valid point, because I can still see you.  It is not all that complicated, as you would have to cover my eyes for me not to be able to see you.  I don’t see your eyes, but just because you are out of sight, that doesn’t mean that you are out of mind, as I will always think of you and about that night when you were sleepless in the town of Harmony and you told me that you were having a baby and I would have a new cousin.”

Kate said, “Wow that was an impressive answer and I admire your accuracy and I am so proud that you will never be taken advantage of by any riff raff, or disreputable or undesirable people, because you have a functioning brain.  You will know when your glass is half empty and when it is half full, which wheel needs the grease and you will be able to determine which way the wind is blowing and know when there is trouble at the gate.  How about we watch a movie while I comb that scraggly hair of yours, but first we will need to go to Stage Clear and you have to pick up your toys.  While you are doing that, I will get us each some ice for our drinks.  I think I found a movie that we may both enjoy called Robin Hood Turns Over a New Leaf in Sherwood Forest, what do you think, will that work for you?”

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Accuracy, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Gate, for Normal Happenings Daily Inkling prompt – Stage Clear, for the Daily Spur prompt – Wind, for Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – Complicated, for FOWC with Fandango – Valid, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – Grease, for Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda of Midwest Fantasy Tuesday Writing Prompt – “twenty four” and “ice”, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan January prompt – Scraggly, for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie NEKNEERAJ’s Photo Challenge #299, for January Writing Prompts – Sleepless in the town of harmony, for Ragtag Community – Movie, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Glass Leaf Robin and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Riff.

Egregious Error

She was still holding a torch for him, even after they said their bittersweet goodbyes and promised to move on.  They would communicate on the internet and text each other, while they were going to different colleges on opposite coasts.  They dated all through High School and she liked his sense of humor, and she got a big laugh when he took her out one night and got a flat tire and he did not have a jack.  Being a boy scout, as a rule he was always prepared and when the jack was missing from his trunk, he thought someone was trying to conspire against him.  They would regulate their chatting time with each other, till one of them found another, which seemed like a perfectly civil way to end their relationship.  She thought that this was almost too civil, like taking tea and holding her pinky out and then taking a nap.  She felt it might be easier if they got down on a wrestling mat and went at it like crazed lovers should.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Regulate, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Rule, for the Daily Spur prompt – Internet, for FOWC with Fandango – Egregious, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan January prompt – Humor, for Randomness Inked Scribbling the Unspoken Let it Bleed Weekly Prompt – Conspire, for January Writing Prompts – Bittersweet goodbyes, for Ragtag Community – Torch, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Tea Nap Mat and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Jack.

Weak in the Knees

I rarely have sex like that anymore and her unusual method caused a really intense sensation which made my butt cheeks clinch together.  It is like riding a bicycle, as even if you fall off a few times, when you get back on it still feels amazing.  She called it the Butterfly and she would lay on the bed while I was standing up.  She would shimmy to the edge of the bed and rest her legs on my chest, hooking them on my shoulders for leverage.  She had me place my hands on her hips to help lift her up.  I thought that the Kamasutra was extinct, but she told me that this was position #76 and it allowed her to feel super submissive and dominated.  Hope was a funny girl and she was very understanding and the moments we spent with each other are portraits of time for me.

Written for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Hope, for the Daily Spur prompt – Understanding, for FOWC with Fandango – Rarely, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – Funny girl, for January Writing Prompts – Portraits of time, for Ragtag Community – Extinct, for GC and Sue W Weekly Prompt – Unusual and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Clinch.

Astigmatism

The scroll of the screen continued even after she closed her eyes.  The long and short arrows pointed left and right, up and down as the ophthalmologist measured the curvature of the front of her cornea by using a non-invasive medical imaging technique to map the surface curvature of the outer structure of her eye.  The test determined that her vision is blurred because her cornea (the clear front cover of her eye) is irregularly shaped, but she also had cataracts.  Jade was a popular blogger who wrote poetry and she also enjoyed the sound of music, participating in Song Lyric Sunday and the MM Music challenge every other Friday.  There was a vast wonderland out there and jade was missing some of it because of her vision, so she decided to schedule the surgery.

With the surgery and the new lenses implanted, she would be able to spot familiar faces again, drive her car with more confidence even if there was rain.  Jade had been making a lot of typos on her posts and after the operation, she hoped to cut down on these five finger fiascoes.  Jade wanted to dive into this new story about Mother Nature wanting to strike back against the fossil fuel companies who were ruining the Earth.  Jade knew that Global Warming was not false and she was embracing the impeachment process against Trump and she would shout, “Hurray”, when he was gone for good.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Vast, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Dive, for the Daily Spur prompt – Rain, for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie First Line Friday hosted by Dylan prompt – The scroll of the screen continued even after she closed her eyes, for FOWC with Fandango – False, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – The sound of music, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan January prompt – Jade, for January Writing Prompts – Five finger fiascoes, for Ragtag Community – Wonderland, for Reena’s Exploration Challenge #118 prompt, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Story Popular Strike and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Hurray.

Psychic Abilities

She was able to perceive information that was normally hidden from many other average people’s senses.  While she was standing in the mirror, she developed her clairvoyance in a dreamy but extremely aware state, till she started to see images forming that sent messages and opened up her third eye.  She would chant softly, “Mirror, mirror, reveal to me. Mirror, mirror, let me see. I will follow your lead, so shall it be.”  This was a special mirror, not the same one that she used for brushing her teeth.  She practiced catoptromancy using her mirror to foresee future events and gain insight.  She placed the mirror under her pillow at night to instigate dreams of those she considered might turn out to be her future lovers, and she also used this method to find out when a person would recover from sickness.

She would often catch a glimpse of a spirit, standing behind her while she was looking into her mirror, one that had become trapped inside of the mirror and was unable to return to its body.  Spirits are energy, and they are not able to see themselves in mirrors.  She was the real deal, not just a person with a funny face that used smoke and mirrors to trick people, but many people thought that she was daffy.  She was a big fan of hors d’oeuvres and at parties, she would often say, “Bring me the cheese please.”  If someone would drop the serving tray, she would always call the three-second rule and declare it not to be a complete loss, as food was something to be valued.  She was known to go off on a tangent, because she was once left standing at the alter by a groom who engaged in a caprice action, but at least she enjoyed the ride.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Caprice, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Ride, for the Daily Spur prompt – Average, for FOWC with Fandango – Tangent, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – Funny face, for Devereaux Frazier and Beth Amanda of Midwest Fantasy Tuesday Writing Prompt – standing in the mirror, she, for January Writing Prompts – Bring me the cheese please, for Ragtag Community – Daffy, for Teresa Grabs Daily Writing Prompt #15 where she asks us to write about Psychic Abilities, for Ragtag Community – Daffy, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Fan Loss Food and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Complete.

Weird Dream

If all roads lead to Rome, then how did the Romans ever get anywhere?  This must have pissed them off if they started out heading for Athens and they ended up back in Rome and the imponderabilia of this situation which was always a vicious circle would boggle anyone.  I will just let that thought bake in your brain for a while I relate my dream from last night to you about this large brain that I met in the woods.  The brain had no voice, but we were able to communicate through telepathy.  The brain scarred me with twisted tales and torture devices and I was ready to say bye, bye birdie to the brain, when I heard the wind chime ring out and I realized that we were not alone.  I heard laughter and I did a search for the sound which began to scintillate my ears.

The brain started to mirror everything that I was doing and all I could think about was finding an axe and splitting it into two hemispheres.  I don’t normally subscribe to violence, but I knew that I was dreaming and I began to think of the brain as being nothing more than an unnecessary big empty text box that should be deleted, because it was just taking up space in my dream.  It became vital that I beat this brain at his own game.  The game was on like Donkey Kong and we were going to tangle, as I was going to test his metal and then rub his nose in it.  I had to maintain my poise and refrain from being shy, so I could destroy the brain and not leave any traces behind.  This was not the time to be negligent, but all I had was a beach towel and some paper and as daylight was running out, I needed a plan.  No matter how many winters had to pass, I needed to save the human race from this giant brain bug and I remembered that in Starship Troopers, that the brain was more afraid of us than we were of it.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Vital, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Bake, for the Daily Spur prompt – Test, for Normal Happenings Daily Inkling prompt – Big Empty Text Box, for Eugi’s Weekly Prompt – Laughter, for Fandango’s Flash Fiction Challenge #49 where the image is a large silver brain in a wooded area surrounded by trees, for FOWC with Fandango – Paper, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – Bye Bye Birdie, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan January prompt – Subscribe, for Randomness Inked Scribbling the Unspoken Let it Bleed Weekly Prompt Challenge 34 prompt – Winters, for January Writing Prompts – Twisted tales and torture devices, for Ragtag Community – Daylight, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Beat Towel Shy, for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Boggle and for Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Wordle 163, hosted by Yves where the prompts are – Rub Tangle Scintillate Search Wind chime Alone Traces Poise Negligent Imponderabilia Mirror Everything.

Rodgers and Hammerstein

The King and I were playing cricket and he told me that I looked pretty good in my pants, or trousers as he called them.  My trousers were loose, so as to not affect my running speed, but I think what he liked were the transparent hearts that I had stitched on to them.  He asked me if I would model my pants for the Queen, as he felt that she had to see them.  We were playing backyard cricket, which is also known as street cricket, and this is a faster, more frenetic variant of formal cricket, because the King said that he loved taking it to the streets, as he felt this scheme would encourage the very young to play.  The King was a fanatic and he had hope that everyone in his kingdom would want to play.

The crease area was demarcated by white lines made with chalk to help corroborate legal play areas in different ways for the fielding and batting side.  These lines defined the area within which the batsmen and bowlers operate.  Since Cricket is a rather slow game, I asked the King if he would permit me to light up a doobie and he said that was fine as long as he did not get a hallucination from it.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Corroborate, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Pants, for the Daily Spur prompt – Model, for FOWC with Fandango – Permit, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – The King and I, for January Writing Prompts – Transparent hearts, for Ragtag Community – Hope, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Cricket Hallucination Chalk, for GC and Sue W Weekly Prompt – The street and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Scheme.

Shut Those Dogs Up

Jerry got his BB gun out and fired a shot that hit one of the dogs.  It yelped and then he shot the other dog and they finally settled down.  His wife Karen said, “I hope that you didn’t hurt them, but I am glad that you got them to quiet down.  I have to be at the hospital in another three hours and I am hoping to get another two more hours of sleep.”  Karen knew that Jerry did not hurt the dogs as he was an expert marksman, capable of shooting a flee off of the dogs, as he was raised in West Virginia and as a boy he spent his entire day hunting squirrels.  Jerry said that the only way he was going to be able to get back to sleep after all of that barking was if they made love.

Karen knew that Jerry was also getting up at the same time as her, so he could get to his job driving the bus and she figured a quickie might help both of them.  Jerry said, “I don’t have a rubber” and Karen responded by saying, “Just stick in in and get it over, so I can get back to sleep”, and then she wondered ‘Was that really me?’, as things were getting more and more frazzled and all the romance that they once shared, had all but disappeared.  They still shared superficial pleasantries, but most of their free time together was spent watching television.  Jerry finished and they both drifted off back to sleep, but Karen kept wondering about the nerve that her next-door neighbor had, to tie his dogs up outside and allow them to wake up the whole neighborhood every night.

Karen woke up before the alarm went off, because she realized that she still needed to iron a shirt for Jerry.  Karen made breakfast for her and Jerry, just cereal and coffee and she kissed Jerry goodbye and then she shut the front door and went to work.  There was unrest at the hospital, as a new administrator had just taken over the department that Karen worked in and he was starting a campaign to decrease spending.  The other ladies that worked with Karen felt that the hospital should be spending more money and improving customer satisfaction and this created a rivalry in her group.  The new administrator was kind of a quirk, as he went around singing show tunes all day and it was apparent that he must have just watched Guys and Dolls last night.

Written for Sheryl’s Daily Word Prompt – Quirk, for Roger Shipp’s Daily Addictions prompt – Shirt, for the Daily Spur prompt – Rivalry, for FOWC with Fandango – Rubber, for Christine’s Daily Writing Prompt – Guys and dolls, for Linda G. Hill’s ‘Life in progress’ JusJoJan prompt – Dogs, for January Writing Prompts – Superficial pleasantries, for Ragtag Community – Shut, for Reena’s Exploration Challenge prompt #117 – Was that really me?, for Di’s Three Things Challenge prompt words – Television Nerve Unrest and for Word of the Day Challenge Prompt – Campaign.