Month April 2014

L’chaim! – Friday Fictioneers

freyathewriter 21 Comments

Here is another late(ish) entry into the weekly challenge brought to us by the lovely Rochelle Wisoff-Fields.

Here are the rules: Use the photo as inspiration, write a hundred(ish) words – and share! Here goes my offering for this week – and I welcome your comments again!

studio-lights-from-kent

Copyright – Kent Bonham

– L’chaim! –

“I don’t darn well believe it!”

“What, Mr Cohen? What have I missed? What have I done? Please don’t fire me Mr Cohen, sir, I’ve got a wife and – “

“…kids at home. Yes, I know. I’ve heard it a thousand times.”

The floor manager gulped nervously. His new studio boss glared ominously at the lights suspended high above their heads.

“My darned fool of a brother has been up there again – look at that graffiti! What does it say, Sonny?  My eyes ain’t so good.”

“Eighteen, sir. That’s all.”

A smile spread across Mr Cohen’s face. “For luck, and to life! The studio will be a great success!”

—-

For those of you that don’t know, the Hebrew word for life is ‘chai’, which has a numerical value of 18. L’chaim means ‘to life!’ and is used when toasting someone’s health. L’chaim is also used as a name for a celebration.

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Click on the blue froggy below to read others’ offerings!

Gestation

freyathewriter 41 Comments

She picks the colour
of the paint
with care and deliberation,
the background must
act as the perfect foil.
The walls are not quite smooth,
the minor imperfections
are not unwanted, but reflect,
in their matt-coated manner,
that life is generally forked
with deviations from
the straight and narrow.

She strokes them all,
the tailors’ dummies,
in her mind’s eye
placing them here, then there,
in this corner, in that bay window,
eventually selecting a figure
encased in plain ticking
that reminds her of oatmeal.
She can feel the texture,
rough under her fingertips,
the mild abrasiveness
transmits a shiver
deep into her bones.

For now, this is all she needs.
A space, something to lend
a sense of scale and proportion.
Soft daylight, filtered by trees.
High ceilings.
Muted, muffled, cocooned.
Here, she will grow.
Here, she will shape her future.
Here, she will unfurl.

 

Gestation

*****

For today’s dVerse Meeting the Bar, Claudia asks for us to use metaphor to convey feelings, rather than just being direct and obvious. No sounds in here, no smells, but plenty of visuals for what’s going on with me. This is very much autobiographical. Starting afresh – here we say ‘a clean slate’. Much as I love slate, it’s not a comfortable place to lay your weary body.

I hope you enjoy my offering. I’ll link up once the pub doors have been thrust open at 3PM EST, and see if I can sneak in a sound-recording as well. Please do go and read the other poems offered up for your delight. No two will be the same, I guarantee it – all will bring you something to enjoy, which I also guarantee!

Saluki

freyathewriter 41 Comments

My faithful friend
has soulful eyes and wisdom
beyond her years.
Aeons of understanding
are ensconced inside
that domed and silken skull.
Knowledge pulsates with every heartbeat,
each inward breath absorbs my fears
and calms my concerns.
Oh noble beast, traveller through time
companion of pre-history
right-hand protector to monarchs
and serfs alike.
Continue with me now,
humour my desire for a silent witness
to my trifling joys and tribulations.
I know you are so much more than this – a pet –
be here for me and I will re-pay you a thousandfold.

 

Saluki

*****

MarinaSofia is another new host here at the dVerse Poets Pub. She debuts tonight and as she polishes the glasses, inspects the optics and makes sure the pumps are working at their best capacity (we’re a thirsty lot!), she asks us to ponder on animals. We have free reign to approach our chosen beast in any way we wish – how generous of her!

I have chosen a dog – not because I have one (although, as you may remember, I am sharing a residence with Fuji-sensei), but because I would really, really like to own my own dog someday. Whilst writing this piece, I pictured the noble Saluki, which is one of the oldest known breeds of domesticated dog. Perhaps that will be my breed of choice, one day when I am lucky enough to be able own one?

Anyway, I hope you enjoy my poem – please do visit dVerse and marvel at the talents of my fellow poets!