Time Marches Ever On

Time is something that we always say we do not have enough of. Why? Because we are too busy to make time for ourselves. We are too busy trying to conform to what society wants us to do. We are too busy trying to convince people to like us. We are too busy trying to make ourselves memorable.

STOP

You are you. As Dr Seuss said: Today you are you. That is truer than true. There is no one alive that is youer than you.

Penny posted yesterday that “Believing in yourself. One of the most important elements for attracting opportunities that can lead to your success!” PennyQuote 2014

Follow Friday: The Why About This

The Why About This was one of the blogs that opened the door to many more for me. The owner, Penny, creates poetry and inspiration like you would not believe. I have found that when she posts something that is on her mind, it is very easy to bring it to the fore of your own mind. She has a marvellous way of writing that is so easy to read, it’s as if you aren’t actually reading it, you are just storing it. She uses images to accentuate what she writes and these are usually perfectly matched.

The poetry on The Why About This is also in a class of its own. Each time a poem is written, it is about something different, and may not even be in the same style as the previous 1, 3, 5 or 10 poems written.

Also a very good artist, Penny will often share with us works of art that she has produced. Some of which are also used as online images, like the Troubadour that you will see on various blogs around the internet.

There is a book that she has written – The Shy Butterfly – that is an inspirational book for children and adults alike. It is well written by Penny and illustrated by Debbie Edwards, and it tells of a butterfly overcoming its fears with the help of a Monarch Butterfly. It is a very good book, and well worth a read.

There is also a second blog that she has – A Penny For Your Thoughts – that is solely short inspirational messages.

So, if you want a new blog to follow, head over to The Why About This and see what Penny writes.

“Ever Wonder Why We Do What We Do? Me Too“

“Inspiration To Live By“

WordPress …………………………………… Here (The Why About This)

WordPress …………………………………… Here (A Penny For Your Thoughts)

Twitter …………………………………………. Here

Facebook ……………………………………….Here

Google Plus ……………………………………Here

About.me …………………………………….. Here

LinkedIn… ……………………………………. Here

The Shy Butterfly …………………………. Amazon UK

The Shy Butterfly …………………………. Amazon US

 

Līgo Haībun Challenge – Nature’s Admiral

Every week, Padmini, Penny and Pirate host the Līgo Haībun Challenge. If you wish to know what this entails, I urge you to visit one of their blogs to have a look and join in if you can. This week’s challenge is a choice of two quotes.

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough
–Rabindranath Tagore

or

The world is mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful
– E.E. Cummings

I chose Tagore’s quote for mine.

Nature’s Admiral

The cocoon moved slightly, showing that something was attempting to break free, the metamorphosis complete. A crack appeared on the side, a small fragment fell away, giving air to the creature inside. A small leg emerged and then shrunk back inside as if the outside were some poisonous vapour. Another fragment fell away, this one larger than the last and causing more of a crack to wind its way up the side of the chrysalis. Now the complete bottom of the cocoon fell away and a head poked out, followed by a pair of legs and an antenna springing forwards. The creature crawled its way out, dragging a pair of heavy wings behind it. Holding on with as much energy as it could muster at this time, it rested with the dead weight of the wings pulling it down.

The creature knew it did not have long, time marched ever forward with darkness not far away, and ending the first day. After what seemed like forever to the creature, it struggled to move the wings. Pulsing blood through the veins, moving them faster after each moment, the creature’s excitement grew at the prospect of seeing new places from a different vantage point. The wings moved faster and faster, then the creature let go … falling … it turned around as it fell and then flapped its wings and flew.

The beautiful butterfly looked around at the surroundings. The vibrant colours; the scent of leaves; the sound of other butterflies floating, coming near him, looking at his markings with awe as he floated on the air, commanding the very space he occupied. Every moment the butterfly existed, it knew it gave the world something to lift the spirits of living beings.

the red admiral
immortalised by camera
shows nature’s beauty

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• Butterflies – Day 20 (letshomeed.wordpress.com)
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Līgo Haībun Challenge – Copper and Steel

Every week, Call2Read, The Why About This, Ye Pirate (Padmini, Penny, Pirate) host the Līgo Haībun Challenge with a photo, a word, a phrase as a prompt. You write a story, a prose, or something and end it with a haiku style poem that sums up the entire story that has been written.

This week, the choices were two words: Apathy and Paradise. I have chosen the word paradise, and written a fantastical science fiction story. If you want to have a go, visit any of the pages above and see the ideas, or click on the links link just below.

Copper and Steel

I know everything will change. It has to. For all this time, I have remained hidden from view, keeping a low profile and avoiding everybody. I lean back onto the balls of my feet and run my fingers down the scarred side of my face, feeling the lumps from where the surgery rebuilt my cheeks and jaw, my eye slightly lower on the left through the reconstruction.

I look to see how much more I need to complete. I only need to change a few more boards, write a few more words, and add a few more pins. I look at the sheet of paper again with the instructions to Paradise. I lay my head down to see that everything fits in the correct positions.

I smile as my heart races again and hope the sheet of paper does not lie. This sheet is the only one I have seen of its kind. I pull the copper wire in a figure eight around the top pins and clip it to a switch on the edge of the board. I check on the lower half, and use steel wire wool to form three circles, one inside the other. Standing up, I look at the board. It is near completion now, only two more wires to connect and then it will be ready.

I unplug everything from the walls and write a note to say goodbye. I need my friends to know not to come looking for me. They will never find me. I rip the instructions off the sheet, and tear it into tiny fragments, then place them in different bins, and eat two of the pieces with writing on. I stand on the board, attach the last wire and flick the switch. I feel a shock run up through my legs, terror overtakes me, and then there is a massive bright flash.

As my my eyes clear, I look around. Men and women are everywhere. Every woman, so beautiful; every man, so handsome; every single one of the woman almost identical; every single man sports the same hair style, the same eye colour, the same height, the same hair colour. I cannot believe this actually happened. I drop the sheet on the floor that says “Ugly man wanted … no joke … follow these instructions”

every person
has a different idea
of Utopia

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