Risshuu and Beautiful Japanese Moon

                                                                                      Attribution: Petritap
Image:  Beautiful Autumn Colors
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Risshuu, shedding of

leaves but full of colors with

Japan’s moon yonder

Liken to life’s fling

to maturity before

old age feel beckons

Melancholic stroll to

cold spell but signals start of

new activities

Back to School, sports and

Halloween, a plate full of

promotions galore

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #286 - Risshuu (coming of autumn)

Having Fun with Slogans

                                                                                           Attribution: Kici
Image: A Big Mac
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Dell says Get More out of Now

Ford was Built for the Road Ahead

Take Me To The Hilton take a bow

With Intel Inside

Connecting People is Nokia’s concern
Oh Thank Heaven for 7-Eleven

The Company for Women, that’s Avon

For women too
The Ultimate Driving Machine BMW

Relax, It's FedEx

At JC Penny
It's all Inside
I'm Lovin' It, that's McD
Nike says Just Do It

Brian is hosting with slogans at d’Verse Poetics: Rattling the Stick inside the Swill Bucket

Elusive Inner Peace

                                                                                 Attribution: Ian Petersen
Image: Peaceful Scene before the Snow Shower
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Spreading an inner

feel, unwittingly prodding

an undisturbed mind

Searching for truth as
peace within rare as shooting
stars on starless nights

Unsettled bubbling

breaking tranquility with

staccato outbursts

Unwind slowly to

voices of reason lurking

deep - for salvation

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #285 - peace within

'swing of the gate'

Just the cellar pit

only the catbird recalls

the swing of the gate

All others will not bother

Such trivial matters can wait

Just the cellar pit

only the catbird recalls

the swing of the gate

Savior to those caught napping

from foolishly tempting fate

Note:  It comprised a Mabson Southard’s haiku of 5-7-5
syllables (in italics) and we are to complete it with 2 lines
of  7-7 syllables for a Tan Renga

Written for Chev’s CARPE DIEM’s Tan Renga Challenge #12,

of Southard’s ‘the swing of the gate’ haiku

Luscious Lips

                                                                Attribution: Gabriel Delgado
Image: Beautiful Lips
Source Wikimedia Commons (here)

Luscious lusty lips

Bewitching twitching puckered

wet and flaming red 

Glossy lips shining

moisturizing of subtle

Max Factor colors

Louisville Lips giving

tips when they should fall very

accurate in all

Written for Mrsupol's Theme Thursday with prompt - lips

Being a Master Chef

                                                                               Attribution: Saloca

Image: A Chef Preparing Salads

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Tim’s words at Real Toads:

bang believe bite broken calypso climb crickets

cryptic carriage drumbeat edgy fancy master leverage

moon precipice  pepper  rapidly thrust  soufflé

Thomg’s 3 Word Wednesday:

anticipate serene fearless

She felt a little edgy to believe the worst

Fancy a cryptic message bang on the table

It was delivered a while ago. Little did she

anticipate a serene morning to bring bad

tidings. It broke her little heart

Drumbeat of rapidly broken tunes bite into

her memory. A calypso of shrill crickets sound

permeates the air thrust upon the precipice

of life’s concerns

 She had yearnings of becoming a master chef to

climb and bid for the moon.  It is a calling peppered

with designs of soufflé entrees, salads and desserts to

leverage on Mom’s specialties. This is the carriage

of conscience upon her shoulders borne of a family

tradition

Sadly it is not to be. If only she had been able to

surmount the first hurdle it would have been

plain sailing

She is determined to try again! Her fearless nature

takes over the bidding

Written for Tim’s potpourri of words in Real Toads - Get Listed - of Cat Nips and Moon

and Thomg’s 3WW

Lower House of Parliament

                                                                     Attribution: Mohd Hafiz Noor Shams
Image: The House of Parliament
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

In the august house
Things stirred up only too well

Just as expected

Wave of new MPs

Making first appearance and

Trying to impress

Lacked maturity

Ideals of Westminster thrown

off unashamedly

Euphoria should not

go overboard lest it was

seen as a circus

A phenomena (in the recent 2 General Elections to Parliament) was the
entry of opposition politicians who had the sudden good fortune of being
elected in. Parliamentary decorum was fully tested with walkouts and other
conducts frowned upon by Westminster..

Written for Brian's hosting at d'Verse OpenLinkNight week #111

Road Safety Measures

                                                                                       Photo by Steven Kelly
Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

Safety measure awareness
A designated assurance 

Knocks at the reckless  

Road casualties are alarming

Necessary that caution

Be positively identified

Only at specified sections

One is to pass as advised

A public service to users

Wisdom comes too late

Ignored with dire consequences

Regret is the resultant take

Man and machine on icy roads

On a lethal combination mode

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #183 and Open Link Monday at Real Toads

The Inspired Duo

                                                                         Attribution: ABC Telivision

Image: Batman and Robin
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Mysterious when

relaxed hanging upside down

Threat to fruiting trees

Gotham City duo

Batman, Robin fairness and

upholding justice

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights #273 with prompt  - bats

The Sunday Whirl

Image: Courtesy of Sunday Whirl

Sunday Whirl with the following words:

bitter cries enough fierce filters gusting 

keep out pieces springs south train

bitter cries filter through,

putting enough feelings of success

into his train of thoughts

the gusting winds carried the sounds

of fierce barking further south

clearly the deer and the doe are

surrounded within the clump of

bushes in the center

the hunters try to keep pieces of

information that springs out of the

crackling wireless set to a low volume

it will be just a matter of time!

Written for Brenda's Sunday Whirl Wordle #123

It's All About Advertising

                                                                             A Fishy Story - Judith Clay

Image: Courtesy through Claudia at d"Verse

Time in its life that twirls

When a fish of a kind

In need of space to move

Determines its directions

To fulfill a need to secure

Some form of freedom

Does it help to test a form

To let it be known to the world

For want of a better way

Than to seek the kind help

Of newspaper's sway

With their kind of spin and spat

So to speak a walking advert 

But considering the situation

a phenomena a swimming insert

Is bandied about incessantly
For posterity

A ‘sandwich carrier’ likely it seems

That walks the pavements, a lone being
Through a dense underwater scene

That’s how it is to be so keen
Now weaving between stumps

To adequately be seen not in the dumps
An underwater advertising!
Nothing serious just some whimsical spinning!
A fishy story
For all to hear and see!

Written for Claudia's hosting at d'Verse with  Poetics: Judith Clay -  to feature
a poem based on the drawings of the artist Judith Clay

Conversations Anywhere At All

                                                                                 Attribution: Benson Kua
Image: Engrossed in Conversations
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Interaction with

like minded souls on common

grounds to speak with ease

Necessarily

The level of thinking and

wave length is the same

Not plain sailing to

strike a conversation, does

it matter, really?

Written for Chev's CARPE  DIEM #280 -  conversations

Seeing Double Up There

                                                                                 Attribution: David Armer
Image: Thunderbirds in a Reversed Stacking Order
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

High up above there in the heavens
A classic show of outright confidence
Alone as if holding hands together
Skilled notions in a reversed order

In a world of uncanny precision
Lost in marked concentration
Wrought in risks and danger
Oblivious but pursuit of adventure
Puts the yardstick to measure
For Man and machine together

(55 Words)

Brian hosting on his birthday today at d'Verse with Meeting the Bar: Getting Tight
to write a story in 55 words in line with G-man's Friday Flash 55

Warrior of the Jungle

                                                                                 Attribution: Lea Maimone

Image: A Formidable Warrior

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

3 Word Wednesday with words:

sullen distinct irrational

It is meant to be

One, regal  in outlook

Determined to stamp

its authority on others

Sullen but with semblance

of leadership  distinct

from irrational behavior

The outlook of one focused

On enhancing its progeny

In the face of tussles from

The younger generation

Survival of those favored

With strength of staying

power to maintain its hold

on the harem and the pride

Unless and until toppled

By a pretender to all the

trappings and the perks

befitting of one respected

as that of a
warrior of the jungle!

Written for ThomG's 3WW

I Cried Out For Clyde

                                                                            Attribution: Alfa100us

Image: A Typical Clyde Pose When it Slept, Very Unlike other Cats

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Upon  my daughter Azlin’s Commencement

she stayed on for a few months in the States

Clyde, a Scottish Fold came into her life.

It shared the apartment with her other house-mates

Azlin got attached to it and didn’t have the heart

but to take it back home.

At the airport Clyde in its cage was watery in its eyes

'meowing' pleading to be released. Azlin was shedding
tears unashamedly on the couch next to it sadly
thinking Clyde would be alone in the cargo hold.

It went through quarantine for  a few days upon

arrival. Again tears freely flowed before Clyde was

brought home to meet with the rest of our family.

It was such a joy!  Being a house-cat

it set in motion the routine for the household for

the few years following. 

It would lay down at its own corner upon 

layered ‘beddings’ or otherwise loitering

around the house, chasing and messing with the pieces

of strings or little rounded objects that we bought.

The fabric lounge set was subject to frequent

scratching before it got ‘shooed’ away every

now and then

Daily chores of scooping the ‘balls’ of pee and poo

from the ‘sand’ and replenishing same, a refreshing

bath occasionally when ticks invaded the silky fur

rare visits to the vet and even being left at the

Pets Hotel when the family went out of town

for a few days. Not forgetting buying the cat food 

pellets and sand from the Pet Shop every so often.

This went on for a few years of Pet bliss until one day

it suddenly went heavy on both hind legs and

was dragging itself about.

The vet confirmed besides old age there were

some complications of its colon and lower parts

of its tummy. It so happened it was due for surgery

when most of the family members were

away in Alor Star about 500km up north.

My daughter was at the vet but was called

back to the office we were later told.

The surgery took place anyway and Clyde was
alone with strange people around him.Clyde
did not make it.. When the sad news was conveyed,
I cried out as the rest of the family.

We had Clyde buried in a shallow grave at the back-yard

But the sadness and tears lingered on for a few days.

More so when it seemed that prior to surgery when Clyde

did not get to see us it broke its little heart. The vet staff

said this could have hastened its demise. It seemed possible.

Animals have strange ways of knowing if the family members

were close by or not. It could have survived  if we had been

there to give the moral support.

We felt terribly sorry we were not there when 

Clyde needed us most!

Written for Kim's hosting at Poets United  to include as prompt - I cried out -
Verse First and to write in the first person

Erotic Fan Dance

                                                                             Attribution: User AngMoKio

Image: A Sequence in a Fan Dance

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Sophistication for a lady

Served a purpose of elegance

A fan a functional accessory

Useful in some situations

A fan dance commonly seen

In many cultures in the East

Of traditional dance sequence

As an accessory of modesty

To hide the lower part of the face

In a coy manner of pretense

Found credence in Spanish flamenco

Even in some instances

Nothing compared to traditional dances
commercialized and tainted with adaptations
where erotic movements were thrown in

And despite dancers were covered

but of seemingly nude illusions

By whatever little could be hidden

Behind a couple of ostrich feather fans

Such were the wonders of Sally Rand

Arrested even in the act of performance

Deemed to be lewd and outrageous

First performed in the years of the Depression

Found acceptance through the ages

Appeared on stage even into the 70's
And paradoxically an advocate of niceties 

Written for d'Verse OpenLinkNight week #110

Journey to India

Image: Hank (extreme left) with friends at the Mahatma Gandhi 

Memorial in New Delhi

Journey to India

Steeped in richness of culture

Varied variety

Sanskrit scriptures, Taj

Mahal Qutab Mina, land

of sita music

Preponderance of

Technology and software

development skills

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #276 - Journey to India and shared with
Open Link Night at Real Toads

A Water Baby

                                                                           Picture by Elena Kalis

Image: Courtesy of Tess' Mag

A water baby

Prowess in water was of

utmost importance

Thrown to the deep end

Was no bother after all

for a keen swimmer

Penchant for water

Frolicking at the pool-side

Was her kind of fun

Written for Tess' Magpie Tales #182

A Traffic Crawl (MF)

Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Annual jeopardy for H.Kong

folks. Traffic crawl out of the

city to be home in time for

Chinese New Year was as far

as the eyes could see!

(140 characters)

Grandma aka Linda at Succinctly Yours week #126 challenged us to write a Micro Fiction 

with the image above not exceeding 140 characters and to include the word  - jeopardy

The Sunday Whirl

Image: Courtesy of The Sunday Whirl

Sunday Whirl Wordle #122 with words:

degrees dreamed floor heart if nestled period persuaded space 

stay tribute vision years

The floor gave way and his heart sank

As if it was not bad enough already

It was that period of a lull in sales.

The fault in part was not so much in

the degrees of intensity of marketing

efforts of his division but more so in the

marketing mix envisaged for the outfit.

There was no attempt to really consider

a revision or even an adoption of a new

version that could well have a positive impact

The strategies persuaded for the ensuing

years ahead stayed in a space nestled in 

the mind of the CEO whose resistance to 

change had been the bane of the management

team.

It was ostensibly a tribute to the founder’s

vision who died recently. His ideas were

considered archaic which could no longer

hold water in the face of rational decision

making and progress in a changing market

But nobody dreamed or dared  to suggest a

change. His eldest son who was now an advisor

but regarded an imbecile in the business was

calling the shots!

Written for Brenda's The Sunday Whirl #122 shared with
Mary's hosting at Poets United's Poetry Pantry #163

Silent but Vibrant

                                                                         Author: Photos Public Domain

Image: Heart Shaped Crystal Pendant
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Life’s rhythm in light

regular beats, assurance

of precious presence

Silent heart exudes

inner feelings of love grasped

tightly undaunted

Palpitating throbs

soothed pagan yearnings to prop

vibrant calls of faith

Written for Chev’s CARPE DIEM #274 with prompt the silent heart

Write and Communicate!

                                                                              Artist: Gabriel Metsu
Image: Writing a Letter
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Got to hand it to them

Communicating but some

Not really in the dark

Not on a lark

But rather on an equation

One is presumed, a reason

To know and seek after

Avoiding all the gutter

Sieved through before

getting through the door

One of a friendly being

But an opening

seems overly missing

Where is the opening?

How is the opening?

Ring the bell

Sock it and tell

Compose it well

It is swell!

But where is the salutation
Start with  'Dear...no it's not old-fashioned ..

The letter, smell the letter

Write it and avoid the banter

Write the letter

Yes, write the letter!

Start it with 'Dear....'

Mary hosting at d'Verse on Writing a Letter, Poetics:   sent with a stamp

A Star Blue Sapphire

                                                                           Attribution: Mitchell Gore
Image: A Star Blue Sapphire
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Precious stones beauty
enhanced in vividness, shades
and various colors

Accentuated
Star of India is largest
known blue sapphire

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM #273 with prompt - sapphire

On Triangular Poems - A fibonacci

                                                                                 Attribution:GrahamColm

Image: A Fibonacci Sequence of Orchid Petals arrangement

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

1) Growing Old Gracefully!

Age

is just

a number. Growing

old gracefully is less

stressful. Have you heard the
quip, that a woman is as

old**  as she looks, man is

is old only when he

stops looking? Beg your
pardon, was just
saying so!

Whew!

**Note: Ladies please substitute ‘cute’ for 'old'

The Pub door is not open yet. Taking the cue from Brian
it’s counting words, adding one to each line and stepping
down with a mirror image in reverse

2) Losing Out on Friends

Where

one

seeks to

endure pain
of separation

Much too much too soon. Can one be

faulted knowing one’s welfare is
taken care of when

on the move

and with

no

friends?

Taking the cue from Mary one with a Fibonacci syllable count of 1 1 2 3 5 8

and a mirror image in reverse

Tony is hosting at d’Verse, Forms For All with Mathematical series, triangular poems. 

What Could have Been.....!

                                                                                           Attribution: Luisisbeast

Image: A Loving Couple.

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Three Word Wednesday with words,

Distraught, Habitual, Regulate

Reflecting on what could have been

A feeling of a let-down tugged at his conscience

They were teenage sweethearts growing up together

She was like a sister emotionally attached to him

He was likewise a brother protective of her well-being

They were close to tying the knot even

Each whispering sweet nothings to cherish together

Why was it allowed to go along the path it did

He left for a little while and she did not wait

There was no word and things were left to chance

He was distraught upon seeing her now

It was a far cry from what he had wanted her to have

When in their moments of togetherness

Of emotional attraction a teenage couple

They had eloquently professed to sacrifice for each other

Nothing physical just plain and innocent

Of wanting to emulate those successful

Those who managed somehow to regulate their lives

Seeing material richness and riches and emotional salvation

Successfully binding on just love alone

It just wasn’t fair, not fair at all

If only she had not been habitual

A handicap she imposed upon herself

It could have been blissful

It wrought a naked path of dire straits

Which he could not fathom

It was with a tinge of regret

That what they had lovingly talked about

Just fizzled out into nothingness

It was a pity, a real pity

It brought tears to his eyes!

Written for 3WW

An Evening of Rain

                                                                                                Attribution:  jinxin
Image: Weeping Willows after The Rain
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

passing under the leafy willows

of a street of temples

an evening of rain

drab and dragging a day of

silence with no signs of life

passing under the leafy willows

of a street of temples

an evening of rain

quiet respite of solace

in the offing for many

passing under the leafy willows

of a street of temples

an evening of rain

where it is not to dampen 

spirits of those wanting fun

Note: Somehow I'm taken with the demure quiet, surrounding the haiku and
decided to create 3 Tan Renga

Written for Chev's Tan Renga Challenge #10 where the haiku of  Shirao  is
given (in italics) as a prompt. We are to complete a Tan Renga with an
additional 2 lines of 7-7 syllables. 

The Sound of Silence

                                                                                             Attribution: Vera de Kok
Image: A Musical Group Waiting to Start

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

A mind entangled with tumultuous yearnings

Searching furiously for its hidden beginnings

Silence hooked up in relentless pursuit

Searching furtively for the right mood

Suspiciously without a sound but groping

Surreptitiously in the dark to make its bidding

Because a vision softly creeping

Seemed to be guardedly approaching

Slowly it advanced a shadowy apparition

Unfriendly in make up an unwelcome intrusion

And whispered in the sound of silence

Loud decibels shrieked but not apparent

The wrath of musical talents pressing to perform

Wretched were those wanting to make it stagnant

Squirming backstage in resigned frustrations

Wondering  to go ahead and plug the equipments

No, the apparition was the power that be

Dawned on the group,  appeasing him was priority

It wouldn’t pay messing around with the decision maker

A musical ensemble in abeyance waiting for an answer

Note: The lines in italics are part of the lyrics from the Simon and Garfunkle's
hit, the Sound of Silence

Written for Mary's hosting at Poetry Jam - to write something relating to The Sound of Silence and to inlude some of lyrics from the song if necessary

Scrambling for #1

                                                                                Attribution: Pat Hatt

Image: Pat Hatt Did me Proud for Creating  the Image Above (here)

(thanks a lot Pat and with your kind permission, Sir!)

Two Free Verses

Hank is elated

He had long waited

For today  it’s a personal victory

He chalked 20 firsts

A Double Ten

A winning streak

Without a break

Pat and the Cat named Orlin

They make an entry every mornin’

Sharp at 7.00 if one wishes to know

Great stars in their rhyming show

A Limerick

Pat and Olin at their best

Preceded mornings of the rest

Others scrambled

Others  fumbled

To be first at their behest

A Haiku 

Pat and Olin must

both be laughing for making

them lose precious sleep

Postcript: I received this notation from Pat datelined August 14, 2013

"Pat Hatt August 14, 2013 at 8:53 AM
FYI your streak is now 35 in a row. I checked my spam today and you were there. That one on the 24th puts you in front of John"

I've now corrected the records below (but not the narration) It's official. My bid
on July 24, at 7.00am went to spam. Pat had graciously retraced and corrected it
at his July 24,2013 posting (here) whereby I was reinstated as #1 at 7.00am instead
of John at 7.02am. This means my unbeaten streak is now from July 10 till August 13
making it an incredible 35 firsts unbroken!

For the Records

It is quite a scramble to be the first at Pat Hatt's. There are many contenders
fumbling at 7.00am when Pat opens his gates. There were 2 occasions when
4 came in all at 7.00am sharp. It was a dead-heat, a photo-finish! I achieved
a stretch of  20 firsts today Aug 13, 2013 (here). In  fact I nearly did it at 14
at a stretch going for 20 but was stifled by John on July 24.

Earlier on I was doing 9 for a first perfect 10 but Rosie stopped me on May 22.
It was most frustrating! I soldiered on and achieved my first perfect 10 at the
next stretch on June 01. It was such a relief! I chalked up 81 firsts within a
period of 3.5 months from May. For the duration I managed FOUR perfect
10's and some near misses! 

It was a real tough fight in May and some days in June. But in the later stages
it was a lot easier. Whew! 

  

July 10–  Aug 13                                   35 (corrected)

July 09 – John

July 02 – July 08                                     7

July 01 – Yeamie

June 25 – June 30                                   6

June 24 – John

June 23 – Jyoti

June 22 – Manzi

June 21                                                   1

June 20 – John

June 13 – June 19                                  7

June 11/12 Yeamie

June 08 – June 10                                  3

June 05/07 – Yeamie

June 03/04 – John

June 02 - A Daft Scots Lass

May 23 – June 01                                  10

May 22- Mail4Rosie

May 13 – May 21                                    9

May 12 – Claudia

May 11 – Loredana  

May 10                                                     1

May 09 –John

May 08                                                     1

May 07 – John

May 06                                                     1

May05 – Yeamie

May 04                                                     1

May03 – Yeamie

May 02 – Mail4Rosie

May 01 – John                                        ____

                                      Total                   81 

Written for Grace's hosting at d'Verse's OpenLinkNight week #109

Joys and Laughter at Gramps

Morning of clear skies

Torrents of laughter spilled from

joys of innocence

Splendor of the young

Family get together

At grandpa’s abode

Outrageous antics

Sauntering and scampering

Young and old alike

Friends were brought along

Greater participation

All had a good time

Written for Chev's CARPE DIEM # 279 with prompt Morning of Celebration

Happiness is Infectious - A tetractys

                                                                                                    Attribution: Joi Ito
Image: Two Icons Sharing some Light Moments! Isn't it Great!
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Grins

Happy

as can be

Wonderful smiles

And truly it is very infectious

There are many things to worry about

Make no mistake

Smiling wide

will solve
them!

Smile

Easy

does it, man

And no holds barred

But many tried and failed miserably

There is sure way to stake reality?

Yes, certainly

Open arms

sincere

hugs!

Note: A Tetractys a poetic form comprising at least 5 lines of 1 2 3 4 and 10

syllables (total of 20). It can be written with more than one verse but must 

follow suit with an inverted syllable count

Written for Kerry's hosting at Real Toads Open Link Monday

Lonely Long Distance Runner

                                                                                        Attribution : bigmick

Image: The Long Distance Runners

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Sunday Whirl with words

circle concrete hitch illuminate incentive pounding race 

stark scatter strain striking wallow

They would circle the concrete jungle

With the dogged aim of being able

To run en masse along a route designated

To grab honors befitting a distance runner

Illuminating a race at full throttle to the fore  

Such was the incentive striking at the core

A pounding pace with no possibility of a hitch

But a guarded regular rhythm of a pitch

In stark contrast to a quick dash of a sprint

Leaving opponents scattered way behind

He remembered the strain of training

At high altitudes of running

To maximize a waning stamina

Mark of a marathon runner

And he was not to wallow in self pity

But to strive for King and country

Written for Sunday Whirl Wordle #121 and shared with Poets United Poetry Pantry #162

Water Babies at Play (MF)

                                                                                         Attribution: Pat
Image: Courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

Zipped off the blocks unscathed
Air-borne like a pro unlatched
Confidently in all fun
Cool dip in the summer sun
Such a water baby to match!

(140 characters)

Note:  An offering of  a Micro Fiction and a limerick simultaneously

Grandma aka Linda at Grandma's Goulash Succinctly Yours week #125 provided the image above for us to write a Micro Fiction in not more than 140 characters and to include the word - zip

Cowboy Stories

The Bedaux Expedition was an attempt by eccentric French millionaire,Charles Eugène Bedaux to cross the British Columbia wilderness, while making a movie, testing Citroën half-tracks and generating publicity for himself. He set off on this unusual and ill-conceived excursion accompanied by more than a hundred people,. Also along for the trip were several dozen Alberta cowboys and a large film crew. The expedition started off at Edmonton, Alberta on July 6, 1934 and their goal was to travel 1,500 miles (2,400 km) to Telegraph Creek, British Columbia. Much of the trip would have to be made through regions that were relatively uncharted and had no trail  -  wiki (here)

                                                                            Attribution: Frank Swannell
Image: The Alberta cowboys who were with the Bedaux Expedition
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

                                                                      Atrribution: MGM Records
Image: Hank Williams and The Drifting Cowboys
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

                                                                              Attribution: Richie Diesterheft
Image: The Brokeback Cowboys all in twos
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Cowboy stories ran the whole gamut

Of the hazardous the pain and the skill

Of roving able-bodied men who sought

The Wild West taking with them the zeal

Of rounding up, to brand and tame

Wild steers across plains or in ranches

Giving rise to likes of Hollywood fame

Cowboy greats Gene Autry and Roy Rogers

When later came the makes of films Italian

In the likes of Clint Eastwoods and Franco Nero 

that gave a new life to blood spills and guns 

Very unlike the rough ride of the Expedition Bedaux

That trekked through uncharted terrains

And the romances of love life in songs

of the Drifting Cowboys and Hank Williams 

To  the modern day tough and tumble
of such fascinating teams like the Dallas Cowboys

In posh and grand stadiums of football
complete with alluring cheerleaders as a ploy

Until recently when liberal resurgence

made the manly able-bodied he-man surge

to a higher level where companions

by twos of Brokeback Cowboys emerge

Written for Mystic Mom's hosting at d'Verse with Poetics Cowboy Up

Separation Without a Word

                                                                                                 User: Kieff
Image: The Pangaea before the Continental Drift
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Across ocean blue 

pining for you when you break
up without a word

Roving blue waters
come in between like slow drift 

of huge land masses

Only memories

sustain good times of young hearts’

purest endearment 

Written for Leo's Haiku Heights # 269 with Prompt  - ocean

The Salar de Uyuni

                                                                                       Author: Shibuya K
Image: Collecting Salt at the Salar de Uyuni
Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

Author: Luca Galuzzi

Image: Sunset at the Salar de Uyuni

Source: Wikimedia Commons (here)

The Salar de Uyuni in south-west Bolivia is currently the world’s
largest salt flat at 10,582 sq km (4,086 sq mi). It is covered by a
few meters of salt crust. The large area, clear skies and exceptional
surface flatness make the Salar an ideal object for calibrating
the altimeters of Earth observation satellites  -  wiki

A cursory peek at a salt flat

a salt desert of immense expanse 

None would have thought

it sustained properties and

of a location 
benefiting the world

which otherwise would have

been left desolate and barren

What are they may be asked?

That it’s a few meters covered

with salt crust to support the crave

of taste. Not just that. It's also for lithium
in the salt that brings in more money

Its exceptional flat surface
a unique advantage

The world’s largest there is

The flatness of a large area and the

clear skies staked its place as an ideal

site for space observations

Such is the richness of a cool expanse

of wasteland 
which did not come to waste

but benefiting mankind in unusual ways!

Written for Hannah’s hosting at Real Toads - Hungry and Haunted