aros. the end

.

My love of words

long dormant

Rediscovered

during January.

To Fiona, Kaspa

and their River of Stones,

my gratitude.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January (and July!)

aros. ShShSu #141. Spectacles, seaweed & feathers

.

Feathers discarded during vigorous preening

catch on a fragment of seaweed

Bubbles

cast shadows

gently, gently spin 

entrancing.

*
One of the frustrating things about being far-sighted,

at the beach,
in Summer,
wearing prescription sunglasses,
enthusiastically looking for shadows,
camera in hand, poised,
at the ready -
is that, with my sunnies on, my vision is fine,
I should be able to see the screen.

But my very practical sunnies are polarised, the screen appears black – there’s nothing there.

If I take them off
I can’t see the camera screen,
everything is blurry.

I shoot blind.

It’s only when I get home to my laptop that I can see what I’ve taken.

I celebrate when something appears
in focus!

*
To see shadows from around the world drop in at Hey Harriet who hosts Shadow Shot Sunday.

A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January (and July!)


.

aros. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

.

Grappling with technology

I'm pathetically grateful

for morsels of

information

thoughtlessly discarded as if

insignificant.

Each to me a pot of gold

unlocking a wondrous

treasure trove

of time consuming delights.

Triple Rainbow. Eastlink - Seaford.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. Laughter

.
Cradling a hot mug of tea
I sip
then guffaw loudly
when reading the comments on one (of many) favourite blogs
awed at minds that can make me laugh out loud.

Later,
watch the blue of the cleaning cloth
smear traces of tea -
a circular pattern

until the screen is clean again.

*
A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. Summer breeze (catching up!)

.
Closed against bright evening sun
cream curtains
against open window
billow and relax, rhythmically
like lungs expanding and contracting.

A welcome summer breeze
fills the room.


A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. How do you get that word out of those letters?

.
Our overseas guest
is as bemused by our place names -
Yackandandah
Wandilligong
Powong
and Yarck

as we are by hers -
Uig
Cuillin
Quirang
Duirinish.

We listen in wonder as each pronounces familiar words with ease.
and share good natured laughter
as the other stumbles.

Tongue tied togetherness.

A happy Australia Day indeed.


A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. The small wooden box

.

Who am I kidding when I say 

"I can't"

when the honest answer is

"I choose not to?"

*

Forced into a box
wooden
pine

Too small for me

Watching with disbelief image after image:
me standing, then forced to crouch, later kneel.
Resisting the relentless force, succumbing, energy waning,
exhausted
fighting the inevitable.

Finally wrestled into a tiny, hurt, painfully, uncomfortable thing.

Lid slammed on.
Nails hammered, angry and final.
The unseen force deaf to my weak pleas
now whispered from the suffocating dark.

My dream pinpoints with clarity
a forceful wakeup call to the mental anguish experienced in my workplace,
professional skills stifled constantly.

The choice to leave not easy
the healthful, long overdue decision is tough.


A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. The Joy of Garlic

.
Tiny buzzing toothbrush
whines in my mouth
drowns out all homely sounds.

Teeth well scrubbed -
Minty fresh!

Yet, an hour later
dinner's garlicky aftertaste remains.


A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 

aros. ShShSu #140. Beach essentials.

.
A flutter of stress -
few shadows this week

Where is that fun beach shot
taken weeks ago for such a time?
Notebook and pen ready
in case inspiration strikes!

Filing a shambles.

Lost.

Flutter of stress is now an insistent gnaw of panic.

Frustrated, I walk 10ks.

Look again -

it was where it should have been all along

Sometimes I can't see for looking.

.
A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. 


Shadow Shot Sunday is hosted by Hey Harriet. 
Participating has encouraged me to look at the world differently. It's fun!
.

aros. simple pleasures

.

Cyberwings spread

I soar

wheel

then plunge into the

river of stones

to capture and feed

from the offerings

surfacing

at this moment

repeat 

till I've had my fill

or the chores can't be ignored any longer.

.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved!

aros. blue

.

Unknotting swing tags

from new blue blouse

I wonder

about 

the person 

who tied them.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved!

aros. Killer sheets

.

I wake from fitfull sleep

tangled in murderous sheets.

My husband, 

oblivious to the drama unravelling beside him

sleeps peacefully on.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved!

the words have gone

.
I start. I fail. I start again. The word ‘futility’ almost explains my predicament or maybe it's ‘frustration’?
Nothing comes in response to these four pictures.

Valentine’s Day.
A celebration I fail to grasp: others hold so dear.
I search to find something meaningful
A spark
A miniscule, infinitesimal, sub molecular ‘something”
I peer hopefully into my brain, search the crevices for a word, just one to begin
grope in the murk, for something to latch on to.
Contrived clichés, brittle and trite reside.
Otherwise...
Nothingness.

I sleep, let my brain go into free fall and wake with hope.

*
A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more. No less.

Burrowers, Books & Balderdash are hosting a February Valentine Feature and inviting contributions aka Drabbles. Information and images are available on their site. Enjoy!

.

aros. a network of strangers

.

Comments received

unasked for,

so welcome

I blush with wonder

at unsolicited

compliments

not so scary after all

this writing thing...

for today at least.

*

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 they invited people to join them in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved.

.

aros. squeeeeeealing

.
Unused to having children next door
I flinch
with every earsplitting
squeal



A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 we invited people to join us in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved.

aros. On writing a Pebble for the River - Mindfully

.

A breath

a pause

a sigh

I slow and see

for the first time today

what's been in front of me all along

Repeat

'till it becomes an integral part

of the rhythm 

of my days.

Mindfulness. Remember!

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 we invited people to join us in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved.

aros. ShShSu #139... Toil

.

Rivers of tears
add to the Deadly torrents
decimating once vibrant communities
around the world.

Now, the heartbreaking clean-up begins.








This ant was so tenacious and focused in it's diligent search for water. It was just doing what had to be done for the well-being of its nest. It made me think that these qualities are going to be needed over the months and years ahead for those affected worldwide by recent flooding.

I love that the shadow is almost a caricature of an ant.

For more shadows from around the world, check out Hey Harriet. This week, you'll also find information on the Queensland Flood Relief appeal if you'd like to donate.
.

aros. Agapanthus

.
Spheres of purple

thrust aloft on spindly spears

Shouting:
Look at me!
I'm beautiful!

A joy on a dreary drippy day

Their writhing roots
infiltrate and strangle native bush

an unintentional legacy
of our forebears

I wonder do I leave them or find the poison?

.

aros. Down - But Not Out

*

Summer weather- Vic & Tas hide coyly

The east coast of Australia
Has disappeared entirely beneath an unmoving, soggy, dense blanket of cloud

El Nino and La Nina fought for supremacy.

El Nino reluctantly relinquished his stranglehold
His legacy? A parched, drought devastated land.

La Nina released from her exiled land
revels petulantly in her newfound status.
Flexes her muscles,
honed and toned during years of being ignored.

Rain bands, a soggy Summer in Victoria

Enjoys the feeling of power
Struts her stuff

Unleashes rain, with vicious intent and deadly ferocity
inundates parched land
Alerts constant, we reel as the catastrophe unfolds

Climate change, a myth no longer
a taste of things to come.

*
A Drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

Images (screen shots) Bureau of Meteorology Jan 13 2011
Information on Climate Change in Australia here.

A river of stones is a project started by Fiona &Kaspa to encourage people to engage with the world through writing. In 2011 we invited people to join us in writing a small stone each day during January. Get involved.
*

aros. The danger of beer

.

The bottle of chilli beer

explodes in my face.

Eyes water painfully

I sneeze for hours

I whinge plaintively;

"Who shook it up?"

and wonder

if this brewery

survived the floods.

.

aros. Flooded Auchenflower

.

A morning walk, soggy but possible

Now, unable to get in or out

Marooned on islands of trepidation

The surge of the King Tide

forces the sea up the river 

to battle with the floodwaters coming down

Two massive forces collide

No winners here

The ads

"beautiful one day, perfect the next"

a distant memory.

Bike path - Auchenflower. am

View from a window showing what should be a street. pm

More rain coming, the water is rising. pm

photos by Emma Travers.
She evacuated to a friends' place just after these photos were taken.
.

aros. Queensland floods

fires and drought we understand
ravenous locusts rarer

floods another matter entirely
evacuations being announced continuously
an inland tsunami
wasn't part of this years' plan

I hope my daughter is ok

(a link to dramatic footage of cars being washed away)
abc news offers 24 hour coverage of the deluge.

aros. a comment on my new blog

.

wholesome writing

healing writing

happy, happy me

aros: A Mini Muffler Nightmare

.

The flying purple Mini

with loose muffler

severed the evening repose

with explosive

farts

*
My first car was a Mini, affectionately known as The Purple Flying Brick.

A sweaty sauna in summer, a miserable icebox in winter - sheepskin coat, beanie and gloves were essential clothing.

“Agricultural” some said disparagingly,
but fun nonetheless.

I loved it except for the red-faced embarrassment it caused late one wintry night when the muffler fell off.

Dressed to the nines for a night on the town I scavenged in the gutter for twine to hold the muffler on.

It took a while to acknowledge that fast or slow made no difference, entire neighbourhoods within miles knew I was coming.

***
Thanks to  Hart and her commenters for the inspiration for this post. It was fun to write and brought back  many fond memories of living with an aging Mini. Wish I had a photo...

NB: No Oreos were consumed in the writing of this post.

A drabble is a story told in 100 words. No more, no less.

.

aros. ShShSu #138 ... After the feast.

Perfectly formed spheres of waste

Sustenance harvested from a sandy beach.

Evidence of life below

Small and neatly formed

The purple clownish ball

Pirouettes in my palm, tickling, as he tries to burrow to shelter and safety

Legions, with homes beneath my feet, emerge warily at low tide to harvest, then feast on minute organisms

The beach for miles around, a dense mass of marching soldier crabs

Single mindedly scooping damp sand into their gnawing maws

Leaving perfectly formed spheres of waste.

The tide turns, they retreat to their burrows. None remain.

Intrigued children, stooping to peer, touch the balls in wonder

Question

    then shriek with horrified disbelief as parents explain

they’re walking on 

      poo

Thanks to Hey Harriet for hosting ShShSu

A Drabble is a story in 100 words. No more, no less.

.

A River of Stones 8th Jan

Traps for the unwary

Seduced by offerings of security, money

   glory or power

We fly to an

   unwitting end

Life is sucked out of us

   to feed other's needs

   

(Arachnophobes beware: scroll down for the photo)

River of Stones 7th Jan 2011

A new blog
A celebration
of endless possibilities




"A small stone is a very short piece of writing that precisely captures a fully-engaged moment".