Backyard Buddies

October 23, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Our backyard buddies include Juncos, robins, starlings, Red-tailed hawk, and goldfinches. Of course, there are many more. Busy place. (For Bird Weekly challenge: backyard birds.)

Harrington

October 21, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

Just before his surgery, Ric took me for a drive to “show me something”. We turned off the main route and travelled down a dirt road lined on either side by tall trees. “Should see it any moment,” he teased as I eagerly craned my neck for whatever “it” was. And then the tree line […]

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #117: except

October 19, 2020.Reading time 3 minutes.

In anticipation of hubby’s return from hospital, I had it all planned: get him settled, run prescriptions to the pharmacy, pick up a pre-roasted chicken and salads, then home to nurse him to wellness. Except, the chickens were sold out and the salads picked over, and the pharmacy backed up, and when I finally got […]

In Search of Reason

October 18, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

Too naive to understand … constant runwe watched the grains of sand dwindlelost in vast dimensionslearn…leapto purpose reasona simple understandingtransition…imminent…the path is notconquered by having a why (Once again I have borrowed from the brilliant minds of this week’s contributors to create a found poem. The author of each line is listed in the order […]

October Skies

October 17, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

For Hammad Rais’s Weekend Skies

Communication

October 14, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

All day, as I try to write, the birds chatter outside my windows. Happy talk mostly, but the occasional row: My favourite image of communication is the understanding between a child and dog: (For Lens-artists challenge: communication.)

VJ’s Weekly Challenge #116: Reason

October 12, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

We can reason our way through a problem, or be the reason for something happening, or believe in a higher reason for all that befalls us. Let this week’s prompt take you where it will, regardless of the reason. Look forward to your responses, and having a bit of fun with this myself. All are […]

Weather Or Not

October 11, 2020.Reading time 2 minutes.

The plan was to meet in a park so that the children could play and the adults could social distance. It’s Canadian Thanksgiving. Getting together with family is a tradition. Three nights in a row, I have suffered insomnia. October has brought fluctuating temperatures and skies that shift from bright promise to somber clouds. My […]

Weekend Sky (New challenge)

October 10, 2020.Reading time less than 1 minute.

Hammad Rais has started a new photography challenge: Weekend sky. Here is my contribution. October skies over southwestern Ontario truly are spectacular.

A Photo Walk

October 7, 2020.Reading time 1 minute.

Two rivers intersect at our city’s centre, and while I often patrol the larger one, this day I decided to visit a park adjoining the second. Probably because walking is still difficult for me, I was drawn to the many benches that line the path, all vacant now due to Covid restrictions. A quiet evening […]

Dear Child

I know a little girl,whose hair in ringletsfalls, unkempt from lackof brushing; who standswhen she should be sitting;who laughs with defiance whenchallenged, her dark eyes gleamingwith mischief; who holds her chin uphigh and stamps her feet, arms foldedin protest when she does not get her way. I see that little girl,have watched her play,with a […]

Re-de-fine-d

Ask me how I’m doingand I’ll say “fine”, notbecause I’m actually fine,but because “fine” is the onlysocially acceptable response. If I said that I have been lyinghere, for three hours now,willing my body to move,that would elicit unsolicitedadvice and tarnish my “fine”. I’d berate myself for breakingmy promise not to moan,knowing that complainingprovokes a compulsive […]