IBMC #05: Not So Quite Quote

Hello!

This is the fifth challenge of the marathon already! For this, we are given five quotes in Day #05 as prompts which are to be used to make a story. Now the quotes are not the inspirational types written by big names but random sentences.

Quote 01I am confused at times. Should I sound? Should I echo?

Quote 02
You need not answer all the questions! You can just laugh and laugh again.

Quote 03
Thoughts – they do what we don’t ask for!

Quote 04
I knew it! That I don’t know!

Quote 05
At times, we pretend to think on one and actually think everything else!

So I start with no idea and end up with the following jumble of words. I tried a unique POV, hope you like it.

Who am I?

Deep down, pushed and locked in a corner, I sit smugly knowing what I am capable of. But I am confused at times. Should I sound? Should I echo? Is it even worth the pain? So many questions, yet you need not answer all the questions! You can just laugh and laugh again. Yes, that is what one should do. But then again, what about the thoughts? They do what we don't ask for! I, being me, the most powerful, cannot control those. Why at times, we pretend to think on one and actually think everything else! There's nothing to worry about, it happens to all of us, even me. I can make you laugh, cry or just shatter, in fraction of a minute, but I am not in control of all.  Of course, I knew it! That I don't know! and that you haven't understood who I am. Have you not guessed yet? Looks like you haven't and that is my strength. I can hit you any time, any place and you are helpless of stopping me. I am your memories, the ones you think are buried under a pile of other nonconsequential data.


This is the end of my story. I know it needs some editing, but till I get that done you'll have to bear with this one. If you want to read the other posts of this marathon, visit the Main Post.

IBMC #04: Haiku

Hello again!

It is time for Day #04 challenge and this one is actually simple. The post gives five haiku options from which I've got to choose one and work on it.

I could interpret it, extend it or write a new one in relation to it. I chose the first one and no, I am not giving any interpretations. I am writing a new haiku in relation to this one.

Haiku is essentially a seventeen syllable poem written in three lines, with 5 words in the first line, 7 in the second line and 5 in the third line. Or a shorter version has 3, 5, 3 words like the prompt given.

Haiku 01
expressions of face
happy sad angry frown shy
face is the index


So I am writing the same shorter version.

Eyes

Depth of eyes
Spark freeze wink flash glare
Soul's windows. 

And it's done. :) Simple, right? To read the other posts of this challenge, please visit the Main Post.

IBMC #03: Risk a Random Challenge

Hiya!!

We are into the Day #03 challenge and this one is all about going for the random stuff. I have got to write ten sentences that have absolutely no connection to each other and make a story that has no sense. Interesting isn't it. Why waste time, then. Let's get started. ;)

The Random Ramblings

It has been so long since I read a Christie book! Isn't pink supposed to have a dozen shades in it? Only if people had enough sense to follow traffic rules. Can't we give voodoo dolls as birthday gifts? When was the last time you ate ice cream, yummy! Does my twitter handle have 280 characters yet? Finger painting sounds so cool until we try to understand what we drew. Editing apps are as important as a camera. It would be interesting to see how people react to stories with weird POVs. Why am I not a millionaire already!

Lol! Seriously no one would call that a story! But yes, it was fun writing it. In case you decide to read the other posts as well, go to the Main Post.

IBMC #02: Freeze a Foto

Hi again!

Nice to see you here. The challenge for Day #02 is to write the memories associated with a picture or just describe it. Now this is easy, isn't it? I have like loads of pictures to choose from and I can write whatever I feel like about it. ;)

My first thought was to go for my absolute favorites, the sunsets, and the clouds. But then I already have a series, The Eternal Sky on the blog related to that. (Yes, I am promoting my blog.)

So what do I choose? My next favorites, of course, are farms and fields. I love to take pictures of the rich green lands which shine like emeralds.

After going through the dozens of pictures, I chose the above one. Just see how cute it looks. :) 

This was taken in the Siddipet district in Telangana on a hot Saturday afternoon. Yeah! We, as in me and my parents were on the way to a temple when I saw a stretch of rich paddy fields shimmering in the sunlight. I wanted to stop and take pictures but then decided it would be better to do that on the way back (I can spend more time taking pictures). 

Even as you look at the picture, you might realize that it does not do complete justice to the original sight, despite my photography skills. ;) I was itching to touch one blade, pull it and bring it home with me, but I resisted. It is not proper manners, especially when the owner is nowhere in sight. 

All I have to do is close my eyes, and I can feel the hot sun burning my skin as I stooped, bent, swayed to take pictures of the emerald land from different angles. 

What else can I call it, anyway? The water reflected sunlight onto the tender rice saplings which shine like ninja blades (bad comparison!). Just looking at the vast fields makes one realize that this isn't just food for the tummy, it is a treat for the eyes, an elixir of the soul. It is a work of art where nature and humans come together to create it. 

I am ending this post, and if you want to read other posts as well (of this challenge), please visit the Main Post. 

IBMC #01: The Cool and The Fool

Hello!

So I start my first challenge and I've got to write my opinion on any one of the topics given in Day #01. It has to be around 100 words with a single line summary at the end.

The topics are all interesting, you'll see that if you have visited the link (please do) and I chose to write about 'The Cool and The Fool' mostly on instinct.

I started with a paragraph but ended with a poem! One lesson I learned was not to write on such topics immediately after getting off twitter. Sigh!

I was in two minds to change it and write another but decided against it.

Presenting my poem:

If you are my friend;
You say apple, I say take mine.
You want help, I waste my time.
You are argue your point, I agree with a smile.
You have opinions, I only follow yours.
If you are my enemy;
You say mango, I say it is blue.
You want help, I mess it for you.
You argue your point, I deny its existence.
You have opinions, I abuse your right.
After all, I am a fool who thinks I am the 'cool dude'.

The line between being cool and a fool is no more visible!

I know, I know and I am so sorry for this pathetic poem. I have written pretty good ones, I swear. You can even read those here.

But if you still want to dare and read the next posts (which will be a lot better), please visit this Main Post which has links to all the ten days of challenges.

Incredible Blogger Marathon Challenge (IBMC)- Introduction

This must be my lucky month with me being able to finish my first ever NaNoWriMo successfully. Then I come across a site that has weekly challenges for bloggers and now a link to IMBC which is the blogger marathon challenge. (I am adding these posts in the "Random Thoughts" section of my blog just to make it easier.)

For this marathon, I should write ten posts in the given order (visit the above link) with no more than three posts per day. The entire marathon has to be completed in fifteen days. I found this totally interesting and wanted to take part. The event host is none other than Prakash Hegade, one of the NaNo MLs for India who also hosted daily sprints (the only ones I joined) in our Facebook group. 

I am creating this introduction post so that it will be easy to find the links to all the ten posts in one place. I will add links to the individual posts as and when I post them in the next fifteen days. The individual posts will of course have the back-link to the challenge prompts given in the site.

Challenge #01: The Cool and The Fool

Challenge #02: Freeze a Foto

Challenge #03: Risk a Random Challenge

Challenge #04: Haiku

Challenge #05: Not So Quite Quote

Challenge #06: Mass Media

Challenge #07: News & Paper

Challenge #08: Nursery Rhyme

Challenge #09: Baby Steps

Challenge #10: Happiness is...

And.... We are done! This sure was fun! :) 

Kiss of Rain

I came across a site, YeahWriteMe that hosts weekly challenges for poetry, fiction, non fiction, etc for bloggers.

Going through the site I found this week's challenge open and decided I would take part. It is not just random participation though. We got to get the challenge logo (read code) in our blog and show that we are the participants of that particular challenge. Then we have to add the link to the post in the website grid allotted for this particular category.

Each blogger can submit one entry per grid, meaning I can submit only one poem but I can participate in the non-fiction and micro prose as well. Interesting, isn't it?

I didn't need much time to think, it would be poetry for me. :) So I went ahead, added the image and then read the challenge.

This week's challenge (it'll be open until thursday morning 8 to participate) is to write a cascade poem on any topic or using the prompt they give. Here is the link: Weekly Challenge #346

Cascade poem is something I haven't tried before. It is a style where we use the lines in the first stanza as a the last lines of the consecutive stanzas. Yeah! I know it sounds confusing. Just read the poem I've written and you'll understand what a cascade poem is.

I am not using the optional prompt they provided and I'm sticking to one of the paintings by Mrs Ratna Pochiraju. I have been wanting to write for this painting since the day I saw but, somehow I could never get any proper idea; until yesterday. :)

Kiss Of Rain 

The tiny plant gazed at the sky,
dark and full, it was ready to burst,
the clouds showered their love,
and the rain drops kissed the grass.

On the carpet of grass,
stood a taller stem,
with eight leaves and two fruits,
the tiny plant gazed at the sky.

Up and high above the land,
as far as eye could see,
the sky loomed threatening,
dark and full, it was ready to burst.

Bless me with rain.
the plant asked,
as the grass chorused, and 
the clouds showered their love.

The sky opened its gates,
as the rain rushed below,
tickling and teasing the plant, 
and the rain drops kissed the grass. 

Dancing Grey

Grey was the only color;
dark clouds looming above,
thick mist swirling around,
huge waves splashing against the cliff.
Threatening to swallow everything.

Yet, it drew her;
She glided along the path,
a vision in blue and pink so pale,
her presence a mere illusion.
The grey closed over her. 

She stood straight;
pink blended with the mist,
as tears rolled down,
tiny drops into the salted sea.
There was nothing left but grey.

A thunder roared above;
Eyes closed, she flung her arms,
as she danced and danced,
fighting the scary dark.
The vision in pink, could keep the grey away.

Painting by Mrs Ratna Pochiraju

The Memoirs of an Eighty year Old- Episode XXV

Episode: Grandma’s 75^th Birthday

Hello readers! I couldn’t post in October because I had other things to work on and also because grandpa and grandma were busy and my stock of episodes was over. This month I’ll be posting only one episode (pre-written).

So it was our dear grandma’s birthday in October and she was turning 75! It had to be something special, right? But well you guys know her so you also know how tough it is to convince her to celebrate her own birthday. Sigh!

But we just couldn’t sit idle now, could we? So I hit upon a plan which was of course executed by granddaughter NS. She is currently staying with them, how lucky for us!
For grandpa’s birthday a scrapbook was made with handwritten messages, but.. but.. grandma will not read all those pages. And also giving both a similar gift, not really innovative. ;)

Then flashed the idea of audio and video messages in the brain. We could make her sit and listen to those, right? Haha.. joke…

We asked for messages and got a few audios and many texts. The audios were, of course, amazing, the one by their daughter Sj (3^rd child) was the first we received and the best, in my opinion. (She’s a teacher!)
So albums were searched, pictures collected and constant reminders were posted in the Whatsapp group. But we needed icing on the cake. It was grandpa’s message. When the video version had the voice too low, we shifted to the audio version. He was such a sport, recording a 4-minute message for almost 5 times isn’t really interesting but he did it with enthusiasm.

Now it was the job of Sj to make a video out of all those. We had 3 voice messages (the other was from grandson A) and a good number of text messages, not to forget a good load of pictures.

She toiled for hours to finally get a 19-minute video ready. The problem here- 690MB sized video. We compressed it twice and brought it down to 60MB. Uff! After sending it to the family members (drive link) we played it on the telly( Chrome cast, Thank God for that). Granny would have never seen the video otherwise, she hates mobile phones.
Here comes the main part. Making her sit that long was tough but to actually make her listen to the messages was impossible. She kept delivering her famous one-liners and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Though I am tempted to write here a few of those I am not going to do it, just to be on the safe side. Next, I played the video I made for her. Here’s a collage of it. (The idea was planted in my mind by granddaughter Ap, thanks girl).

The highlight of course, was the cutest video of grandma thanking her kids for the lovely wishes. I could see that she hated it (her message video), but well a mother doesn’t disappoint. J

So finally the day ended with everyone watching the video and thinking about the sweet memories as they recognized the pictures that scrolled by on the screen.


Meet you again in December, hopefully with the continuation of their story. Till then, be happy, be good.