animal instinct

there was nothing she could do
other than wait
she was hungry and tired
job was a job
she was the best one for it
it only entailed watching over
she kept the rabble away
all alone in the still of night
she couldn't take it any longer
and slumped on the floor
flopping almost
when the key turned
she was alert in an instant
however slacking soon after
she recognised it was him
no need to worry
heard him open up a fizzy drink
when she sauntered towards him
with soulful eyes, freckled face
asking for food and warmth
a knife pierced through her neck
(before she could react)
killed by her own master
her fur bloody, she lay dead.
her animal instincts gone awry

he had barely tolerated her existence-
hating her devotion for his sylph-like wife
and after she, her mistress left him,
he had no further need of her-
irrespective of suasion

itchy, scratchy, welted

small fissures on the skin was nothing new for her
red dots appeared randomly when she had stress
without rhyme or reason
her travel plans had come up
along with it the eruptions which skewed everything
this time those itchy parts felt foreign to her touch
from elbow to wrist

what? how many centimetres of skin affected?
you can't expect her to do it in the arithmetic way-
not when she is busy scratching those welts

*Update: This isn't about me. It is a fictional piece written for [Fiction] Friday and Friday 5. I got smooth skin!

singing cherries---Friday 5/Friday Fiction

with his fingers in that blue porcelain cherry bowl
he picked a few, popped those into his mouth.
without discarding pips, he started singing
those notes going off key.

Unaware of those strange stares he kept on,
lost in a world of his own.
No more cherries left now, he suddenly stopped,
finding himself in a beach-side restaurant.

all were quiet save him; he wished for the ground
to crack up and swallow him whole
without a single word he got up.
walking as hurriedly as the sand would allow him.

waiter bore the brunt of it
as he had forgotten to pay for those cherries.

Friday 5: brunt, crack, key, cherry, discard

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for February, 1 2008: Your character was lost in her own thoughts. When she snaps back to reality, she realizes she was singing out loud. Unfortunately, she wasn't somewhere private. How embarrassing... Take it from there.

swaying dandelions---[Fiction] Friday/Friday 5

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for January 25, 2008:
Describe a first brush with danger.

Friday 5
cohere, dandelion, immerse, create, glass

Danger had been omnipresent, serpentine in her vicinity
Why hadn’t she recognised signs
Symbols enveloped by deadly intent
Coated with syrupy honey
Too late should be banned, declared passé
She shivered with after effects
Wiping her dry eyes, she resumed her work
Fingers typed furiously so much so that keyboard jarred
Still Immersed in those vitriolic words,
she was unaware of what she was creating
Jumbled prose refused to cohere.
Nonetheless, she continued with mad tapping
Dandelions placed in glass vase wilted by her sombre mood
Her much coveted blue-framed spectacles slipped, shattering to splinters
She picked pieces with her bare hands
Lacerate was inevitable, so was flow of blood
Stinging antiseptic soothed her cut with sweetest of pain
With a detachment befitting a queen, her thoughts were

‘Why is it that mental anguish diminishes physical distress’

pyramids of dreams--Friday Fiction/Fiction 5

Friday 5 words are:
interlude
grotesque
chemistry
neglect
shoelace

[Fiction] Friday theme for: January, 18 2008
Daydreaming


that elegant singer had created chemistry between herself and her listeners
after that standing ovation, silence was so thick that it could be cut with a knife
he was enjoying the interlude
he bent down to re-tie the shoelace, which had come undone
if only it was that easy to get his life back on track
because of his sheer neglect, everything around him was in shambles
he was not even particularly fond of classical forms of art
loud music with no substance was more his style
soothing notes, according to him, were for weaklings
shadows on the walls appeared so normal
were his thoughts grotesque
pyramids over pyramids of it
if his work was all done
why was he not taken seriously
when the opera started again, he daydreamed some more

“snake was being chased by a snake charmer”

see you? I don't think so---Friday 5/Friday Fiction

[Fiction] Friday Challenge:

Write a scene that ends with your character saying:
'I never want to see you again.'

Friday 5 words: floss, intense, prey, cease, swallow for January 11, 2008.

holding this way, that way he flosses.
intense pain suddenly cease-
as a tooth has fallen prey
to vigorous brushing.
For a while now, he had been unable
to swallow half chewed food.
he looks at that defenseless tooth.
gleefully throws it into waste bin
shouting at top of his voice,

“I never want to see you again”

flopped!---Fiction Friday/Friday 5

realist was gone for a while,
replaced by a stranger, wildly
fanatical tapping at growing
moss at her feet, reminiscing
forgotten events- drowsily so .

tired to core, crumples with thud
on hard ground- distorted image
as if engraved on vellum. drastic
measures frantically needed to get
her back on track of normal life.

“every so often, all one needs is rest-
along with books of fiction on bedside”

rediscovering---Sunday Scribblings

After I posted this, I thought this somehow fits this week's Sunday Scribblings prompt Now and Then.

perfectly still, you are aware of content
of that package. it cannot be a surprise-
not with that particular shape of box. you
impatiently rip it open, lovingly touching
what is inside. Long fingers strum through
wires. musical notes fill in silence, taking
me back to those childhood times when you
made me your audience, forcing me to
listen to your pitiful attempts. you had
to bribe me a few times to praise you
even when I wished to be as far away
as I could. with practice you turned
out good. before I could appreciate-
you were gone. to pursue that much
needed engineering degree, you gave
away your guitar. I hid my pain well
with a false bravado. you together with
your music were gone a long, long time.
realistic side of life took over, changed
priorities relegated hobbies to nothing.

light in your eyes made it worthwhile
for search of that elusive instrument
for a brother whose talent was lost.

This goes for my youngest brother, who needed to be re-acquainted with that guitar.

aches and pains---[Fiction] Friday/Friday 5

pardon my disinterest

to converse. toothache

is no joke. sanitary ware

was a bloody mess after I

brushed with medicated

paste. in my mouth

rolled tongue feels akin to

fuselage of an aircraft.

this year, winter solstice

is overshadowed by pain.

Dance of Life----Sunday Scribblings/FF/F5

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for December 14, 2007:
What is the skeleton in your character’s closet? Friday 5 words: hinge, bite, conch, gatekeeper, Charybdis. Finally: Sunday Scribblings wants us to dance to its tune this week. I made all three dance to mine!

The mere mention of dance has people swaying. All of us know dancing, even if some claim they cannot. With the beat of music, our body starts sashaying. Dancing makes blood throb. Adrenalin starts flowing and it gives us a high like any drug.

In some religions, worship started with dancing in front of the deities. Ancient dance forms started from temple dancing, to the sound of conch. Right from their childhood, girls were initiated into it. Sculptures of females as gatekeepers depicted in the dancing poses. The doors carved elaborately right to the hinges.

WE all have heard of dancing dervishes who dance in a trance like state. That takes them into that state where they feel spiritually one with THE MAKER.

Dance for me has many connotations; least of all, the bodily movements. Any movement, which thrilled me, be it sports, or as simple as laughing makes me dance in spirit. Heart and mind can dance in coordination without it being outwardly manifested. A few times, I have had shoe bites while dancing stupidly in improper footwear.

When I was younger, rapid dance movements made my head feel like Charybdis spewing water over me in a whirlpool, which gave me a nauseating feeling. You can describe that feeling as everything other than the mere skeleton moving with nothing to hold you. Not until you fall to ground. Believe me, I have and not only while dancing.

A question: Is life a dance? All aspects of it?

transient-----Fiction Friday/Friday 5

Your evil villain wants to rule the world. Write about her (or his) reasons.

Friday 5 has the following words. I combine both.

mustard
piano
elastic
moat
notorious

absorbed in music wafting from piano
played by her reclusive notorious neighbour,

she spatters mustard seeds in oil, adds cut
vegetables, stirring to the tunes of Beethoven.

thin line between practical life merges with
transient one. moat separating minds has to

taken down, leaving it unfastened for winds
of change. her past is a closed chapter, gone

forever to be forgotten like any bad dream.
wanting to rule the world, she had changed

her direction after landing up in a tranquil
place. vast wasteland soothed frayed edges.

pulling out loosened elastic out of pyjamas,
she puts another, stitching it meticulously.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I put this linky thing, so that you leave direct links to your blogs. As blogger is not helping, self help is important!

abstracted---Fiction Friday/Friday 5

What throws your characters off their game?

his brush evenly moved on canvas-
each stroke a masterpiece in itself;
he gave in to his creative instincts-
propelled by inner forces unknown.

sounds of piano was vintage for now,
his fingers refusing to run over keys.
her cries of death never left him-
his life gone, music was cacophony.

in broader scheme of endeavours-
duple functioning of talents so intent,
latently displaying twisted mind-
his assessment had all but ceased.

poignancy harboured inspiration
abstractly painting out his agony.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Friday 5 words are:

duple
scheme
vintage
harbour
cease

Combined both Fiction Friday and Friday 5 to write this down. Somehow it has not come out as I wished. Suppose, abstract poetry does not come easy for me.I will get around it some time later. Or maybe not.

family moments----Fiction Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November, 23 2007: Reveal something about your character by telling about one of their Thanksgivings--it can be present, past, or even backstory (if your setting doesn't include Thanksgiving, make it a similar family-oriented holiday).

festive occasion-
family descended in hoards
famished for food.
hugs, cheers spread like fire,
moments recollected
about long separated years.
changes brought forth
over those period of time
too were discussed.
eating, drinking lasted forever,
soon came, time to
go our own way to real world.
all were so miserable
nevertheless, much refreshed.

**We meet like this every year on the eve of Diwali.

nicking a name---Fiction Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November, 16 2007:

Pick an existing character. Give them a nickname, but don't wimp-out and make it a common one. Now tell the story of how the nickname came about.

naming him after a great saint, his parents
did their duty, assuming he would turn out
like his namesake. living up to it was one
tough act, God knows, he did try his best.

guilt was never far away, saintly feelings
were so outmoded, how does one go on
being one? stuck forever with a moniker
like that forever was an utterly abhorrent

shortening his name made it meaningless
yet it made the burden a lot less agonizing.

wired electronically ----[Fiction] Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November, 9 2007:
Your character met their love in a unique way. How?

in the silence in my room
the methodical deliberation of fingers
on keyboard,
compile the tacit exchange between you and me,
soundlessly beating across a net of stars and dreams,
meeting you in my half-comatose slumber
in a place that only sort of exists.
i glimpse through the window,
not your countenance,
but the words i would verbalize
if you were truly here.

mere text only simplifies the emotion
complicating mood making me speechless.
no matter how infuriated,
sound of my fingers on the keys,
try to convey everything,
and hide it too all at the same time.
i stop, realizing
our friendship is my weakness,
to be fully frank with you.
however, it cannot be more than this.
across this electronic chasm.

out of nothing--[Fiction] Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for November, 2 2007:

Have a character explain an odd hobby they practice.

sequins lined the pouch in her hands
her deft fingers had sewed those with meticulous care
beads so classically matched, no blemish anywhere
unseen threads enhanced the velvet sheen,
resplendent to the beholder.
pearl buttons peeped out of nowhere
enhancing the beauty.

she turned it this way and that
proud of her accomplishments
why was no one looking her way
ignoring what she displayed with so much pride?

she had the ability to conjure up images for herself
where none existed;
a hobby of hers.

rolled into a corner---[Fiction] Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for October, 19 2007:

What happens when a character, while cleaning out a house before moving out, finds a roll of film?


fanciful furniture packed with much care
clothes all scattered pile up on the stairs
on slightest of whim, their tempers flair.

things lie haphazard, she stacks the books
not attending to him, feeling dirty looks
on her back. full boxes pushed into nooks,

she goes back, checking drawers finding
a roll. seeing it he gets up fast, snatching
from her hand. he doesn’t answer, asking

goes vain. with absolute air of detachment
he refuses her pleas. her jerking movements
cause him as much hurt. in that apartment

they are now adversaries. all forgotten they
watch each other. her eyes will him to stay
at once place. he understands, doesn’t sway,

knowing he cannot allow her to see film roll
photo of their dead child would tear at her soul.

What sentimental endings?----[Fiction] Friday

Here’s this week’s challenge:
[Fiction] Friday Challenge for October 12 2007:

Use this quote as the spark for anything you want.

“I’m not one for sentimental endings. Not this time.”

What I am going to write here is not fiction. This post is on my love for book, for reading. How does it fit in Friday fiction? It does not but the quote does albeit indirectly.

Every first week of Jan, April, July and October are taken as Buy A Friend A Book. In this week, one is supposed to buy books for friends for no reason. I do buy books for my friends and family. I too buy books for myself. That is not same as getting books as gifts though.

For the past two weeks, I am having a lucky streak winning six books from various draws on the net world, from all over the world. I cannot explain the thrill of winning books….a few of which are unheard of. The anticipation of holding the book like the first touch of a lover without knowing anything about it is not easy to explain. One has to go through the process. Maybe I am going overboard saying it!

Can anyone be sentimental about books? Well, I am. I am not ashamed of saying it either.

Now for the list of books I won:

1) American Gods by Neil Gaiman from Dewey
2) The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult from Steve and Shaz
3) Nineteen Minutes Jodi Picoult from Steve and Shaz
4) Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult from Literary Feline
5) Town House by Tish Cohen from Jane
6) Downsizing Your Home with Style by Lauri Ward from Collins Nonfiction

I have only received American Gods till date. Others will follow soon enough. Despite my not giving in to stupid sentimental feelings, don’t you think the above books are reason enough for me to dance? The books which are from people I have not met, are a great spark for such feelings.

Yippee!!!

Fallen angels!-----[Fiction] Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for October, 5 2007:
Use the first line of a nursery rhyme (your choice) to start your own story.

Jack and Jill went up the hill to fetch a pail of water

born on the same day
inseparable since birth
both always had a say

about what went on in
the other’s life. toddler
days were not to be seen

for sometime now, even
childhood was left behind
adolescent feelings driven

to core. hormones bubbled
jumping forth. unfamiliar it
was too. step that stumbled

was no surprise. climbing hill
was but only an excuse. dread
after the deed added to thrill

to escape from parent's fury
they fell and faked self-injury!

sleeping beauty----[Fiction]Friday

[Fiction] Friday Challenge for September, 28 2007:
Give a virtuous character a sordid past.

melting luscious lips,
soft as rose petals
moist, glowing
sensually inviting

though asleep, she
made him fall in love.
he swayed, ready to
wake her up with a kiss.

with breath held up
she waited for his lips
to merge with hers,
so as to she could

simulate to be woken up.
a prince who loved
her to eternity and back
for what she was.

she wanted to leave
her past far behind-
she was so fed up
witch had cursed her

a new lover each night
since she was sixteen.
for a while, she enjoyed
pleasures of the flesh.

while those thoughts
chased in her mind-
the prince bent down
kissing her softly.

voltage jolted through,
it ceased being a pretence.