workingoutaname

Thanks again, chelydra for the torch! Here is the 90th ThinkWrite Challenge:

Word List:
coin
time
make
laugh
compose
insure
terrible
learn
culture

NOTE: Any form or tense is acceptable. For example, cultural instead of culture, or laughing/laughter instead of laugh...

Word Count: Exactly 279 words

Judgment Day: AUGUST 1 (about two weeks)

ThinkWriteBoy

I'm new here and thought I'd have a go at this. Here's my attempt at a story.

At New York airport, the passengers were milling around waiting for Flight 187, an Airbus A380. Most of the discussion among the passengers was about how terrible the cost was. $500 for three people was ridiculous! Suddenly, the loudspeaker boomed, “Flight 187 New York to Cairo has arrived at terminal 4. All passengers for Flight 187 New York to Cairo to terminal 4.” Everybody hushed and followed the signs to terminal 4. Upon getting to the plane, friendly staff helped people to their seats. Nervous first-timers composed themselves while more seasoned veterans of air travel wondered how much coin they should spend on snacks.

Then the pilot announced, “Please make sure that your seatbelt is tied in order to ensure that you don’t get thrown out of your seat if something goes wrong.” Then the pilot laughed. “Although since the most dangerous part of being on a plane is driving from home to the airport, the companies that have your life insured have nothing to worry about.”

Some time later, when the plane had landed at Cairo, people of both Egyptian and American culture mingled. There were free brochures being handed out to help visitors learn about modern Egypt. Americans were picking them up, before wondering off to find a hotel. Egyptians wondered about, trying to find the coffee place while waiting for their planes.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker boomed, “Flight 997 Cairo to Hong Kong has arrived at terminal 6. All passengers for Flight 997 Cairo to Hong Kong to terminal 6.”

All over the world, aeroplanes fly around, ferrying people to all sorts of places. And if the world is just too busy? Well, such is modern life.

ThinkWriteBoy

The last one had mistakes in it, so here it is again without them.

At New York airport, the passengers were milling around waiting for Flight 187, an Airbus A380. Most of the discussion among the passengers was about how terrible the cost was. $1100 for three people was ridiculous! Suddenly, the loudspeaker boomed, “Flight 187 New York to Cairo has arrived at terminal 4. All passengers for Flight 187 New York to Cairo to terminal 4.” Everybody hushed and followed the signs to terminal 4. Upon getting to the plane, friendly staff helped people to their seats. Nervous first-timers composed themselves while more seasoned veterans of air travel wondered how much coinage they should spend on snacks.

Then the pilot announced, “Please make sure that your seatbelt is tied in order to ensure that you don’t get thrown out of your seat if something goes wrong.” Then the pilot laughed. “Although since the most dangerous part of being on a plane is driving from home to the airport, the companies that have your life insured have nothing to worry about.”

Some time later, when the plane had landed at Cairo, people of both Egyptian and American culture mingled. There were free brochures being handed out to help visitors learn about modern Egypt. Americans were picking them up, before wondering off to find a hotel. Egyptians wandered about, trying to find the coffee place while waiting for their planes.

Suddenly, the loudspeaker boomed, “Flight 997 Cairo to Hong Kong has arrived at terminal 6. All passengers for Flight 997 Cairo to Hong Kong to terminal 6.”

All over the world, aeroplanes fly around, ferrying people to all sorts of places. And if the world is just too busy? Well, such is modern life.

workingoutaname

ThinkWriteBoy, thanks for your entry! Your story reminded me of one of my favorite iPod games and had me laughing at the pilot’s comments. Unfortunately, I didn’t understand what you meant by the last paragraph. I’m not sure what went wrong, but I’ll look at it again another day and maybe I will get it! Overall it was a good story and I enjoyed it.

I can't wait to see what others come up with!

chelydra

If you could coin times
like nickels and dimes
(perhaps another year to make
to wriggle away like a garden snake
laughing as it joins its mates,
those other years and other fates) —

Could you compose another life
and play upon it like a fife
whatever tune should strike your fancy
cheerful, stately, calm or antsy —
Would that insure you like a policy
‘gainst fire, theft and logical follicy?

Would those magic times and lives
be stellar ascents, oceanic dives
soaring, delving quests for truths —
or fade away like oxcarts & phone booths
after terrible mistakes and stupid crimes
like all our other lives and times?

Will you never learn? an inner voice whispers,
softly, shyly, like embarrassed lispers.
What have you done with what nature gave you?
Look at this earth, you ignorant knave, you!
in all its millennia and vast open spaces—
Have all your nations, tribes and races
Bloomed into a lovely bouquet of cultures
Or merged into a nest of common vultures?

The Raynors whiled away Saturday afternoon with a little family outing, aimlessly walking around Quiogue’s quiet lanes, then settling down at the dead end of Franklin Avenue to rest their feet, munch their sandwiches, and gather their thoughts, not noticing the black speck on Aspatuck Creek’s sun-dappled surface. Drifting weightlessly, submerged but for nostrils and gemlike eyes, Chelydra chanted his sermon over and over in his mind, willing it into the consciousness of these humans.

“Torp!”

The Raynor kids lobbed rocks at the black speck until it disappeared. On the way home, they complained of soft croaking noises in their heads. The croaking never stopped, but they eventually became accustomed to it.

chelydra

The word-counter did not count the ampersand (&) as a word. To return the count to 279, substitute "What've you done" for "What have you done" in the following stanza. Like most bad amateur poets, Chelydra tries to get his rhymes all correct but loses track of the metre and ends up with no rhythm. This of course was the author's way of representing the well-known inability of reptiles to compose proper poetry.

chelydra

Torp, from the same Algonquin root as terrapin, is a local term for Chelydra serpentina serpentina. (Local being the hamlets on the western fringe of the famous Hamtongues: East Quogue, Quiogue, Speonk, etc., and the Moneybogue Bay Watershed.).

five

Well, at present, I am over 100 words too short (though I think on first glance I got all the words in). I am posting my not yet eligible piece with the hope that I can find time to fill it out to 279 words.

The game begins with a pawn,
The conclusion is foregone.
A question is put to insure
The outcome is a welcome cure.

The pollster makes a note
To tally up the early vote.
We would have flipped a coin;
He asks the crowd to join.

A charming, lonely vulture
Who enjoys a bit of culture,
A scavenger absurd,
An ugly headed bird.

Circles, circles overhead,
Time to learn to dread
Red wine in a carafe.
He ought to compose a laugh

Before heading down
So close to checkered town
This feathered fowl,
He is on the prowl

For near dead and dying.
So low he is flying
The shot is not so loud,
The target not too proud.

A terrible thing to endure,
His quill made into a pen.
The bird is without resort.
No court will try the tort.

five

Make that
His quill made to ensure


(so it rhymes). Okay. Will come back to get to 279. I hope

workingoutaname

chelydra: Thanks for sharing. I can't pass the torch back to you, but this would definitely be a worthy competitor if I could! I really enjoyed your poem. Actually, I read it aloud and it had a little bit of a rhythm - enough for me to be able to read it without tripping up all the time. And you used all the words in order, quite impressive.

five: All words are accounted for, five. I have your count at 139, 140 short. Do come back and make it longer! I liked this poem a lot - I hope you can add to it while keeping with the rhythm/rhyme scheme. I'm awful at rhythmic poetry, so I'm always impressed when someone can do it so well!

five

279 words according to my program's word count and eligible (I may futz with it later in parts and give it a title)

The end was hardly fair.
The sky appeared clear.
Short day, out of sight.
Long day, greets twilight.

We would go ten for two
A dour deal to undo.
A free figure of speech,
Barely begins to beseech.

The usual pieces replaced,
Not a single one displaced,
The board is set again.
Comes again our wren.

The wren is rarely seen
Resting in between.
He keeps a happy heart,
You tell him to depart.

An unlikely denizen,
A neutral partisan
Begins with a pawn
Whose ending is foregone.

Seven plus one more
To even up a score
Another set of eight,
Likely to move too late.

He would take the Queen
Without being seen.
A knight, a rook, and bishop,
Any likely prop.

He asks a loaded question.
He does so with inflection.
You would give an answer
No ma’am, Yes sir, Not sure.

The pollster makes a note
To tally up the early vote.
We would have flipped a coin;
He asked the crowd to join.

A phrase put to insure
A sure cure -- not so sure --
Yet easier to hear
Rather than despair.

A charming, lonely vulture
Who enjoys a bit of culture,
A scavenger absurd,
An ugly headed bird.

Circles, circles overhead,
Time to learn to dread
Red wine in a carafe.
He ought to compose a laugh

Before heading down
So close to checkered town
This feathered fowl,
He is on the prowl

For near dead and dying.
So low he is flying
The shot is not so loud,
The target not too proud.

A terrible thing to endure,
A quill made to ensure
Poor bird has no resort.
No court will try the tort.

five

There should be a period after insure. Ah, well, I am sure there are other errors, too.

five

I like your Poem, Chelydra. It's rich. A few minor tweaks would fix the rhythm without losing the rhymes.

Thinkwriteboy, your tale was easy to read and your pilot had me laughing. Nice work.

five

Well, I've gone back and tweaked a little to fix my typo above and to fix some spots that on reflection sounded off. Still 279 words, happily. I should stop now.

The end was hardly fair,
The sky appearing clear.
Short day is out of sight.
Long day greets twilight.

We would go ten for two
A dour deal to undo.
A free figure of speech,
Barely begins to beseech.

Usual pieces placed,
Not even one displaced,
The board is set again.
Comes again our wren.

The wren is rarely seen
Resting in between.
He keeps a happy heart,
You tell him to depart.

An unlikely denizen,
A neutral partisan
Begins with a pawn
Whose ending is foregone.

Seven plus one more
To even up a score
Another set of eight,
Likely to move too late.

He would take the Queen
Without being seen.
A knight, a rook, and bishop,
Any likely prop.

He asks a loaded question.
He does so with inflection.
You would give an answer
No ma’am, Yes sir, Not sure.

The pollster makes a note
To tally up the early vote.
We would have flipped a coin;
He asked the crowd to join.

A phrase is put to insure.
A sure cure is not so sure --
Yet easier to hear
Rather than despair.

A charming, lonely vulture
Who enjoys a bit of culture,
A scavenger absurd,
An ugly headed bird.

Circles, circles overhead,
Time to learn to dread
Red wine in a carafe.
Ought he compose a laugh

Before heading down
So close to checkered town
This feathered fowl,
He is on the prowl

For near dead and dying.
So low he is flying
The shot is not so loud,
The target not too proud.

A terrible thing to endure,
A quill made to ensure
This poor bird no resort.
No court will try the tort.

five

Ack, change "even" to "a one." Okay, must stop.

The end was hardly fair,
The sky appearing clear.
Short day is out of sight.
Long day greets twilight.

We would go ten for two
A dour deal to undo.
A free figure of speech,
Barely begins to beseech.

Usual pieces placed,
Not a one displaced,
The board is set again.
Comes again our wren.

The wren is rarely seen
Resting in between.
He keeps a happy heart,
You tell him to depart.

An unlikely denizen,
A neutral partisan
Begins with a pawn
Whose ending is foregone.

Seven plus one more
To even up a score
Another set of eight,
Likely to move too late.

He would take the Queen
Without being seen.
A knight, a rook, and bishop,
Any likely prop.

He asks a loaded question.
He does so with inflection.
You would give an answer
No ma’am, Yes sir, Not sure.

The pollster makes a note
To tally up the early vote.
We would have flipped a coin;
He asked the crowd to join.

A phrase is put to insure.
A sure cure is not so sure --
Yet easier to hear
Rather than despair.

A charming, lonely vulture
Who enjoys a bit of culture,
A scavenger absurd,
An ugly headed bird.

Circles, circles overhead,
Time to learn to dread
Red wine in a carafe.
Ought he compose a laugh

Before heading down
So close to checkered town
This feathered fowl,
He is on the prowl

For near dead and dying.
So low he is flying
The shot is not so loud,
The target not too proud.

A terrible thing to endure,
A quill made to ensure
This poor bird no resort.
No court will try the tort.

midnightpoet

Well, well, well! Look what you all have been up to while I've been a slacker!

Welcome ThinkWriteBoy! Contrary to Working's opinion - I totally got your last paragraph, and I think it's my favorite part of your story. The story you told was just of basic day-to-day life with colorful humor thrown in, and that last paragraph tied it up - giving the story a purpose. Well done!

I loved that poem, Chelydra - you may say it doesn't have any rhythm, but it has a wonderful flow, meant for hearing as much as for reading. I've read it through three times now, once silently and twice out loud - and it gets better every time.

I read the first and last rendition of your poem, Five, but mean no offense that I skipped the others. I wanted to get to the good part, see the polished final copy. My impatience paid off though when I read the wonderful final draft. Your use of rhyme throughout is wonderful - I'm no good with rhyme myself - and the picture you paint with your words is as wonderful and unusual the rest of your art - truly Five-esque.

I've been suffering a bit of writer's block, between ThinkWrite and a project I'm working on with my brother, but I plan on getting something written soon - hopefully today. Maybe if I beat my head against a wall, words will start falling out. I can only hope.

midnightpoet

It's only 162 words - but it was just for fun, anyway - just for the sake of writing something. So I'll post it. Maybe I'll come back and expand on it...probably not. I was engaging in silliness to get past my writers block. So, without further ado, please disregard all of this as ineligible.

******

I want to compose a poem.
I’d like to make it rhyme.
But though my name says “poet”,
I’m having a difficult time.

I don’t know how to find
The write words to fit a tale
When I also have to insure
That my rhyming doesn’t fail.

Already I hear you laugh.
This poem is forced at best.
But I’m hoping that with humor
It will somehow pass the test.

Rhythm and meter and rhyme
Are concepts I’ve yet to master.
I hope that if I keep writing
This poem won’t end in disaster.

I know that this is terrible,
But somehow I can’t stop.
I won’t even make the word count,
It’s going to be a flop.

I won’t be taken seriously.
I refuse to be cultured.
I’ll write my poems how I please.
Look – a rhyme I butchered!

I’ve learned that coin is spent
On the brilliance of the masters.
But people will pay as well
For just a little laughter.

five

LOL, Midnight. I quite enjoyed your poem, especially the rhyme you butchered.

five

119 here. Will come back to add more (though I kind of like it how it is, and it has all the words accounted for.)

Title: The Fox and the Grapes

What was said?
It was terrible
A fox in a fable,
Grapes overhead.
Compose. Depose
The fruit and savor!
Drooling hunger --
And flowing prose.
Spittle keeping.
Body tucking,
Creeping, ducking
Holy, leaping
The vine too high,
The ground too low
Bellow, bellow,
A belly sigh.
Diminished psyche.
Stomach pummeled.
Flummoxed. Gruntled.
Acid likely.
To quit and go,
Whine to self insure,
Falsely reassure.
Oh, wilting ego.
Fool, a polygraph
Will not likely pass.
Relish the impasse,
Make time to laugh.
Lady Luck’s a coin
A ticklish scoff,
A scab will fall off
The player’s loin.
He will mature,
Hob and knob.
No need to swab
To grow a culture
Divide, divide
Duly multiply.
Time again to try
Returning pride.

five

Okay, 279, and another character.

Title: The Fox, The Grapes and the Crow,

What was said?
It was terrible
A fox in a fable,
Grapes overhead.

Compose. Depose
The fruit and savor!
Drooling hunger --
And flowing prose.

Spittle keeping.
Body tucking,
Creeping, ducking
Holy, leaping

The vine too high,
The ground too low
Bellow, bellow,
A belly sigh.

Diminished psyche.
Stomach pummeled.
Flummoxed. Gruntled.
Acid likely.

To quit and go,
Whine to self insure,
Falsely reassure.
Oh, wilting ego.

Fool, a polygraph
Will not likely pass.
Relish the impasse,
Make time to laugh.

Lady Luck’s a coin
A ticklish scoff,
A scab will falling
The player’s loin.

He will mature,
Hob and knob.
No need to swab
To grow a culture


Divide, divide
Duly multiply.
Time again to try
Returning pride.

When flew overhead
Two crows with full beaks.
Sweet smelling bread
And cheese that reeks.

“Settle, settle down,
Among the trees,
You bird with cheese
You wear a crown,

I feel for sure,
You lovely, Bird”
Eying tasty curd.
“Your beauty will insure

Against all calamity,
Eyes bright to see,
Feathers glossy,
Shining in the tree

A surpassing figure.
How much I long
For sonorous song?
Please do not demur.

Avian spirit,
So easily read.
Lifts up her head.
“Let me hear it,

That I may greet
You, fairest Queen,
Ever heard and seen.”
Eyeing tasty treat.

The Crow began to caw.
The Bird’s mouth agape,
The fox forgot the grape.
The morsel that he saw


Was falling. Falling!
-- “You’re a star!” --
And landing not too far
Away. And Snapping

Up his prize, wily fox
Digests, and says,
With hunger now allayed,
“It will do.” “Bollocks,”

Cries the Crooner.
Away she will go,
Heavy heart in tow
To her brother crow.