Sunday, March 29, 2020

Red Bracelets and Familiars

I’m going to cut right to the chase today. Here are the stories for the last two prompts, and following them is the prompt for next week. Hope you enjoy!



RED BRACELETS

I was a boring woman, with my red bracelets and my strange bottles. See how bright the red. Listen to the chime of my bottles. I keep to myself, a plain woman with long dark hair in a non-descript dress, neither young nor old – timeless.

My neighbours call me bruja and speak of me only in whispers. The street urchins cause me no mischief, nor do they trespass save for when the dare each other to touch one of my precious bottles. Are they surprised by the cold, the texture? I wonder.

The bottles hang from the tree in my postage stamp front yard, swaying in the breeze, rattling when the wind picks up. Each bottle is unalike, unique. Each song it sings is different. I hear their music even when the air is still.

The bracelets were passed down from generation to generation to the eldest daughter. Until me. I was not the eldest, but they are mine nonetheless. They have no beginning and no end. I cannot remove them even should I care to do so. But why would I? I sacrificed much to gain them.

My sister was weak, unworthy. She would never have had the courage to care for the bracelets as they must be cared for. To do what she must to keep them red. My mother and my grandmother knew this but they were slaves to tradition and so my sister had lessons in the bracelets and I was sent to the witch in the woods, my mother’s sister, to learn the secret of the bottles.

They’re connected, you see, the bracelets and the bottles. You cannot have one without the other. And as soon as I understood that, my path was set. It took practice, many false starts, but I learned to perfect my bottles, to craft them into the shape of the soul. And in secret I watched my mother and grandmother attempt to instruct my sister in the blood magic of the bracelets, the knowledge of the forbidden filling me.

So I learned the secret of the bottles from my aunt, and then, to her horror, I embraced the magic of the bracelets and she became the first. That green, misshapen bottle, clumsily made, is hers. When the day came for the bracelet ceremony I was ready. When it was done I had three more bottles for my collection and the bracelets gleamed wetly red around my wrists.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

FAMILIAR

I survived the magical experiment gone haywire by hiding in her library. You’d think someone of her calibre would know better, but then Daphne always was over confident, always thought she was better than anyone else. Frankly, she got what was coming to her.

I was her trusted apprentice but her trust only went so far. I was good enough for the grunt work – gathering ingredients, mixing potions, cleaning up afterwards – but not for actual spellwork. She kept her spell book under lock and key and me in the dark.

Another of Daphne’s faults was that she didn’t believe in familiars. I’d always believed a familiar was an integral part of a witch’s make-up but when I broached the subject to her she just looked down her nose at me. I argued that the witch’s handbook advised the first solo spell should be the acquiring of a familiar she sneered and told me, “I’ll have no mangy animals in my household. Familiars are more trouble than they’re worth.”

So that was that and I never mentioned it again, just did what I was told and learned what I could. She was miserly with the lessons, but I was a quick study and learned more than she ever realized.

I didn’t know what the spell she intended to cast that day was of course, just that it would be major judging by the number of times she sent me to the woods and the village for ingredients. As usual, she zapped me with a spell of silence – just because that one time I distracted her with a question – so I couldn’t have warned her about the mouse even if I cared to.

So I stood in fuming silence watching the mouse creep closer and closer to the salt of the protective circle around her, braced for the inevitable. The mouse crossed the circle, the spell went awry, and I bolted for the well warded library.

I knew it was safe to come out when I could speak again – personal spells always dissipate when the caster dies. Daphne was a smear of ash on the floor. The mouse crept out from under the broom that had fallen and scurried over to my feet.

“Well done, Otis,” I said, stooping down so he could hop into my hand.

Familiars didn’t have to be big and mangy to be effective.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wordage Report

Wandering Wizards – 0
I gotta tell you, the story’s been as elusive as the sun lately, but I’ll keep working on it.

Weekly Prompt – 409 words and 397 words
The fact that I got both prompt stories dome makes me feel like I’m actually doing something.

New Prompt
Use this as your first line:
I've got my lantern - now I'm going into hiding.

Happy Writing!

Thursday, March 26, 2020

Fortune Telling , Part I



I hope you had as much fun reading about the Seven Deadly Sins and the Heavenly Virtues that protect you from them as I did sharing them. But that series is done now and it’s time for a new one.

Anyone who knows me knows I have a thing for the mystical, and that includes divination, or fortune telling. It just seemed fitting that in these uncertain times people might want a glimpse into the future to see what fate might have in store for them. Fortune telling can be a lot of fun and any one can do it, even you.

A long time ago I started compiling different methods of fortune telling with an eye to making a book. Actually, I did make a book, but it's a volume of one that I pull out every once in awhile to have a little fun. But what good is fun if you can't share it, right? So over the next few weeks I’m going to share a few of my favorite methods of telling fortunes.

We start with the age old practice Tasseography. Tasseography (also known as tasseomancy or tassology) is a method of divination that interprets patterns in tea leaves, coffee grounds, or wine sediments.

The terms derive from the French word tasse (cup), which in turn derives from the Arabic tassa (cup), and the Greek suffixes -graph, -logy, and -mancy (divination).

To read someone's tea leaves, you must use loose tea leaves. A small, white cup with no designs or patterns on the inside walls is ideal. Have the person drink the tea, leaving a small amount of liquid in the bottom of the cup, as well as some tea leaves. Holding the cup in the left hand, he or she should slowly swirl the contents of the cup around three times clockwise. Try to make sure that the leaves are moved towards the rim of the tea cup. Then they should place the cup upside down on the saucer, holding it there for 7 seconds while letting the fluids drain. When the tea cup is placed right side up again, the handle should be facing the reader while he or she interprets the symbols and images.

It is traditional to read a cup from the present to the future by starting along the rim at the handle of the cup and following the symbols downward in a spiral manner, until the bottom is reached, which symbolizes the far future.

Below I’ve listed a few of the traditional meanings of some more common symbols you may see. If you’d like to learn more about reading tea leaves or even just a more comprehensive list of meanings, click HERE.

AIRCRAFT – a journey; if broken, danger of an accident; can mean a rise in position
ANCHOR - a lucky sign; success in business and constancy in love; the realization of your wishes.
APPLE - achievement
AXE - difficulties; near the top, overcome.
BALL - variable fortunes.
BELL - unexpected news; good if near the top.
BIRDS - good news.
BOAT - visit from a friend, protection.
BOOK - open, good news; closed, a need to investigate something.
BUTTERFLY - fickleness.
CANDLE - help from others.
CAT - deceit, a false friend.
CHAIN - an engagement or wedding; an entangled chain means a; a long, thick chain indicates ties you wish to undo; a broken one, trouble in store.
CHAIR - a small chair shows an arrival; a large one, deliberation over a new plan.
CIRCLE - success, completion; with a dot, a baby.
CROSS - expect to meet with hindrances and obstacles; sorrow and misfortune are also indicated.
CROWN - advancement and honor; the attainment of your highest ambition.
CROWN AND CROSS - signifies good fortune resulting from death.
DAGGER - danger from self or others, beware of recklessness.
DOG - good friend; if at bottom, friend needs help.
DUCK - money coming.
ELEPHANT - wisdom and strength.
FACE - a change, may be a setback.
FEATHERS - large feathers mean achievement and prosperity; to authors, literary success; small feathers denote something of which you are afraid, but which you will meet with courage.
FISH - good news from abroad; if surrounded by dots, emigration.
FORKED LINE - decision.
GOAT - be careful of enemies.
GRAPES - these signify pleasure, abundance, fulfillment, and a life free from care.
GUN - a sign of discord and slander.
HAND - if open, friendship; if closed, an argument.
HEART - pleasures to come; if surrounded by dots, through money; if accompanied by a ring, through marriage.
HORSE - -if galloping, good news; if head only, a lover.
HOURGLASS - need to decide something.
HOUSE - success in business.
IVY, Patience, understanding, steadfastness, and loyal friends.
KITE - wishes coming true.
KNIFE - a warning of disaster through quarrels and enmity.
LADDER - promotion, a rise in life.
LINES - straight, progress; wavy, uncertain path.
MOON (as a crescent) - prosperity and fortune.
MOUNTAIN - the promise of the realization of a great ambition and of the influence of powerful friends; many mountains indicate obstructions and sometimes powerful enemies in your career.
MUSHROOM - sudden separation of lovers after a quarrel
PALM TREE - a symbol of honor, fame, and victory; increase of wealth, love, and marriage.
PIG - good and bad luck mixed: a faithful lover but envious friends.
QUESTION MARK - need for caution.
RABBIT - fair success in a city or large town.
RING - at top, marriage or an offer of marriage; at bottom, long engagement; if broken, engagement is broken off.
SCALE - legal issues; if balanced a just result; if unbalanced, unjust.
SCISSORS - An unlucky sign of friction between friends; disputing and disagreeableness with married couples; quarrels between lovers; trouble in business.
SHELL - Good luck from an unexpected source.
SHIP - worthwhile journey.
SHOE - change for the better. STAR - a lucky sign; if surrounded by dots, wealth and honor are foretold.
SWORD - a sign of danger, sudden illness, or even death; it also betokens slander and dangerous gossip.
TREES - a sure indication of prosperity and happiness; surrounded by dots, a fortune in the country.
TRIANGLE - a fortunate meeting, good luck; sometimes an unexpected legacy. UMBRELLA - if it is open, bad weather and grumbling are foretold; closed, a bit of bad luck which may be avoided.
WINDMILL - success in a venturous enterprise.
WOLF - beware of jealous intrigues.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

World on Fire



Wow. I was tongue in cheek when I compared the COVID-19 pandemic to Stephen King’s the Stand last week, but it’s not so funny anymore.

Canada is basically on lock-down, until further notice. Grocery stores and pharmacies are still open, but we’re told not to go there unless it’s an absolute necessity, and the grocery stores are limiting purchases and the number of people they’re letting in. Our children’s children will be learning about this in history class.

Being diabetic I’m considered “at risk.” So’s the hubby, who’s only been cancer free for a couple of years. There have been 6 cases reported in our area but no deaths so far. I hope it stays that way. If you’re curious about the numbers around the world, check out the COVID-19 map.

One of those confirmed cases was at the granddaughter’s school. They’re being close-mouthed about what grade it was but the daughter is taking no chances. And her hubby works for a store that’s still open to the public, which pretty much puts them at risk too. So, while they’re still coming for Sunday dinner tonight, I’m off the hook for babysitting for this week.

For the record, I’m not liking this much.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wordage Report

Well, I’ll tell you. For part of the first three days of last week I enjoyed the company of the granddaughter. Thursday I just didn’t feel like doing anything, and Friday the hubby and I binge-watched the first season of Game of Thrones. Saturday I wasn’t quite as lazy, but still.

Wandering Wizards – +1000 words, -700 words.
There is this scene I want to write that shows Jessica is having misgivings about staying in the magical realm, but I just can’t seem to word it right. I wrote it three times, deleted it twice, and I might just skip over it on my way to the action.

Weekly Prompt – 424 words
My prompt story took a creepy turn (as my short stuff often does) and I’m not finished with it yet. Maybe I’ll finish it this week.

New Prompt
Use this as your first line:
I survived the magical experiment gone haywire by hiding in her library.

Happy Writing!

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Greed and Charity



Today is the final installment of my series on the Seven Deadly Sins, and a timely one at that seeing as it’s the Sin of Greed.

There are at least three forms of greed:
1) an obsessive desire for ever more material goods and the attendant power.
2) a fearful need to store up surplus goods for a vaguely defined time of want.
3) a desire for more earthly goods for their own sake.

Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.
Isaiah 56:11

Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 5:10

Greed (Latin, avaritia), also known as avarice or covetousness, is the desire for material gain. "Avarice" is more of a blanket term that can describe many other examples of greedy behavior. These include disloyalty, deliberate betrayal or treason (especially for personal gain), scavenging and hoarding of materials or objects, theft and robbery, or manipulation of authority.

Remind you of anything going on lately?

It is similar to Gluttony and Envy, but gain rather than consumption or possession is key. Thomas Aquinas condemned Greed because "it is a sin directly against one's neighbor, since one man cannot over-abound in external riches, without another man lacking them...it is a sin against God, just as all mortal sins, inasmuch as man condemns things eternal for the sake of temporal things."

Greed is self-serving. No one is ever greedy for something for someone else. Someone once asked a billionaire why he wanted more money when he was already rich, and he answered, "Because it’s there." No matter how much of anything a greedy person has, he has an insatiable appetite to want to more. Greed is covetousness, with covetousness being a foundation stone in all of the seven deadly sins.

Your punishment in Hell will be: You'll be boiled alive in oil. Bear in mind that it's the finest, most luxurious boiling oil that money can buy, but it's still boiling.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

To avoid this fate, you must practice the Heavenly Virtue of Charity

Charity covereth a multitude of sins
Peter 4:8

Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up.
1 Corinthians 13:4

In Christian theology charity, or love (agapē), means an unlimited loving-kindness towards all others. The term should not be confused with the more restricted modern use of the word charity to mean benevolent giving.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church puts it aptly:
Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for his own sake, and our neighbour as ourselves for the love of God.
(no. 1822).

If you’d like to check out the rest of the series, here are the links:  Pride, Wrath, Sloth  Lust,  Gluttony, and Envy.

Be sure to check back next week to see my next Throwback Thursday series.

Sunday, March 15, 2020

It’s Getting Real Out There



Anybody else starting to see similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and Stephen King’s The Stand? I’m not just talking about the plot, which began with the spread of a pandemic disease, I’m talking about the whole good versus evil thing. While you get people stepping up and helping their neighbours, especially the at risk elderly ones, you get just as many, if not more, people doing just the opposite with the hoarding and price gouging.

Grocery shopping on Friday was terrifying. I normally go first thing in the morning to avoid the crowds but there was no avoiding the shopping frenzy at either of the stores I frequent. I’ve never seen anything like it – not even during the Christmas rush – and I hope I never see it again.

This week’s poetry reading was cancelled, my tai chi class was cancelled, and I’m pretty sure my stitchery guild meeting will be cancelled next week. Better to be safe than sorry I guess. As for being advised to stay at home and avoid social situations. . . well, that’s something I prefer to do anyway.

The one bright spot is that so far the retreat I’m going to in April is still on. Cross your fingers for me people, I really want to get away to write for a few days.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wordage Report

Good news is, I’ve been making progress. Bad news is, the government is extending the March Break by two weeks so I’m probably not going to get much done over the next few weeks when I have an active kindergartner to entertain.

Wandering Wizards – 1000+ words
Once again I didn’t keep track. My bad. BUT I am moving forward, and that’s the main thing, right? Aracelia is up to something mysterious and the gang are about to reach the Shrine of Dorian. Then all hell is going to break loose. Can’t wait!

Weekly Prompt – 307 words
I wrote a perfectly forgettable, really stupid story that meandered quite a ways into nowhere. It was so bad I promptly deleted it without so much as second thought.

New Prompt
Use this as your first line:
I was a boring woman, with my red bracelets and my strange bottles.

Happy Writing!

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Envy and Contentment



The sixth installment in my series on the Seven Deadly Sins and Heavenly Virtues is the Sin of Envy.

Envy has been with us ever since Cain slew his brother Abel. It’s the sin of the have-nots against the haves. A lot of the time those who are considered rich don’t even realize it – but those who think themselves poor know who the rich are. They’re the ones who have so much more than they have. Often poverty is a state of mind induced by our neighbor’s possessions – that new barbeque, or new car. Envious people count other people’s blessings instead of their own.

A sound heart is the life of the flesh: but envy the rottenness of the bones.
Proverbs 14:30

For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
Job 5:2

Dante defined Envy as "love of one's own good perverted to a desire to deprive other men of theirs." In his Purgatory, the punishment for the envious is to have their eyes sewn shut with wire because they have gained sinful pleasure from seeing others brought low.

Envy is the only deadly sin that is also listed in the Ten Commandments:
Thou shall not covet thy neighbour's wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to thy neighbor.
Exodus 20:17

Jealousy or envy causes one to become malicious inside and secretly wish ill-will towards another. That ill-will or spite is usually released through sarcasm, gossip, or remarks filled with malice in order to hurt the other person in an attempt to put them in their so-called place. Self-centered people manifesting envy usually try to glorify themselves because of their lack.

Envy is the dislike felt toward another because they have a position, possession or quality one desires. You want it, but you want it without having to pay the cost for it. It's a free-ride type of desire.

Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas said of Envy:
Envy according to the aspect of its object is contrary to charity, whence the soul derives its spiritual life... Charity rejoices in our neighbour's good, while envy grieves over it.

Your punishment in Hell will be: You'll be put in freezing water.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

If you wish to avoid this fate, you must practice the Heavenly Virtue of Contentment.

To do this, you must become moderate in your wishes. Contentment can come either from having more or wanting less. The contentment provided by the latter is seven times more durable than the former. We must learn to be satisfied with our lot in life even when we don't have a lot. In other words, always be content with what you have.

Give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs! For if I grow rich, I may become content without God. And if I am too poor, I may steal.
Proverbs 30:8-9

If you’d like to check out the other sins in this series, here are the links:  Pride, Wrath, Sloth  Lust, and  Gluttony.

Sunday, March 8, 2020

Time and Again



Once again I got suckered into believing that the powers that be were seriously considering doing away with the time change. And once again I was seriously disappointed. What is wrong with this people? Do they get some sort of sadistic charge out the turmoil the twice-yearly time change causes?

I swear by all that’s holy in the next Federal election I will vote, nay, I will even go so far as to campaign for, the candidate that swears to abolish the time change.

I hate it so much that this year I even wrote a poem about it. A parody, as it were:

Time Change

How do I hate thee? Let me count the ways.
I hate thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when slumber is out of sight,
For the days are long and nights a disgrace.
I hate thee to the level of every day’s
Exhausted need, of resting eyesight.
I hate thee freely, without hindsight.
I hate thee purely, as Morpheus withholds his praise.
I hate thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I hate thee with a hate I never seem to lose
From year to year. I hate thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but hate thee even after death.

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wordage Report

Wandering Wizards – 1500+ words
I can’t really say for sure because I didn’t keep track but I know it was at least that much. It occurred to me that the wizards in the south shouldn’t just sit there twiddling their thumbs, so I figured I needed to get them working for their part. Apparently, Thackery has a plan, but Paranithel has . . . Tarot cards. LOL

Weekly Prompt – 0 words
To be honest I might have glanced a couple of times at last week’s prompt, but I didn’t really give it much thought. I think I’ll scrap it and give us a new one.

New Prompt
Use this as your first line:
Once upon a time, a construction worker forgot the meaning of evil.

Happy Writing!

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Gluttony and Temperance



The fifth of the Seven Deadly Sins is that of Gluttony, a sin I can certainly relate to, especially when it comes to chocolate or leftover Halloween candy.

In the words of nineteenth-century Russian Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov:
Wise temperance of the stomach is a door to all the virtues. Restrain the stomach, and you will enter Paradise. But if you please and pamper your stomach, you will hurl yourself over the precipice of bodily impurity, into the fire of wrath and fury, you will coarsen and darken your mind, and in this way you will ruin your powers of attention and self-control, your sobriety and vigilance.

Medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas said:
Gluttony denotes, not any desire of eating and drinking, but an inordinate desire... leaving the order of reason, wherein the good of moral virtue consists.

Gluttony is a serious sin because it enslaves the soul to the body, even though the soul, which is superior, is supposed to be in charge. Gluttons eat not for the sake of fueling their bodies or to participate in social gatherings; but rather they eat just for the sheer pleasure of consuming. And because it tastes good. ;-)

Gluttony contributes to lawlessness because gluttony is excess, and that excess indulges the self and leads to a lack of self-control. The time or activity that one spends glutting himself takes away time from other things, and brings forth a life of irresponsibility. In order to justify the time spent on whatever consumes him, the glutton can't be wrong because that might infringe on the freedom to do what he wants. Therefore, when things go awry, everyone else is responsible for the problems. The glutton has to fill himself with what he wants to do to satisfy self, and this is usually done at the expense of others.

Gluttony is the act of immoderate eating and/or drinking. It focuses on pleasure alone and finds it in food and drink. Enjoying a delicious dinner is not sinful, but eating to the point of hurting yourself (vomiting, or becoming obese) is sinful. Having an occasional drink to celebrate a holiday or festive occasion is not sinful, whereas drinking to the point of drunkenness is a sinful act.

Eating what you don’t even want just for the sake of eating is gluttony. Eating more than you want or need in order to prevent others from getting “your” share is also gluttony. Using alcohol to loosen inhibitions so you can rationalize sin is a form of gluttony which leads to other sins.

Your punishment in Hell will be:
You'll be force-fed rats, toads, and snakes.

If after all that you're still considering "hurling yourself off the precipice of bodily impurity," why not do it with some . . .

DOUBLE PEANUT BUTTER PAISLEY BROWNIES

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup Creamy Peanut Butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-2/3 cups (10-oz. pkg.) Peanut Butter Chips
1/2 cup Hershey's Syrup

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13x9x2-inch baking pan. In large bowl, beat butter and peanut butter. Add sugar and brown sugar; beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt; mix into peanut butter mixture, blending well. Stir in peanut butter chips. Spread half of batter into prepared pan; spoon syrup over top. Carefully spread with remaining batter; swirl with metal spatula or knife for marbled effect. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into squares. About 36 brownies.

See you in Hell! or Overeaters Anonymous.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

To overcome the sin of Gluttony, you must practice the Heavenly Virtue of Temperance.

A temperate person practices self-discipline. This includes constant mindfulness of others and one's surroundings; practicing self-control, abstention, and moderation.

Deciding how much to eat and drink in advance, and not just “diving in” is a way to practice temperance. Temperance should be combined with periodic fasting and abstinence.

Religious fasting (such as the kind that overcomes gluttony) is not a starvation diet. In the church “fasting” means periodically reducing the amount of food you eat.

The church recommends periodic fasting of three smallish meals (two “less-than-half-of-a-regular-sized-meals” and one regular-sized meal) with no snacks in between. The church also recommends abstinence – avoiding meat or a favorite food altogether, when overcoming gluttony.

The more you practice denying yourself legitimate goods, the better you will be at denying yourself when it comes to evil inclinations.

Don't forget to check out the previous sins in this series of  Pride, Wrath, Sloth and Lust.

Sunday, March 1, 2020

Metaphors and Art



So . . . I’ve been sitting here for the last couple of hours, trying to get this blog post written and (obviously) getting nowhere fast. I guess that should tell you how the writing’s been going, eh? I don’t even have a poetry reading as an excuse, nor have I been reading an excessive amount.

So what have I been doing? Good question.

I’ve been working on a sweater for my granddaughter. I went to an appliqué workshop held by the Stitchery Guild. I wrote (and mailed!) a seven page (typed) letter to my sister. I went to Costco yesterday to pick up this craft case the hubby and I saw when we were there last week and then spent five hours filling it with craft stuff. Today I did laundry, vacuumed, and dusted - and I loathe dusting!

To say this has been a slow week for writing would be an understatement, although I did write a short piece for that weird ass little prompt I’ve had up for the last couple of weeks. And to prove it, here it is:

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

To refresh your memory, the prompt was to use as your first line, Cruelty is a sleeping boy but art was a bleeding man.

Metaphors and Art

“Cruelty is a sleeping boy but art was a bleeding man.”

“That doesn’t even make sense,” Prudence said. She didn’t know which annoyed her more, Reginald’s lofty attitude or his sweeping, nonsensical rhetoric.

“Of course it makes sense,” he told her with a sniff. “You’re just too dim to understand it.”

“Fine,” Prudence said. “Then explain it to me. How is cruelty a sleeping boy?”

“It’s a metaphor.”

Maybe it was the nasal whine to his voice that bothered her so much, Prudence thought. He spoke like he should have a snooty British accent, or at least be standing with his nose in the air. Oh, wait, he was standing there with his nose in the air.

“Okay,” she said. “Cruelty is a sleeping boy is a metaphor. A pretty odd metaphor, but I’ll give you that. But what about the rest of it? Art is a bleeding man.”

“Art was a bleeding man,” he corrected.

“Fine!” She threw her hands up in the air. “Art was a bleeding man. I suppose you’re going to tell me that’s a metaphor too.”

“Of course not. That would be redundant.”

“Then what is it?”

“It just . . . is,” he said, almost helplessly. “Or was.”

“Was what?” she asked, bewildered.

“Art. Art was a bleeding man. The bleeding man was art.”

“Oh,” she said, understanding at last. “Now it all makes sense.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ *

Wordage Report

Wandering Wizards –
Whistles tunelessly while looking around

Weekly Prompt – 250 words
Short, but nonsensical. :-D

New Prompt
Use this as your first line:
I saw a mad man with a house that Thursday.

Happy Writing!