Mindful Writing 32 - 23rd February

yellows and purple
heads peeking
slyly out;
from beneath the shade of the
hill, below the college.
Is it safe to
come out,
yet?

Picture credit: Charmaine 725

__________________________________________________________
Mindful writing is the art of paying attention - being fully present in a moment and then describing it

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com

Final Mindful Writing 31 - Grandparents

In their wedding best

they stand for the photo,

before the brown brickwork

of some wall. They are quite

dwarfed by the photo frame,

pear, peach, apple

pomegranate twined and full.

I close my eyes like my grandfather

in photographs; beneath the

dust I see my grandmother's eyes

shut, too.

My grandparents
Image credit: SM Jenkin

_____________________________________________

This is the final part of the small stones writing challenge

The art of paying attention

Mindful Writing 30 - Burned Diaries

My mother has walked in

from her garden;

the arms of the tulips on her

cardigan writhe like

black flames against a

pink sunset. Her eyes water,

but there is no more smoke,

no soot; her hands are clean.

Image credit: Emmi P

_____________________________________________________

This is part of the small stones writing challenge

The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 28 - Ginger

The sunshine of your

smile has singed your

beautiful beard quite

ginger;

the sparks in the

middle of a fire.

Warming, not burning.

(I hope)

Picture credit: hotblack

____________________________________________________________

This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 27 - Bills

Bills and bank statements,

artfully arranged and

rearranged on

my beige floor.

Again.

Piled up, jagged edges ready to

vomit onto the soft

pile; I size them

up, and shudder.

Picture credit : M Connors

_______________________________________________________________

This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 26 - Boxty

In the warm kitchen, below the incomplete 

bottle of red wine from last week 

(on the side), I watch my hands grating potato

onto the pine effect chopping board;

soft white slivers falling randomly onto

blue and white teacloth, crisp and fresh

from the laundry;

Boxty that my mother will

not eat

Picture Credit: Jer_Jones

______________________________
__
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 25 - Chalk Banks

Everyone is alone in the dark;

the 43 seconds in the tunnel between

 Gillingham to Chatham turn my lying watch-

face blank. Blinking away the glare from the

chalk faced banks; the light dims sharply.

I see the wire mesh holding the crumbling

chalk banks, slowly submerged by  

lush spring growth.

Ivy has buried the lone grey signal box,

slowly spreads towards the  

patchwork platforms.

Picture Credit: Jusben

________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 23 - Chatham station, Island

At Chatham station,
beneath the leaking pipe on
platform 11, a moss-soft green world
blooms and flourishes;
encircled by the rainwater moat.

Picture credit: r_brevity

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 22 - Banana smile

Morning tea;

the upturned smile of a

banana, softening to brown

baby mush.

Shortbread it is, then.

Picture credit: Doctor_bob

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 21 - anticipation

the train is a jackhammer, vibrating with such
force it almost
lifts from the ground.
The moment passes; the engine
whines as it leaves
Gillingham. Such sweet sorrow.

Picture credit ronnieb

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 20 - Laundry

The odd shape of soft

lemon wool,

bulky above sleek

layers of acrylic;

black interspersed with

tempered blue.

Picture credit: Alvimann

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 19 - Duvet Day

early rays of

sunlight as

pale as the moon,

cool as the air on my

nose;

warm duvet covering

my lips.

 

Photo credit: Seamann

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 18 - They fit

canvas bag pressing sharply

on my right shoulder

blade,

soiled pink buggy jammed

into backside, baby shrieks

drumming inside my skull,

but this; the boot.

Chocolate brown, zip

up the side,

and soft leather pressing against

naked calf. A perfect fit.

Photo credit: Muyral

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 17 - Yellow brick road

a river of fire,
leading down from the
dormant grey
chimney; the windy snakeskin glare
reflecting the sun in scar
tissue. left from internet cables
replaced years ago;
fringed in water. shimmering
blinding gold

until the moment the dew heavy clouds
draw in: the new patchwork tarmac, red and black,
Adder sharp, grows to replace the glare;
I find my keys

Photo credit: K Connors

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 16 - Disco Mystery

Yellow, blue, green,
white, pink, purple
repeat

like every other dark
afternoon inside the single
story extension. Perched on the
back of the ex-council house
next door

Yellow, blue, green,
white, pink, purple
repeat

lights flash in succession
through the window of the single story
extension
and the spaces in the arm of the tree
next door

Photo credit: monosodium

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/

Mindful Writing 15 - The Canvas

Magpies streak like
comets across a stained canvas;
blue stains leak through where
splayed Ash branches
grab the sky.
Beneath the framed image, the
burning radiator
gurgles:
white hot

Photo credit: cohdra

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge

Mindful Writing 14 - Send

The light burns, blank

hard white. Above the 

heat mirage the screen

shivers;

The beetle-black box beside

me sighs.

My finger pauses over the

words. I roll my eyes

across the wastelands to the

blinking line.

Watch it select, hesitate

- “send”

Photo credit: kolobsek

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
The art of paying attention

Mindful Writing 13 - 3:15 in the afternoon

The circle is squared; thick

brown rectangular trapping

static lines. The red line

pauses; an

eternity for each second. 

Parallel bars lined in thick

black ink rest on the number

three. The meaning crushed 

beneath the weight

of waiting

Straight lines;

seldom straight forward.

Photo credit: Darnok

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge

Mindful Writing 12 - Morris Dancers

Dim light filters from green and beige jellyfish lights; a venue without a gig. Dust rising from disturbed cabling and plastic blinds shine and shimmer in the rays. Concentration sealed with sweat on the brow; the men dance. Sticks bound with masking tape raise din triumph in the air. The new man watches, counts and jumps while standing; he is cold beneath his black beanie, munching on dry roasted peanuts. The accordionist plays on.

Disclaimer: Morris Men dance with bigger sticks

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge
Taking a moment of the day to notice what is happening

Mindful Writing challenge 11 - Travel

Above the hardback copies works of Paul Theroux

sitting neatly in the high gun-metal shelves of the Travel

section; through the lattice work of the 1930s

window, into the bright blue skies above

white-washed walls

steals the promise of the morning

Photo credit: Clarita

______________________________________________________________
This is part of the small stones writing challenge