This
meme was started by Delores a long time ago. Computer issues led her
to bow out for a while. The meme was too much fun to let go, and now
Words for Wednesday is provided by a number of people and has become a
movable feast.
Essentially
the aim is to encourage us to write. Each week we are given a choice
of prompts: which can be words, phrases, music or an image. What we
do with those prompts is up to us: a short story, prose, a song, a
poem, or treating them with ignore... We can use some or all of the
prompts, and mixing and matching is encouraged.
Some
of us put our creation in comments on the post, and others post on
their own blog. I would really like it if as many people as possible
joined into this fun meme, which includes cheering on the other participants. If you are posting on your own blog - let me know so that I, and other participants, can come along and applaud. And huge thanks to those of you who come back, sometimes time after time to cheer other contributors on.
The prompts will be here this month, but they are being provided by David M. Gascoigne
This
week's prompts are:
- Happen
- Truck
- Hollow
- Daffy
- Tired
- Joke
and/or…..
- Relationship
- Nature
- True
- Home
- Aphorism
- Dragged
Have fun.
Lee called her truck Daffy as a kind of a joke. Like the duck he was named after, sometimes he was fun to be with, sometimes he was a reliable work horse and on other occasions he was just plain evil. The words she had said when Daffy flatly refused to take her home after a long day at work made a hollow mockery of the people who told her that those who swore had inadequate vocabularies.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn’t in either of their natures to speed and Daffy ensured that she met the old aphorism ‘Never drive faster than your guardian angel can fly’. They had covered a lot of miles together, and she (mostly) trusted him. Daffy very rarely let her down. It was also true that their relationship had lasted longer than any she had ever had with people.. Some day she knew that he would give up the ghost and have to be dragged to the wreckers, but she hoped (so much) that it didn’t happen any time soon.
Well done, Sue. A good truck is a good friend!
DeleteOh, I'm experiencing this right now: My faithful old donkey didn't pass TüV.
DeleteAn old vehicle deserves a name, and a spot in our hearts forever.
DeleteA story after my own heart! I also fondly keep vehicles until they wear out. (And yes, I talk to my favourite vehicles. Shh, don't tell.) ;-)
DeleteOld vehicles sure are individuals. I hope Daffy can be revived. Well written.
DeleteHi EC - delightful ... clever too - oh we don't need to lose old faithfuls ... cheers Hilary
DeleteWhat a beautiful prompt! <3
DeleteGood old Daffy, I, too, always name my vehicles and talk to them in storms and blizzards. They need encouragement. Great story!
DeleteXO
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As the past owner of Lois, a car not a truck, I understand the symbiotic relationship of the aging vehicle and (aging?) owner. I also understand the necessary vocabulary!
DeleteLoved your take on the prompts! What a truck.
DeleteI loved this and would have never in a million years thought of it. Woot. Woot.
Deleteah we all have that one thing we name and love even when it's getting old. For my mom it was our refrigerator, Betsy, lol. That thing is probably still running. :)
DeleteElephant's Child: I guess you can never come between a girl and her truck. But a reliable car is actually quite nice, if you drive. Good use of the prompts.
DeleteHave a lovely day.
Desmond knew that Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were a bit of a JOKE, really, and he got TIRED of hearing people going DAFFY over their parents. He knew better than most that parents can be mean, vicious, uncaring and despicable. Abuse of one form or another was more common in homes than many would care to believe, and it is impossible to have a benign view of that kind background. The APHORISM “Forgive and Forget” rang HOLLOW for Desmond. He wanted no TRUCK with either. Desmond left home at sixteen as soon as he was legally able to do without fear of being DRAGGED back there. He never saw his parents again, nor ever wanted to. They say that abused children often become abusers too, but it was certainly not TRUE in Desmond’s case. He devoted himself to his daughter’s well-being and made sure that she was raised in a HOME where she knew she was loved, valued and respected. He taught her a love of NATURE and to respect all life and, that has become an enduring value for her. From bad beginnings good things can sometimes HAPPEN. But please, no more prattling about “honouring thy father and thy mother” one day a year. That RELATIONSHIP will flourish and grow if both parties deserve it, and we don’t need a Hallmark card to remind us.
ReplyDeleteDavid M. Gascoigne: Heartfelt and so very true. We like to believe a whole lot of things about families. Some of which are emphatically NOT true.
DeleteAs someone stated: It is not necessarily good to have parents.
DeleteParents, like all humans, can be a mixed bag. Most are neither angels nor demons, simply good but flawed people.
DeleteWhen they are like Desmond's parents, though, making a clean break from them and their behavior is the best possible outcome.
I agree with Messymimi. Parent are humans too, don't judge them too harshly. But dysfunctional ones ... Desmond did the rigth thing.
DeleteBrilliant David - well done ...heartfelt ... so sad there are families like this - thankfully there are people like Desmond who have the courage to leave and build their own better lives. Cheers - love the words ... Hilary
DeleteHow very well written David. A story that is so true in many cases. The break has to be made. And those dysfunctional ties can be broken.
DeleteXO
WWW
Excellent use of the prompts in a painful tale. Not all childhoods are fairy tales.
DeleteIt was bound to happen. She was curious when she approached the truck that had wrecked right off the road near the hollow, and even more curious when she saw the decals on the truck's window. One was Lucifer and another Daffy Duck. Then there was a decal of Leviathan with Winnie the Poo right beneath it. On the side window was a decal of Asmodeus and another of Snow White. What kind of tired joke was that supposed to be?
ReplyDeleteShe could not help but wonder what relationship these decals with such opposing natures had. True, there could be nothing to it other than some teen age kid who like the shock value the images would have to the folks at home, but she thought there might be a more sinister meaning.
She had little time to think, when she felt herself being yanked backward. Only the briefest thought of the aphorism about curiosity and cats entered her brain as she was dragged to a nearby stand of trees.
Anne in the kitchen: Oooh. Dark and marvellous.
DeletePhew! What a dark plot. However excellently written. Kudos.
DeleteThat's very scary and well done.
DeleteScary one, and well done!
DeleteHi Anne - that's really dark ... and so well told - now I'll be thinking! Cheers Hilary
DeleteOh, that was a shocker ending, Anne, Very, very dark. Well done!
DeleteXO
WWW
Kind of dystopian!
DeleteGetting on it, i'll be back.
ReplyDeletemessymimi: I always look forward to seeing where the prompts take you.
DeleteMy story will be over here.
DeleteA tired hollow daffy joke about a truck is about to happen.
ReplyDeleteWhat has 4 wheels and flies?
DeleteA garbage truck.
You pulled that off quite well!
DeleteMike: Smiling. And groaning.
Delete*Groan* A real shaggy dog. Well done!
DeleteHi Mike - the others have said it ... well done ... ponderingly sad! Cheers Hilary
DeleteYou made me smile!
DeleteVery different selections this week,
ReplyDeleteAlex J. Cavanaugh: They are - and are already spurring people on to create very different stories.
Deleteaphorism? where's my dictionary. Oh.
ReplyDeleteThe stories above are excellent.
River: I have just rescued you from spam and am looking forward to your story.
DeleteGood stories EC..
ReplyDeleteMargaret D: It is such a fun challenge.
DeleteOof, I bungled it up! I only saw the first set of words. Well, at least I used them. Words for Wednesday It is long enough as it is :D
ReplyDeleteCharlotte (MotherOwl): I delighted in your story, and it was just the right length.
DeleteHi EC and David - here's my first set:
ReplyDeleteDaffy Dad left his jokes behind as he fell over his son's toy truck into the hollow – how could that happen?
Interesting words .... Cheers Hilary
Hilary Melton-Butcher: I am smiling broadly. How could that happen indeed?
DeleteSuccinct and delightful, Hilary.
Delete;-)
DeleteHaving fallen over a couple of toys myself in the past, i know just how. Clever use of the words.
DeleteHere's my 2nd set ... I'm not this is very good ... but so be it ...
ReplyDelete'What is a true relationship … does it have to be dragged home to be put down by mental abuse … I've really had enough of parental aphorisms being drawn to weeds in nature. I must get away ...'
Cheers David and EC ... thanks for interesting sets of words - all the best Hilary
I really did enjoy your use of both sets of words!
DeleteHilary Melton-Butcher: I suspect that a true relationship defies definition. And this flash has me thinking. Thank you.
DeleteSometimes we all need to get away.
DeleteIt's always fun to see what people do with the words, Sue. This would be a rabbit hole for me. Take care!
ReplyDeleteFundy Blue: It is always fun - and I so understand about the rabbit hole.
DeleteHere's mine, all words used apart from aphorism which I just couldn't fit in as the protagonist is only 10 years old :)
ReplyDelete--------------------------------------------------------------------------
It became a game for Susie, almost a joke. Her older brothers were instructed to bring her home by any means necessary when the street lights went on. Her gang, consisting of most of the wilder ones on their street, were true to their natures of constant adventure and exploration and roamed where their moods happened to take them. Today, it was the old abandoned truck in the ruins of the burned out bakery a couple of blocks away.
She heard the hollow calls of her brothers, echoing off the buildings around them as she and the other four hid in the truck, tired from their running around. There was a bark also which meant they had brought Daffy, the family dog along to search for her. Her ten year old mind came up with some forbidden curse words. And she envied the others for their only child status, no sibling relationships to dampen their fun.
With a yelp of absolute delight, Daffy jumped into the truck, licking her face as her brothers stood there, glowering, arms akimbo.
Out you get! said Harry and when she shook her head, he and Jack dragged her off the truck and humiliatingly, didn’t let her put her feet on the ground until they arrived home.
Grimly, she plotted her revenge
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XO
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Wisewebwoman: I hope her sense of adventure is never, ever diminished. I love this. And yes, like David I am wondering what form her revenge will take.
DeleteYou painted quite a few pictures in my mind, Mary. Wonderful.
DeleteShe'll break free and have adventures, that one.
DeleteWisewebwoman: I guess she's more mature than her 10 years. Already knowing about plotting for her revenge. Good use of the prompts.
DeleteHave a lovely day.
I'll bet her revenge is severe too.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for this original meme. I don't always join in but it is always fun to read everyone's story, and a good choice of words. I used only the first lot but here's mine, don't usually go into a cynical storyline like this.
ReplyDeleteI hate to think what would happen if the truck broke down in the middle of the desert. Hollow thoughts would send us daffy! I’m tired of hearing how prepared experts are. There are times when the most expert people forget something they need. It is a joke to take things for granted but truth be told, I would listen to an expert always, as their advice is generally sound. Mine is make a list and check it twice/thrice before traveling.
DeniseinVA: Thank you so much for joining us again. And yes, I often trust the experts - even though their advice changes.
DeleteMy trouble starts when the experts disagree with each other!
DeleteThis looks like a lot of fun. I'm sorry I don't have time to participate. I know, I need to manage my time better. Happy IWSG day!
ReplyDeleteJoylene Nowell Butler: Time management? Queue hysterical laughter. And your life is particularly busy at the moment.
DeleteI tried, but came up empty with these. Boo-hoo :(
ReplyDeleteHappy September!
Carol Kilgore: Not a problem. You are very busy with your novel(s). Thanks for coming by.
DeleteTo begin with, an aphorism from the pen of an obviously clairvoyant Russian;
ReplyDelete[...] And if his stupidity is even joined by power
he does not shy away from any means of destruction.
Ivan Krylov (1769 – 1844)
*
Driving his truck, tired of listening to the umpteenth daffy joke, he turned the radio off and lit a cigarette. Not nice sitting on a powder keg, whilst others have the matches to light the fuse. One could easily feel dragged down. True. Fortunately, not his nature. Back home his fleeting relationship was waiting, organising their silver wedding party.
*
Anyone missing "hollow"?
Alright then, another aphorism, thistime by Georg-Friedrich Lichtenberg (1742 – 1799):
When a book and a head collide and a hollow sound is heard, must it always have come from the book?
Excellent.
DeleteLove that last line Sean. And "fleeting relationship"> 25 years together? Interesting.
DeleteXO
WWW
Sean Jeating: Love it. And wonder just how long it will take before that relationship stops being fleeting.
DeleteHi Sue! Just came by to say hi and hope you're doing well through a Canberrean winter. Pretty chilly up here in Queensland still. Loving it.
ReplyDeleteDenise Covey: Winter is right up there with my favourite seasons. I am sorry that ours is just about done. Thank you for checking in.
DeleteLook at all the folks at your party! I'm not the only one who adores you apparently
ReplyDeleteCloudia: Thank you. I am always thrilled (and grateful) to see my visitors.
DeleteHere's my take on the prompts: Fiction: Mrs. Blake and the Ugly Immortal.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the prompts.
Have a lovely day.
lissa: I am heading over to read your story now.
DeleteCountry music must have a truck
ReplyDeleteAnd a relationship all gone amuck
A tired joke but true
But an aphorism too
Should it happen, I don’t give a Daffy Duck
The Blog Fodder: I love this and am smiling a much needed smile. Thank you.
DeleteHaha! Good stuff!
DeleteGood one!
DeleteI like it!
DeleteGreat fun TBF ... love it - cheers Hilary
Delete