depart, ignite, rotten

Today, I'll compose a poem, I think,
and depart from the usual prose
remembering conventions, yet not forgetting
to weave in the three words you chose.
They prime the creation of countless responses
Ignite the imagination
And cause several wanna-be poets to say:
"This is rotten!" and give up in frustration.

Dinner!

Yesterday we went to the Rattlesnake Derby.
Crowds, of course, milling around staring at rattlesnakes and drawling in Texan.
Booths in the streets and traffic in the alleys.
Carnival squawking and smells of strange things cooking.
Rattlesnake meat
Deep fried turkey legs
Crawdads
They shared a turkey leg--not bad
They tried some rattlesnake--like a tough chicken neck
But those crawdads!
Oh those crawdads!
They looked and smelled as if they had just crawled up from a stagnant drainage ditch and died in the broiling sun.
My husband was giddy with delight.
He bought a couple, cracked them open and scrapped out the tiny bits of white meat.
Only my son-in-law was brave enough to join him in the feast.
They pronounced it delicious.
I made sure they carried the garbage out to the dumpster.
So many strange things people caller dinner!
But I can't bite something that looks that much like a trilobite.

Wonder!

I think we all have a great desire to show someone something marvelous...simply because we love that look--that amazed look of wonder. I don't remember the first time I saw mountains or the ocean or a jumping frog...but I remember seeing the amazement on the face of my little brother and sister when they saw them. I remember that great sense of glee that pervaded me. They were now closer to me, because they had been awestruck by the same natural beauty that had bowled me over years ago.

My children's discoveries gave me a sense of satisfaction: I had been given the honor of introducing them to the world. Beauty and Majesty were properly assigned, and the word "Awesome" was now understandably reserved for the Creator of something beyond our power to produce.

Today, I take joy in watching my grandchildren as they see the same glorious marvels. My favorite pictures are those in which their minds are focused on discovery and wonder!

The Politico

So smooth! Never brash! How they doted!
A saint! All his speeches were quoted,
His words lubricated
With promises stated
And remembered--til after they'd voted.

Our three words were: Brash, Saint, Lubricate

Last Minute Instructions:

Here. Wear this old leopard skin so he can’t identify you as human. Hold the sword just so. Don’t deviate from anything I’ve taught you. Go for the jugular when he raises his wings and comes at you. That will saturate his larynx and quench the fire.

Remember, if you so much as deviate by a hair’s breadth, the acetylene tank will burst prematurely, saturating your clothes with its volatile explosives. There won’t be anything left to identify.

Saturate your skin with this scent, dahling. It helps maintain the right attitude. Don’t deviate from the center of the stage…just hold your head…so…turn your shoulders and freeze until the announcer starts to identify the designer, then turn, smoothly, and walk down the aisle!

Trust in this law, my Son. Saturate your mind with its statutes. Don't deviate to the right or to the left. Then I will bless your ways and all those who see you will identify you as one of mine.

Keep it simple. Identify your three main points. Don't deviate from the subject. Don't over-saturate the audience with words.
And, most importantly of all: Say something!



Our Three Word Wednesday Prompt was: Deviate, Identify, Saturate

Mentor

Arms out, eyes intent,
stretching for the next footprint,
she follows my lead.







*I borrowed this picture from a blog--here.