Ligo Haibun Challenge

Jul22

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the Ligo Haibun Challenge. Check out the two photo prompts we have for you this week. The first photo belongs to Penny and the second one of clouds is from my collection.

Copyright - Penny

Copyright – Penny

or

Photo 2

As always, we welcome suggestions from you for word/phrase or visual prompts

The following are the rules for this challenge:

  • The haiku/collection of haiku related to the text to close. The haiku should be as authentic as possible, with no syllable count, no capitals or full stop
  • Wear the Ligo badge to the right with pride on your blog! And pin the Circle of Appreciation to your blog if you haibun is selected as an honourable mention!
  • Prizes are given on special occasions

After completing your haibun, please add it to the link collection below. 

We will update the honourable mentions shortly. Thank you:)

Ligo Haibun Challenge – Lost Moments

Jul17

There was a point of time in my childhood when I coveted ice-creams sold in streets. Despite constant allusion to the aspect that they were unhygienic, my fascination did not diminish. I was one of the ‘regular customers’ and a favourite with the vendor. This could be due to the fact that I never complained about the weekly rise in the ice-cream prices. The other customers were some kids, a nanny with a pram and a few old folks. There was a pleasure in the unruly crowd and the banter surrounding the ice-cream cart, which is absent in the high-profile ice-cream parlours.

Strawberry cones

each scoop

melts into the soul

 

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Having Everything – Alasair’s Photo Fiction

Jul16

photo fiction

From his castle, Darrell beckoned to the boy below. “What do you want?” shouted the boy. Darrell signalled him to come up and play with him. The boy stared at him for a second. Then he ran away, scared. Darrell sighed and went inside. Children of his age avoided him. His dad had strictly forbidden him from socializing with kids below his station.

Every night his father came home in a drunken stupor. His mother looked very pale. There was a huge chaos in his home one day. The lawyer was present and his father was screaming at everybody. Darrell could only hear the word, ‘debt’, which was repeated by everybody. The evening, Darrell and his family left the castle. They went to a small house and his father was never the same again.

Darrell was playing by himself when a boy approached him. “Do you still want to play?” asked the boy. Darrell turned to look at his dad. His father smiled weakly and waved Darrell to go and play.

Written for Alastair’s Photo Fiction

Picture it & Write – The Price

Jul16

ermilia

Max hit the ripe mangoes with a stone. They fell down in a bunch. His mother had often told him not to stone a tree. But, she had told him so many things. And look what happened to her.

“That was pretty accurate.” said a voice.

Max turned around to see an intense bearded man looking at him. Max turned back to the mangoes again.

“Are you at school?” the man asked.

“No.” said Max, shortly.

“Are you willing to join LSF?” the man whispered. “We just need smart folks like you.”

Max turned away listlessly. The man quoted an amount and further prodded him to join.

“Will I get three square meals a day?” asked Max, showing some interest for the first time.

“Yes. You will need to undergo an extensive training. But, it would not be difficult for someone like you.” said the man.

“I am ready for anything. I just want food. It has been two days since I ate.”

This was written for Ermilia’s Picture it & Write

Ligo Haibun Challenge

Jul13

Hello Friends,

Welcome to the Ligo Haibun Challenge. Thank you for your wonderful response last week. We encourage all of you to take part in this challenge. We have a word prompt and quote for you to choose this week. Here they are:

Lost Moments

or

The earth has music for those who listen – A quote by George Santayana

We welcome suggestions from you for word/phrase or visual prompts

The following are the rules for this challenge:

  • The haiku/collection of haiku related to the text to close. The haiku should be as authentic as possible, with no syllable count, no capitals or full stop
  • Wear the Ligo badge to the right with pride on your blog! And pin the Circle of Appreciation to your blog if you haibun is selected as an honourable mention!
  • Prizes are given on special occasions

After completing your haibun, please add it to the link collection below.

The honourable mentions for last week’s Ligo Haibun Challenge are:

Twoscamps

Ligo Haibun Challenge – The Game

Jul11
Copyright - Penny

Copyright – Penny

He grins at the check. My horse manages to save the king, but the game would probably be over in two moves. And that is predictable. He suddenly loses patience and pushes all my chess pieces with his pawn and declares himself the winner. Then, he jumps twice and runs away; typical of his eight years.

Young moon

piqued at late dawn

bounces away

Soul – Alastair’s Photo Fiction

Jul9

GEDSC DIGITAL CAMERA

Sameer bowed in front of the bejewelled silver idol before leaving for school. It was the last day of his exams. He copied word by word from his friend while the negligent examiner hardly noticed. So, a sprightly Sameer went to the prayer hall in his house to thank God when he found the eyes missing from the idol. He shrugged and walked away.

A bored Sameer asked his mother for money to watch the latest movie, but she refused. So, he hit and slapped his younger brother in anger. That night he opened the cupboard and stealthily took a large amount of cash. While slipping away, his eyes fell on the idol, which was bereft of its jewellery. Did his mother remove them? He shrugged again and moved away.

The next day his parents desperately searched all over the house for money, which was meant to pay his brother’s school fees. Sameer remained silent till the noon before slithering away to spend the cash on the movie and other revelries. The house was strangely quiet when he returned. He passed the idol on the way to his bed and found that it had turned entirely black. Sameer felt that he was staring into his soul.

Written for Alastair’s Photo Fiction

Ligo Haibun Challenge

Jul6

Welcome to the Ligo Haibun Challenge. We have photo prompts for you this week. These photos belong to Penny and you may choose either of these for your haibun.

Copyright - Penny

Copyright – Penny

or

Copyright - Penny

Copyright – Penny

As always, we welcome suggestions for word/phrase or visual prompts

These are the rules:

  • The haiku/collection of haiku related to the text to close. The haiku should be as authentic as possible, with no syllable count, no capitals or full stop, all ideally making 220 word max.
  • Wear the Ligo badge to the right with pride on your blog! And pin the Circle of Appreciation to your blog if you haibun is selected as an honourable mention!
  • Prizes are given on special occasions

And don’t forget to add your haibun to the link collection below:)

Here are the honourable mentions for last week’s challenge:
Anja: As nature blends with emotions, words rush out. A perfect haiku finish.
Anelephantcan’t: There is a guiding hand when life becomes a haze of grey. He discovers humanity and friendship in his disability.
Reading Pleasure: Love endures the test of time. Years of waiting and reunion expressed in this lovely haibun.
Twoscamps: The travellers, the pedestrian with two dogs and the earth – all of them desire relief from heat and the rain grants them their wish. Be sure to read this interesting haibun and you will experience Arizona in June.
Steph: Memories of stormy nature and a mother breathing her last. A haibun with depth.

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Picture it & Write – The Disappearing Act

Jul5

old-woman-yong-woman-optical-illusion

The magician told sixteen-year old Linda, “The first act would involve you disappearing inside the large box and when the box is opened, Mrs McNeil would come out of it.”

“What about me then?”

“There is an underground passage beneath the box. You can slip down to the basement. Mrs McNeil, was that clear? “asked the magician to the sixty year-old new performer.

Mrs McNeil nodded her understanding.

The stage was set for the performance.

“Now for our disappearing act.” the announcer said in a booming voice.

Linda smiled, parading in her outrageous costume. Then, the magician opened the lid and she crawled inside the box. He opened the box after two minutes.  An old woman appeared from the box and the audience applauded. But, the magician was astonished. She was not Mrs McNeil. Had there been last-minute replacements, he thought irritably. He disliked unprofessional behaviour.

The magician hurried to the basement after his show. Finding it empty, he joined his team in the first floor. “Where is Mrs McNeil?” he thundered. No one knew where she was.

“Okay, have you seen Linda?” he asked.

“Here I am.” said a young voice.

The team looked around, but Linda was nowhere to be found.

“It is me.” said the old woman, who had appeared from the box.

“Who are you? Where is Linda?”

“I am Linda.” she sobbed. “When I made my way down the basement, I met with Mrs McNeil. She looked at me strangely and walked towards me. I felt her disappearing through me. All of a sudden, I felt exhausted and my skin shrunk. I feel that I have lived for 100 years. Oh, what am I going to do now? Give me back.” she cried.

Written for Ermilia’s Picture it & Write

Friday Fictioneers – Missing

Jul4
Copyright - David Stewart

Copyright – David Stewart

“Where are Tom and Nancy?” asked Philip

“They have been missing since we had a small fight this morning.” said his wife, May

“What was that about?”

“They wanted chocolates and fries..”

“Why don’t you give them what they want?”

“You know it is not good for them. Besides, they can’t stay away from the TV. I am just not able to handle them.”

Philip searched the neighbourhood and also the new construction site. Ah! Tom and Nancy were seated petulantly on the top of a building.

Philip waved to them. “Dad! Mom! We are sorry. Please come home.”

Written for Friday Fictioneers, hosted by Rochelle. Thanks to David Stewart for the photo.