Result of the WOOF contest!

This week was a tough one! There were thirteen entries and all of them are very well written. I was lucky to get to top five. 

Congratulations to all the writers. 

Writers Offering Our Finest for March 27

Prose / Humor / Life Story
The Flavored Mom - “Hello, Muffin” - Contemplating body image, how we define ourselves, when are we at our best and the advantages of maturity.


Poetry
Zorlone - “Summer” - Summer is felt everywhere! I just want to let everyone know how I feel about it.
Himri - “Warm Sage bushes” - Construction from observation –or- How planters dress differently from pullers.
Jennifer M Scott - “Forks Go on the Left” - A poem about purpose.


Dramatic Monologues / Fiction
Webbielady - “Her Last Laugh” - A very short written detail about her final moments in his hands...


Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Writing Software: “Save the Cat Software and Book Review“

Blog to the world; Blog for you and me

Blog and Win at Lainy's Blogoversary Celebration

My blog reconnected me to my lost son

It has been seven summers since my son’s untimely demise from an accident in the Coron Islands. Zach and I both have a fondness for animal life, dolphins in particular. He was only four, but he already knew twenty out of thirty-two different dolphin species by heart; so we took it upon ourselves to include dolphin watching as part of the island tour.

 

As a marine Biologist, I was able to tell Zach stories about my research on dolphins. He always listened attentively and remembered the names and behaviors. My wife knew Zach was precocious. Since she cannot conceive another child due to a hysterectomy from uterine atony after delivering Zach, she had always been protective of him.

 

We have just departed Luluyuan Barakuda Lake as a part of the island hopping tour when the accident happened. A freak storm hit. It was a million to one event. The sky suddenly turned black and the waves grew stronger. As if a stroke of bad luck, the boat’s motor malfunctioned. The boatman told us not to panic and wear the life vests. We followed as instructed. I remained calm as my boy was looking at my every move. 

 

Then it hit! A flash of lightning struck our boat near the motor. My son and I were thrown side by side as with the boatman and my wife. I secured Zach on a part of the boat that was still floating. My wife was terrified! She screamed and struggled.

 

“I can’t move my legs! Help me!!!” She kept screaming while frantically keeping afloat.

 

I told Zach to hold on to a piece of wood that used to be part of the hull and reassured him that I will come back after I get his mom. I swam towards her, consciously counting every second that elapsed. I knew I can swim fast being a former  champion in my college varsity swimming team.

 

I got to her exactly eighteen seconds from my count. She grabbed on to me. The boatman wasn't there. I turned back to face the piece of hull where I secured Zach. I panicked! He wasn’t there!

 

“Where is Zach?” My wife shouted! Tears were falling from her eyes.

 

“Where is my boy?” she cried. I felt her grip tightened. Her nails dug into my skin. I couldn’t think. I was in shock. I set my wife on the piece of hull and dove. If I could scream his name under the water, I would have done so. I felt no exhaustion, but my legs cramped. I started sinking when, I felt the end of a life preserver on my hand.

 

As soon as it happened, the rain stopped. The sky started to clear. I only heard my wife’s scream of anger and horror for losing our precious Zach. I didn’t even realize that the coastguard was already there. A man shouted through a megaphone telling me not to let go, as they will bring my wife and I to safety.

 

“He was just there. I secured him onto the wood to before I went to get you.” I said those words as if to bring comfort. 

 

My wife left me. She blamed me for losing Zach.

 

It was one of those moments when I suddenly remembered that painful event seven years ago. I started blogging since then. In my heart, as long as I wrote about the things Zach and I both loved so much, I knew he’d find out about it somehow. I believe he moved on to another life as a kid eager to go back to our favorite past times. This had been my driving force to blog and to reach the world via one click at a time.

 

I was answering a question about dolphins on the latest post on my blog when I heard a high pitch voice calling me.

 

“Doc, it’s time to go swimming!” she demanded. Laika is an inquisitive and energetic little girl who seems to have me as her favorite uncle. She started calling me “Doc” after I nursed her pet hermit crab back to life. The nickname stuck! I didn’t mind.

 

“Is it?” I asked disappointingly. She was looking at me with her big brown eyes with a pout on her lips.

 

“Yes! Let’s go! Kyle and Sai are already in the swimming pool!” she insisted.

 

“Why don’t you go with your brother and cousin instead?” I implored her. As a middle child, she either got along with her older brother Kyle who would sometimes tease her because of her dark skin or would lovingly protect her from their cousin Sai’s tricks. Her younger sister knew nothing of the sort. At one year and two months, little Laureen only knew how to wander off when no one is looking.

 

“I want you to come with me.” She retaliated as if at the verge of a tantrum. Her curly black hair flew carelessly on her head. The neon pink bathing suit lit on her beautifully dark colored skin.

 

“Ok, ok.” I surrendered, “Can I just finish this post for my blog? I’m almost done.”

 

“Blog” she repeated. “What’s a blog Doc?” as unpredictable as the weather, Laika’s mood changed from an impatient little brat to a wide eyed angel who has genuine interest in what I was working on.

  

“Doc! Doc?” Laika tugged my board shorts as she called my attention. She seated her self on my lap while staring at the computer screen as if she knows what the words meant.

 

“A blog honey, is like a diary.” I told her gently. Hoping that she wont let me explain any further.

 

“A d-diary? Coleen has a d-diary.” She knowingly said. “You also write about a boy named Cocoy?”

 

I frowned. “It’s like a diary, but it’s not a diary honey.” I answered while ignoring the  remark about her older sister mentioning a boy in her diary. Thankfully, their mom had to deal with that. 

 

She started scratching her head, a mannerism she got from my cousin Kathleen, her mom, when she’s confused.

 

“It’s like a diary honey because you write down what you want to say to one person. But, a blog is like talking to more than one person and they answer back.”

 

“Oh, just like the news lady on TV?” she said in a matter-of-fact manner. She is a smart kid!

 

“Yes sweat heart. Just like TV. The difference is that you get to find our what other people has to say too.”

 

Her cute little eyebrows curled in frustration.

 

I looked back at the question I was looking at earlier when Laika came in:

 

Dear Mr. Doc,

 

My name is Kaiser. I’m seven years old. My mom and me love dolphins. We live near the sea here in Davao. My mom reads your blog all the time and told me that I can ask you anything about dolphins. Is it true that dolphins can talk to other dolphins like people talk to other people?

 

Kaiser

 

P.S.

My mom helped me type. Come visit us soon!

 

“I want to tell him that dolphins talk like we do,” I said. Trying to simplify the terms for her.

 

“I like dolphins too Doc!” she proudly said. “I know they can talk coz the ocean is soo huge and they can easily get lost if they don’t ask other dolphins for directions,” she continued while gesturing with her small hands how “huge” the ocean really is.

 

“Exactly!” I agreed!

 

There was  a yawn that escaped her small mouth as she rested her head on my chest. She closed her eyes then said, “I want to see dolphins too, Doc. Take me to the ocean please?”

 

“Okay I will.” The thought of having a trip to Davao with my niece and seeing this Kaiser kid and his mom is starting to sound like a wonderful idea.

 

“Promise?”

 

“Promise.”

 

Her eyes were still closed when she murmured, “I want to make a blog too!”

 

I held back my tears from falling as I typed my reply to Kaiser’s e-mail. This is going to be a great summer!

KUERDAS | Our Journey to Forever | The Certified Fashionable Chic | Lainy's Musings


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Almost a Sin?

P032509-02330245M

 

I froze.

I dropped my pen, it stumbled, it rolled,

when you entered the room.

Your eyes saw through my nervous hands,

an excited grin escaped my lips.

 

I breathed out.

 

The smell of your fragrant smile,

brought me to an overwhelming high.

A cat can never walk as seductive,

than the way your hip swings side to side.

 

I followed you.

 

We snuck in a private room.

Hypnotized, I stared in your eyes,

No words, but our souls spoke

In sync, our bodies were mesmerized

 

I stopped.

 

Alas, I noticed the ring in our fingers,

I realized that they did not match.

You and I are both committed,

but not to each other.

 

I ached.

 

Note: This is an experimental free verse. I hope you like it.

You can also see this poem at "lifelots"  

 

WOOF Contest for March 20

Many thanks to all the participants, I made it to the top five of the Writers Offering our Finest (WOOF) Contest! I will be looking forward to join again!

There were eleven brilliant submissions for this week and I was fortunate enough to be chosen top 2 with my poem "The Cross." 

Congratulations to the other participants! Here are the top five entries:

Poetry

Dragon Blogger - “The Golden Tooth” - Random word poem about a fable of an old woman who grew a golden tooth.

Zorlone - “The Cross” - This is a poem I wrote way back in 1993 with some revisions. I was inspired to make this when lent started.

Himri - “Green grain” - About 'life' in a seed.

Prose / Life Stories

artist victoria o'neill - “Cuttiing Your Hair and Drawing on Yourself” - About self expression.

 

Fiction

H. Benjamin Petrie - “I Really Couldn't Say” - A short story about a guy going to visit a girl and waiting around with her brother for her to get home.

Brought to you by PlotDog Press with the Serial Thriller Novel “Dead Play“

My Math is the Suitor of Your Love

P021295-10051021M

 

If the length of my life is immeasurable,

Then I’ll say “I love you” to the nth power.

I know better, because deep inside,

my heart shouts out that “you’re its congruent.”

 

Every time I glance at you,

I realize the square root of all my torments.

For your presence intersects infinitely

the core of this love I profess.

 

What problems should I solve to appease you?

I’d equate all means and medians.

Listen to me as I transpose,

the values of the x- and y-intercepts.

 

Please say that you are equally in love

and I’ll prove any theories in an instant

There is only you in my midpoint

You are the answer to all equations. 

Dropping Entrecards

Just like saying hello, dropping ECs are the greetings we get from other bloggers out there. I found out a lot of interesting sites just by doing that. It is easier to get exposure too!

This week, my achievement was not in curing a difficult disease, but in convincing a blogger to start her own EC. I met her through myLot (an online money making site just by joining discussions). I started a discussion, Blog: What are the topics you blog about? where I found interesting people who write at blogspot too! (not all of them, just some) So, in order to keep in touch,  I linked here labeled "my other blogger friends." In return, they also linked me in their blogs. (Well, some of them LOL) 

There are other fascinating people online who write beautiful posts on their blog, not only do they have a talent in writing, they are also generous in sharing with other bloggers (new ones like myself) their knowledge in how to gain more blog traffic and how to improve on their respective niche. Those people I just referred to are already on my blog list, you may want to visit their sites!

I will do my best to keep in touch with them! (which reminds me, I should drop EC at their sites soon!)

Rejuvinating Siesta

Prologue

The time is an hour past noon, the carbohydrates from lunch invaded my splanchnic system and started to cook under medium fire. My mind feels heavy and my eyelids start to droop. My body knows that it is just proper to give in to this earthly desire to nap.

 

Explained from geographical location

 

The siesta or midday nap is quite common in countries with warm weather. Countries such as China, Vietnam. Bangladesh, India, Italy, Greece, Croatia, Malta, the middle east, and north Africa. Of course, the parent country, being Spain is the mother of this traditional sleep.

 

Originally from?

 

The word siesta rooted from the Latin hora sexta, meaning, “the sixth hour,” counting form dawn to noon. This was then adopted in Spanish as siesta (pronounced: sjesta). This is a short nap taken in the early afternoon.

 

Try to explicate scientifically

 

Our biological functions are synched with our daily activities, such as what occurs after a heavy lunch. The blood sugar elevates specially right after a large carbohydrate meal, there will be a normal rise of insulin to counter this effect, therefore, reducing the blood sugar level. This form of hypoglycemia is called, post-prandial dip. The effect of which, is drowsiness and an irresistible urge to nap.

 

Beneficial Duration

 

Improved mood, memory, and judgment are just some of the beneficial effects of an afternoon nap. The optimum time ranges from 10 to 20 minutes, longer than that will cause sleep inertia.

 

Side Effects

 

Drowsy, groggy, and decrease in performance are caused after sleeping for an hour or so in the afternoon (medically termed: sleep inertia). This is probably the cause of waking up in the deep processes of sleep.

 

Furthermore, the later you take a nap during the day, the more it will interfere with your nighttime sleep.

 Epilogue

As you slowly follow the rhythm on this pleasurable event, your eyes close and your mind stops to think for a few moments, the sandman blows a handful of dust upon your face and gently rocks you to sleepdom (kingdom of sleep) even just for a while.

Summer

A03109-08070818M

 

Scorching under the naked sun,

I melt desperately, but willingly

Abandoning the will to fight,

of this hopeless tiresome journey.

 

Tasting the salty and sour sweat,

that lingered on my dry and rough lips

Wiping away the dirt on my forehead,

that was blown by the humid wind.

 

Quenching this thirst from the heat,

may be the sinful lust I desire.

Reaching for the cool and clear bottle,

of sparkling innocent water.

 

Savoring the very last drop

of this life rejuvenating liquid.

Growing strength once again,

this body will go on further.

the picture was taken with permission from a novelist and blogger, ms. tashabud