Fiction · Friday Fiction in Five Sentences · Short Stories

The hamper of goodies…Friday fiction in five sentences.

The ding-dong of the doorbell sounded loud in the silent, dim house.

Ginger and her owner opened the door, met no one but a wicker hamper with goodies; a bottle of red, a thick slab of ham, some fruitcake, pecan pie and a card that simply said ‘thank you.’

Ms. Penelope always thought highly of herself and felt gratified that someone had finally come to their good sense to appreciate her neighbourly attitude. She forgot that five minutes ago she sat in the dark in her house stewing over the din coming from the neighbours who were obviously having a swell party without inviting her. She had been contemplating calling the police before the bell rang.

She forgot that she was the neighbourhood’s reliable gossip, all seeing eye busy-body who had observed the licentious shenanigans going on in the home of the Stottgard’s now ex’s.

A generous portion of red poured into her chipped mug and a good helping of pie, she wondered again what the O’hilley’s were up to with the plumber visiting Mrs O’hilley ever so often. That’s a riddle that no one has an answer to, because, since the night of the party, Ms Penelope hasn’t been seen puttering around other people’s business, but her poor Tabby has been heard crying late into the nights.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha


Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

 

Featured Blogs · Short Stories

The sad saga of the Beak-less, Tailless, Gizzard-bobbing, one-leg hopping Chicken.

Beth never fails to send me into stitches with her stories. I totally enjoy reading Nutsrok for my good dose of chuckles and her descriptions sends my imagination running haywire.

I hope you enjoy the farm tale and visit her for more.

Being a farm kid is not for sissies and cowards. The dark side of the chicken experience is slaughtering, plucking, cleaning, and preparing chickens for the pot. I watched as Mother transformed into a slobbering beast as she towered over the caged chickens, snagging her victim by the leg with a twisted coat-hanger, ringing its neck and releasing it for its last run. We crowded by, horribly thrilled by what we knew was coming. It was scarier than ”The Night of the Living Dead”, as the chicken, flapping its wings, running with its head hanging crazily to one side, chased us in ever larger circles until it finally greeted Saint Peter at the Pearly Gates. It looked horribly cruel, but done properly, a quick snap of the wrist breaks the chicken’s neck instantly, giving a quick death. Of course, this is my assessment, not the unfortunate chicken. The chickens always looked extremely disturbed.

The story continues here.

Featured Blogs · Share A Link

Featured Posts # 68…Share your post links.

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‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’ 

Today’s featured blogs posts are:

Please do step in and show some love.

Fear, procrastination paralyzed: Afraid, yes, but do it! Yes you can. A short and great advice.

The Sad saga of the beak-less, tail-less, gizzard-bobbing, one-leg hopping Chicken: A humourous farm tale. Good read for a good chuckle.

Why our teens have lost faith in us: A MUST-READ for every parent. My comments to the post says:

Say it aloud! Well done ma’am. As a parent this is really a bothersome phenomenon. The rate is too high and says something unsavoury for the society. I don’t buy the idea of putting all that pressure on my children. I encourage them to be and do their best in whatever they are doing and I discourage blind competition or comparison with other people’s children. It only breeds bitter sentiments. Well said.

The embodiment of stories: The power of expression in the written word and the power of oratory belongs to man. Stories are the building blocks of our society and no matter how long man lives and the advent of all things technological, the art of writing is not in a hurry to die. This is my opinion on this well enunciated article.

Save the daughters: “When you raise a female, you raise a village, a town, a city, a Nation.” How can a wounded bird fly? These are questions and thoughts that go through my head when I read such articles and wonder why the female sex are constant recipients of abuse?

‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’

Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’


Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Everyday People

Timeout…Every day beautiful people # 59

“It’s always good to take a little time out of your busy life to focus just on yourself and if you’ve got a friend to share a cup with, that’s goodness tasted and remembered.” Jacqueline

Friends_drinking[1]

It’s a weekend good folks. There’s nothing like a little timeout to chill and natter with a good friend with some music in the background, or,

to chill all by yourself with a compelling good read, soft music, a warm cuppa or glass of cold drink – whichever suits you best 🙂

Enjoy. Love and light


Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

I listen to the tinkles of the water,

the thrums of the guitar and the deep rhythm of the bass.

No words are said, as you stare deeply into my eyes.

The look caught within your pupils, mirrors all the love trapped inside

aching to flow out, a syllable at a time. Just like that soft jazz.

Midnight motivation and musings

Midnight Motivations and Musings 94

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Will I have the opportunity to live life a second time? I have no answer to that question, but I know that in this realm, you and I get only one chance and one life to live.

The constructive question that I keep asking myself as I journey along now, is am I living as I should? Am I living my life or am I letting life live me?

Am I in a position to take charge of a lot of things that goes on in my life knowing that a lot of my destiny lies in my hands?

What am I doing to put myself in that position?

Or, am I just willing to ride along and take whatever fate flings at me?

We’ve been given a free will to make daily choices and even though some choices may be out of our control, the bulk of it all truly rests on us.

Each day, the mindful thoughts, the conscientious actions that we take determines how our moments play out.

Blessed be.


Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Blog

WooHoo! Interesting Milestone…What does 1,337 represent?

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So, I received this badge today and I honestly don’t understand what it signifies and why that specific number 1,337?

I have blogged for precisely 392 days and I receive this notification congratulating me on my 1,337 posts.

Does it mean there’s a cheque in Fedex winging it’s way to me in Dubai? I wiggle my eyebrows in anticipation 😉

Let me toddle off to help desk and ask. I like knowing stuff for knowledge sake. Who knows what I might find.

Well, I’ve been writing quite a bit 🙂

Echos Of My Neighbourhood · Travel

Catching the dates and other randoms…Echoes of my Neighbourhood #21

On Thursday’s, I share pictures about ‘Echos of my Neighbourhood.

I would like to invite you to participate. The challenge is quite simple.

Every Thursday, share a photo of bits and pieces of wherever you are at any point in time. It could be a house, backgrounds of your neighbourhood, activities and so forth and you can tag it Echos of my Neighbourhood, add my link to your post so that I will get the ping from your post.

Every other Thursday, I will publish a post with the links of all those who participated the previous week.

This is just a fun way of getting to see more of the World around us through your eyes since we cannot all be at those places, we could, at least, see them through you.

Dates, dates everywhere! It’s the date season and the palms are burgeoning with fruits. A lot are bearing little bags that are tied under to harvest them for eating and producing various types of sweet stuff.

I’ll probably try my hand doing some date juice and see how it turns out.

The random photos were taken during the course of the week of perambulating to and fro office and about town.

From armchairs, we got to meander about and see what other folks are up to in their neighbourhoods. Let’s see some of yours 🙂

Following Seas, Luanne’s photos are so serene and lovely. Take a look. Thank you Luanne for sharing with us 🙂

Saba online: Some of these photos have mysterious quality like the cover page of a thriller. Saba thank you for joining echoes 🙂

Like Mercury Colliding: Kat always has fascinating stuff to show us. Now, these are truly interesting neighbourly trees with lots of character. Take a peek. You might find a storyline in there.

Giggles and Tales: What a spread! I got fat just looking!

Thoughts and entanglements: Coney Island artists are talented and they know how to have fun too. Such work makes me smile 🙂

Don’t horde the beauty of the life around you, just for yourself. Do share with us😉


Below is my first just published Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Featured Blogs · Networking · Online Blog Party

The Farmer’s solution and our combined Summer story…

The outpour of friends to last weekend’s party was totally amazing and I would like to thank each and every one of you for making it a blast.

I hope it was worth the time of all who attended. The link can be accessed through here for those who were unable to step in. I look forward to seeing you at the end of this month 🙂

We had a riddle to tackle, however due to all the eating and dancing, the poor farmer couldn’t get a suitable suggestion but our Summer poetry story was quite impressively contributed to and a lot of folks spotted the difference  clearly. 🙂

The compilation is below with attributions to contributors. Once again, thank you for the fun.

Riddle: 

A poor farmer went to the market to sell some peas and lentils. However, as he had only one sack and didn’t want to mix peas and lentils, he poured in the peas first, tied the sack in the middle, and then filled the top portion of the sack with the lentils.

At the market, a rich innkeeper happened by with his own sack. He wanted to buy the peas, but he did not want the lentils.

Pouring the seed anywhere else but the sack is considered soiling.

To trade in sacks is not allowed. The farmer can’t cut a hole in his sack.

How would you transfer the peas to the innkeeper’s sack, which he wants to keep, without soiling the produce?

Answer:

Pour the lentils into the innkeeper’s sack, bind it and turn inside out. Pour in the peas. Then unbind the sack and pour the lentils back to your sack.

A little Summer tale…

We wore Summer dresses

spun like flower coloured cotton

that sat on each stalk

a cooking pot and twisted tales

Together we played hopscotch
With bright coloured chalk,
Whispered sweet nothings
Held hands while we walked.

Ellenbest24

A whisper of soft summer breeze
ruffled the spun flowery cotton
sweet summer scents floated
filling the air with sensuous delight

Soul gifts

We gazed at a World
filled with the promise
of its untold treasures.
Ours to map out in time.

Cybernetic blonde

Stars glittered as we dreamed
Whispered of far places
We slow danced in the dark
Delighting the fireflies

Melinda Kucsera

Ray’s of sunshine glistening on dew
Morning glories meanwhile pushing through
Great friends may seem far and few
Until the blogger party begins

Moody Much

Light on our feet
we did the Harlem shuffle
Supposedly a poverty dance
but none of this matters,
when love takes a chance

DaisyWillows

sleeveless sundress
golden rays
paint her shoulders

paint her shoulders
tawny hues
show off her white dress

show off her white dress
soft and silken
like rose petals

like rose petals
soft and red
sensual lips

Oliana

And Blue eyes
Like deep pools
Reflecting the summer skies

Willowdot21

Picking fluffy balls,

My soft white hands ached,

But this was our living.

So everybody no matter who

Picked the cotton

And inside I smiled,

Knowing in days not too

Far away; there’d be new–

Cotton dresses for my —

Three Sisters and I,

Whatever the colour or pattern,

Brand new, latest style.

For now, the four of us picked,

In old cotton summer dresses

Sweltering and famished .

Mandibelle

Walking down the street

our feet went flip flop

Wondering how far we had gotten

BeeorganizedwithPamela

The heat is intense…
I enjoy beach at sunrise,
hide-out afternoon

Pamelascanepa

Despite the oppressive heat
the need to hide from the burning rays
I slide over to you
we chat about the we that we are
we know soon it will cool
the beach will invite us
to walk through the break
hold hands and be young again.

Michael

The sun kissed our tresses

And kindled our thoughts on

Where to rest our toes from our walk

Vanessence

Let me tell you that being part of this wonderful crowd is a heartwarming experience and worth every single minute.

You guys are fine gentry. You rock 🙂

We’ll do it again soon.

Featured Blogs · Post Reviews · Share A Link

Featured Posts # 67…Share your post links.

1456149614808[1]

‘PLEASE KEEP SENDING IN THE LINKS.’ 

Today’s featured blogs posts are:

Please do step in and show some love.

Life lessons teaching you: A short post that’s worth your read. A good reminder.

Best blogs: Check these out. You might pick a thing or twenty things.

Oh Bother! If there’s a post you must read today, read this! Very smart, fun and sensible.

What Picasso, Bach, and Godin all have in common: Prolific, prolific, prolific. We all should read this, repeat and read it again! Great message!

Guava spiced cupcakes: Fancy trying something new? Let me use Diya’s words in a quote here. I will try this myself during Summer break-bliss and give my verdict 🙂

Taking a bite out of these is a treat for the senses. What hits you first is the scent. Think cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a riotous dance that tantalizes your nostrils. Next you notice the pillowy soft crumb that virtually dissolves the moment it hits your tongue. The seductive draw of those spices is cut through with the slightest tang of lemon. Bliss!

‘Do you want more eyes on your words?’

Well then, add your LINK INTO THIS LOOP.

P.S. Comments are disabled here to keep the loop tidy. Any comments or link you want to send can be added through the link in the post.

Thank you for your understanding and regards.

‘We create a cohesive community when we come together.’


Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath

Everyday People

Multiple reflections…Every day beautiful people 58

“In the mirror is where we find a reflection of our appearances, but in the heart is where we find the reflection of our soul.” unknown

“Honest self reflection opens your mind to reprogramming change, success and freedom.” Trudy Vesotsky

You must keep striving to be the reflection of all the goodness that surrounds you and all that you wish to receive; love, truth, honesty…. Jacqueline

Lift_2[1] Lift_reflection[1]

Each morning I enter the lift to my office, sometimes it’s filled to the brim with humans, sometimes just a few of us, but the common thing is the stifling silence in the little space that you can almost slice its thickness.

I always wonder why this peculiar silence happens in lifts and I  always pointedly say hello, to break it.

However, the thing that interests me most on my ride in this particular lift is the reflection of people in the mirror that runs right round.

The mirrors multiply the reflections to infinity. You see an endless replication of a person and this phenomenon simply fascinates me.

It makes me feel as if I’m watching The Matrix.


Below is my first Poetry Book “Out of the silent breath” which is available on Amazon and Smashwords.

When you buy my book, you support me in an invaluable manner.

Out of the silent breath