Thinky Thoughts (Strike)

Thinky Thoughts (Strike)
Word Count: 137
Prompts: spiritual, roll, thread, exclusion, active, curious, independent, knife, gravel, safety
Written for January Word Bowling Challenge 2018

I don't lead an active life these days. Age and time have made me less

independent than I would like to be. I suppose it's only my sharp mind

and  curious nature that keeps me going these days. My thoughts follow

a single thread until its very end. Sometimes i need to cut off my

thoughts with an imaginary knife. A sharp and shiny one of course.

Even with imaginary knives you must think of safety first. My mind can

get on a roll and i will be so engrossed in my own thoughts that i forget

everything else. It's like a piece of sharp gravel that must be ground

down over time. The subjects range from a spiritual nature to mankind's

need to justify its existence to the exclusion of all other life. I'm a thinker.

19. The Lady in Yellow

19. The Lady in Yellow
Barret Jones was taken by surprise by the vision in yellow as she walked past. Barret smiled to her as she walked closer to him. She seemed to be floating on air. He tipped his hat as she walked past without looking at him.

She was only a few feet past him when she dropped her handkerchief on the ground. It is well known signal that all well-bred women use when they wish to be approached by a strange man.

Barret smiled even wider. She had seen him! He scooped up the handkerchief and caught up to the lady.

“Miss, I believe this is yours.” Barret offered the handkerchief to the lady.

“Thank you Mr.?”  She took the handkerchief from his hand.

When Barret heard her voice he thought it was as beautiful as she was. It sounded like music to him.

“Barret Jones. I am the solicitor for the Smythe family. Do you know them well?”

“I am acquainted with the eldest daughter. Lady Ann and I came out together.” She smiled at him. “Thank you again Mr. Jones.”

“I am at a disadvantage. You know my name but I don’t know yours.” Barret smiled. He awaited her answer as if it was a cherished gift.

“I am Lady Camila Winston. I am staying with my aunt at Porter House. Call on me there, if you like.” She batted her eyes at him and started to walk away.

“I will call, Lady Camila. I will indeed.” Barret nearly floated into the old manor house to speak to the lord.

Barret knew that he would see the lady again and that made his heart skip a happy beat.

21. The Moses of Space

21. The Moses of Space
Battlestar Galactica is the story of Adama leading his people across the galaxy to the promise land. Essentially Adama is Moses of Space and the different peoples he leads are the lost tribes looking for the last of their kind.

The science fiction television show starts with the destruction of his solar system by robots. They journey through the galaxy to find the lost tribe that went to a planet called earth. When the original series ends they receive a signal from astronauts during the moon landing.

There is something to be said for technology and how some believe that it will to destroy humankind. Was this television show a portent of things to come or was it just fanciful thinking coming to life?   

When the original series aired computers were new and expensive. Not everyone had one in their home. That is no longer true. We have laptops and smart phones. 

But that’s not even the extent of how technology has invaded our lives. Now we have robots that clean our floors and artificial intelligence that manage our lives. We are closer to Adama’s world than ever before.

Will we suffer the same fate? Will we need a leader like Adama to lead us to a new home?

Let’s hope that things never get that far but only time will reveal the truth. Science fiction always had a uncanny knack for coming true. 

23. Green Eyed Monster

23. Green Eyed Monster
I am the little green monster on your shoulder that tells you that you should have what your friend has. The nice car. The pretty girl. The big house.

It doesn’t matter that you didn’t work as hard as your friend. You deserve it too.

I am the little green eyed monster and I say it is so .

Do you want that? Of course you do. I am the little green eyed monster on your shoulder and I say you do. It doesn’t matter that it isn’t yours. You still want it. You need it.

You have to have and you don’t care what it takes to get it. Go steal. Go kill. Go coerce.

I am the little green eyed monster and I say to do it.    

You are better than him. You are better looking and more intelligent. Look at him! He doesn’t deserve anything, not like you do. You deserve it all. Why? Because I say you do.

I am the little green eyed monster on your shoulder. Do as I say! 

FLICK!

24. Forbidden Lovers

24. Forbidden Lovers
My Love,
My dearest we are forbidden by the laws of man and the grace of god. It was what they tell me but I know that what they say is not the truth. You and I know the truth. We know what is right even though we are forbidden.  

We are forbidden but alas I am forever near you. I cannot help myself. You draw me close to you as the flame draws the moth. 

They tell me not to look upon you but my eyes are drawn to the sight of you. You are a beauty that I cannot help but gaze upon.

They tell me not to speak your name but my lips betray me. Your name is like my breath. I cannot live without the sound of it.

They tell not to touch you but I cannot help but stroke your soft skin. The feel of your skin fills me with warmth in the coldest place of my heart. 

They tell me not to love you but I have no choice. My heart is bound to yours by threads stronger than the strongest metal.

We are forbidden and I cannot stand for it. I must leave the cruel world that will not allow me to love the one my heart has chosen.

Will you come with me to the fires of hell? We may find peace there as we cannot find it here.

My love, meet me at midnight. I await you with one last kiss before I go as I cannot bear to leave without saying goodbye.
Your Forbidden Love.    

25. Survivors

25. Survivors
“Damn earthquake.’ Jake brushed off the dust from the bricks falling on him. “I really wish that hadn’t happened. Now everyone will know that I’m indestructible.”

“Hey!There’s people in there. Come help us!” A police officer yelled as he ran to the building.

Jake sighed and followed the officer. He ran inside and saved half a dozen people before the second collapse trapped him and a small boy.

“I saw it fall on you but you’re not dead.” The little boy said as he looked at Jake curiously

“What?” Jake stopped looking around and looked down at the boy.

“The bricks from the building, I saw them fall on top of you. Are you some kind of super hero?” The boy squinted at him.

“No. I’m just a guy that has the worst luck there is.” Jake looked around again. “I think I can get us out of here but you have to do exactly as I say.”

“Okay.” The boy stood up.

“What’s your name?” Jake asked the boy

“Tommy.”

“Well, Tommy, we are going to go through that tunnel but you are going to stay underneath me in case something falls again.” Jake walked to the opening and leaned over. He waited for the boy to join him.

“Okay.”

Tommy got under Jake and they made their way out of the rubble. When they got out tommy hugged Jake and looked around for his mother.

“I don’t see my mom. Her name is Cecelia.” Tommy looked up at Jake.

“I will look for her but you need to let the paramedic look at you.” Jake waved over a paramedic. “I’ll be right back.”

Jake asked the police officers if a woman named Cecelia had been found. One of them pointed to a body bag. Jake sighed and went to tell Tommy what had happened.

Tommy looked up as Jake walked back to him. “Did they find her?”

“Yeah. Jake sat on the step of the ambulance with him. “They want to know where your dad is.”

“He was killed in Afghanistan. It’s just us.” Tommy looked down. “She’s dead, isn’t she?”

“Yeah.” Jake sighed. “Do you have anyone to take you in?”

“No.” Tommy shook his head and started to cry.

“You do now.” Jake hugged him. “You do now.”    

26. Woman…

26. Woman…
She is the one that is the caregiver for all of the ones she loves. She feeds cleans and organizes their lives sometimes at the cost of her own happiness.

She is strength even when she is at her most vulnerable. She is the bearer of children. she is the one that is always there for others even when she herself is hurting.

Perfection and beauty are words that have been used to describe her over the ages. She is not perfect but she is always beautiful.

Woman…

As women we need to remember ourselves as we care for others. There is no shame in taking care of yourself. It will only make her stronger.

Some of us have been taught that we have a “place”. The place they speak of is beside or sometimes even behind a man. The only place we truly have is the one we make for ourselves.

No one can define us but us. We are the strongest of the strong. We are what hold this world together. We must rise as sisters of earth and be our best, make our place and take care of those that haven’t defined themselves yet as women.

Women…   

27. Wanting or Needing

27. Wanting or Needing
We all need certain things such as food, water, and shelter. These are basic to all human beings actually to all beings in general. In order to survive we must have these things. We need them.

However, wanting is not the same as needing. We can want money, love, and power but they are not necessary to life. They may be goals or desires but we are not entitled to them. We must earn them. Achieve them. 

Can we want too much? That depends on what it is. Too much of a good thing is not so good in the long run. Money becomes meaningless. Power corrupts. Material things accumulate. None of this really gives us happiness.

Love is the one thing that you can never want too much of. To be loved is what every human craves. We all want as much love as we can get.

There are conditions to love. It must be given freely to be truly a gift. It must not be used as a way to manipulate or control. Only freely given love is worth getting and giving.

Love can come from anywhere, a child, a pet, or a partner. It is the one universal thing that we all desire but we don’t need to live. People have been known to survive without love but it’s not much of a life when it happens.

In order to get love, you must give it without expecting it in return. Giving love may be as much of a desire as getting it. You can never love too much and only that will bring you love in return.

28. The Time Void

28. The Time Void
Where does time go when we lose it? Does it fall into a void waiting to be rescued by someone else?

Where ever it goes, once it’s gone it is gone. There is no getting it back. Each minute slips into the void piling on top of each other. Mounds of minutes. Stacks of hours. Piles of days. Time sitting in great mounds everywhere in the void.

It sounds like an odd concept but what if it were true? What if there was a place where unused time was kept? It has to go somewhere.

If there is such a place, wouldn’t we all want to know the way to get some of it back? Would it take a password or special gear to get it from the void?

How would you carry something so elusive as time? Would you need a special pouch or case to bring it back? It slipped through your fingers once so holding on to it would be impossible.

Would we really want to steal time from the void? The price would be high. It would cost us in ways that we don’t expect. Blood, sweat, tears, maybe even the life of a loved one could be what is needed to give in exchange for extra time.

What all of us really need to do is stop letting time slip into the void in the first place. Stop the flow of time into the void as it were. If it isn’t in there then there is no reason to steal it back.

Use time wisely and make it count because when you lose it it will cost you dearly. Its advice we should all heed.      

29. Caretaker

29. Caretaker
Sir Norman walked the ancient corridors of the palace. He knew that his presence meant nothing in the grand scheme of things but he liked to think that his nightly walk helped keep the sovereign safe.

While he walked, he remembered the parties and the guests that had visited the palace. Everything was in grand fashion of course.

One exception was that princess from the country that he can never remember the name of. She was a bit of a loon. Her visit was interesting at least if not scandalous.

Sir Norman walked into the great hall and looked around. The remnants of the feast from the night before had been cleared away but he could still smell the roast pig and the apple dumplings. The sovereign loved his food.

He held the lamp that he was carrying high to make sure there were no intruders. He gasped when he saw the sovereign sitting in a corner alcove. He immediately bowed.

“Is that you, Sir Norman? The king smiled at the old man. “Good to know you are on your rounds this night. The palace is far too quiet for my comfort. Perhaps and your lamp will chase away the feeling of dread in the air.”

“I do what I can, Sire.” Sir Norman looked up to see the king coming his way. “May I light your way to your chambers?”

“No. I know these halls almost as well as you do. I will keep you no longer.” The king patted him on the shoulder. “I must be a man and face my angry queen alone.”

“I shall pray for your soul, Sire.” Sir Norman blushed. “I had a wife once, you know. She was a very formidable woman when she was angry.”

“Aren’t they all? But we can’t help but love them with all our heart” The king laughed and walked out the door.

Sir Norman watched as the king walked out. Some things are the same king or commoner. An angry wife is one of them.

Sir Norman walked on to the next room. The castle was large and the night was short.       

30. Wasted Sick Days

30. Wasted Sick Days
Candy sat on the sofa and wiped her nose on a well-used tissue. She was sick, really sick. This wasn’t what she had planned for today. She looked out the window and groaned. It was raining on top of it all.

Candy picked up the phone and dialed her job. She waited for the beep on the call out line and then left her message.

Candy had planned to call off and go shopping in the city but now with a cold and the rain, all she wanted to do was wrap up in a blanket and drink hot tea.

She pulled a blanket from the bed and set the kettle on to heat. She flicked through the many channels and ended up on Netflix watching old Star Trek episodes.

The cold would save her money in the long run. She would have just spent too much and had to work overtime to pay for it all. At least this way, she could stay warm and watch Netflix without having to deal with the drama at work. 

As an afterthought, she turned off the phone. The people at work wouldn’t know what to do without her. She was going to have some “me” time if she had to sneeze, drip, and cough to do it.

After about an hour, Candy decided that sick days aren’t so bad after all.