Memories of Schooldays

Posted on Oct 13, 2014 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

FIRST DAY IN THE JUNIORS

by John Yeo

The day is here, Mum is near.

I can hardly suppress a tear

My uniform is new and clean

Off to attend my very first day

In the Junior school.

We don’t go far, in Dad’s car.

My Mum called me a star.

Concrete playground drab and drear

Many children going my way

To the Junior school.

Dad says goodbye, I will not cry

I make a friend and by and by

The bell goes and the teacher arrives

With a smile. “Hello! I’m Miss Prim

Here in the Junior school.

An oblong block,

Then a chalk-filled duster

Both throw up clouds of chalky dust.

Inkwell and dipping-pen with

Blotting paper that soaks up inky blobs.

A wooden desk with an inkwell

Initials gouged in the lid.

Silence as the register is called

Before the lesson begins.

My thoughts stray from the subject.

Until with a blunt request.

“What do you think, boy?”

I feel flustered and I bluster,

“I am not too sure, Miss”

I daren’t reveal my thoughts.

“Go to the back of the class”

“Stupid boy!”

Velvet Verbosity~~100 word Challenge~ “CLOAK”

Posted on Oct 11, 2014 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

A Cloak of Ignorance

by John Yeo

The day was beautiful, sunshine in mid-Spring, with life in abundance.

We met to discus the future of books and the threat of the electronice devices that would inevitably make the printed word redundant.

Suddenly a voice from the audience boomed. “If you trust the bulk of your words to machines, to the flick of a switch, then the words are vulnerable to energy supplies.”

Magically a cloak of darkness descended on the gathering and the countryside around.

Day was turned into night.

Unexpected, unheralded , a total eclipse of the sun.

A sign of the return of the dark ages?

Written by John Yeo in response to a prompt by Verbal Verbosity

http://www.velvetverbosity.com/blog/2014/10/6/100-words-398-dorrie-and-the-blue-witch

5 ~ sentences on the word ~ HORIZON

Posted on Oct 9, 2014 by John Yeo | 12 Comments

This is in my response to the latest five Sentence Fiction from Lillie McFerrin ~~~

http://lilliemcferrin.com/five-sentence-fiction-horizon/

ESCAPE

by John Yeo ©

Picture credited by Ermlia ~ picture it and write

The road approached the distant horizon, lit up, charged with particles of dust that reflected in shocking grey and pink, clouds of ash from the fire.

Intense heat mingled with and highlighted the acrid smell of smoke and burning vegetation as the wildfire took hold and built up speed with the spread of the flames.

Suddenly we became aware of hundreds of animals furiously racing alongside the road desperately trying to outrun the scorching destruction, the smell of burning flesh was intolerable.

I put my foot hard down on the throttle, stamping hard to the floor of the vehicle, attempting to squeeze more speed from the engine as I tried to outrun the spread of the flames.

I realised this was a part of the new order of the raging destruction and excessive heat generated by the global warming caused by the thoughtless greed of humanity.

Picture it and Write~~BREAKDOWN!

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 by John Yeo | 4 Comments

This is the latest Picture it and write prompt from Ermilia’s Blog

Picture it & Write

As usual the picture is supplied by Ermilia, and credited to Photo by mancity, http://www.printandroid.co.uk

BREAKDOWN

Written by John Yeo

A very smooth journey, so far,

Much to our delighted surprise.

The aircraft was in very good shape,

Except for the occasional rattle.

A very smooth flight coming here,

Touch down smoothly, my fears subside.

Our hired car was not so great,

A banger that had seen many a battle.

A really good scenic route by car,

Through the hot dry desert, how time flies.

A rattle, a bang, then sad to relate,

Smoke is pouring from an engine baffle.

We have broken down, very far

From the nearest town of any size,

We can only sit in the car and wait

The heat intense, we share the water bottle.

A convoy arrives and the leading car

Stops to help and to offer a ride

Our prayers are answered, we hesitate

To think there is danger in the offer.

Then beaten and robbed by the thugs

We are stripped of all we possess.

Then left stranded in the desert

Death comes as no surprise. Slowly.

Re-awakening in the hospital,

I lie awake from my dream and decide,

I must question the doctor about the state,

Of my mind since my nervous breakdown.

Shades of Hunger

Posted on Oct 8, 2014 by John Yeo | 2 Comments

Lillie McFerrin~Five Sentence Fiction~ Prompt word ~ HUNGER

SHADES OF HUNGER

Young Billy was enduring shopping with his Mum, in the mall, and he could hardly wait to eat.

Mkabwe went hunting in the bush, with his Dad looking for food, anything the family could eat.

Hurry up Mum, I’m starving, said Billy rubbing his stomach, we always have a McDonalds here.

Mkabwe picked up a grub from the dusty floor of a dry river bed, no water flowed, he had not eaten for two days.

Both boys from different worlds know hunger in different ways.

Written by John Yeo (c)

Picture it and Write~~The River of Peace.

Posted on Oct 2, 2014 by John Yeo | 1 Comment

This is the latest Picture it and write prompt from Ermilia’s Blog

__picture it & write

As usual the picture is supplied and credited to Nikita Gill by Emilia

The River of Peace

by John Yeo

Magically the river of forgetfulness will take all our troubles away. Trouble will float from our side of the river to your side. To balance this we will receive candles from your side containing all your troubles, then blow the flames out. This will destroy the evil and send your troubles away. I light my candle with hope, I fill the flames with my despair. I float the candle to you over there. Knowing you will blow it out and disperse my troubles with the wind. I will receive your candle with a prayer, Then blow your troubles away.

5 ~ sentences on the word ~ CONFUSION

Posted on Oct 2, 2014 by John Yeo | Leave a comment

Nature in a confused un-natural state

by John Yeo

Two years ago during a very fierce storm, the strong winds blew a beautiful flowering Nectarine tree over. The roots were still firmly planted deep in the soil where they continued to nourish the tree. This year the tree burst into flower in Spring. The heavily scented flowers covered the branches over the prone tree as it lay on the ground still alive and thriving. The confused wild birds, attracted by the heavily scented perfume, flew down to feed from the confused tree, still alive and growing strongly, lying on the ground.

Velvet Verbosity100 Word Challenge ~ “SECURE”

Posted on Oct 1, 2014 by John Yeo | 4 Comments

The doctors arrived to help, wearing personal protection equipment. Rubber boots, protective suit with a hood, apron, gloves, a face-mask and goggles.
Two figures looking like alien space invaders approached our hut. Mother was sick and very unsteady on her feet. Grandad said, he thought she had the flu, I heard one of the doctors mention the word, EBOLA. One of my school-friends said people were leaving our village fast, because of this horrible disease. The doctors treated Mum and left quickly. They had to go because it was very hot wearing the protective outfits that made them feel secure.