I used a prompt from www.picturespoetryprose.blogspot.com to give me inspiration for this post.
It told me to grab a book near me, go to p123 and use a sentence on that page to get me writing.
So War of the Worlds (by H.G. Wells) gave me my opening sentence:

Its motion was so swift, complex, and perfect that at first I did not see it as a machine, in spite of its metallic glitter. Advancing fluidly, it stopped just half a metre in front of me. I looked down to see my muddied bare feet, clumsily parted, cowering in comparison to the shining flawless human feet of silver before me. If I just reached out a finger and stroked that foot, I'm sure I would wipe away the grey exterior and find soft pale skin underneath.

My eyes scanned tentatively upwards, taking in every smooth surface of the female android's body: her stark white pinafore cropped mid-thigh and cut off mid-neck, leaving her long arms bareless and hanging still by her curved sides. There was not a blemish even in existence. A thick green belt nestled neatly round her slim waist, and as my eyes finally settled on her face, I noticed it perfectly matched her searing eyes of emerald. She blinked once. I couldn't look away; not even if I wanted to; I was drowning in endless pools of black.

I blinked my own sore eyes, only to notice her perfectly contoured cheeks and full golden lips. My hands grew sweaty by my side, and it felt like my heart was beating inside my head, making it pulse outwards every half a second.

She parted those velvet lips and spoke words of crystal pleasure and I thought my mind would explode with ecstasy.

Reading 'n Romance

Just finished speed reading one of my favourite books...Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers. I highly recommend it to anyone; it's such an amazing read! Wonderfully poignant and really satisfying. I consumed it within a few days of getting it out of the library. I hope to now start War of the Worlds :)

I've also been looking into some poetry, and went finding this one poem that I remember from when we studied poems back in school. It was one of Elizabeth Browning's sonnets and I just loved it as soon as I read it. It also had a painting next to it of a man and woman embracing near a sundial; it was just so romantic!

Well, here it is anyway!

Let the world's sharpness, like a clasping knife,
Shut in upon itself and do no harm
In this close hand of Love, now soft and warm,
And let us hear no sound of human strife
After the click of the shutting. Life to life--
I lean upon thee, Dear, without alarm,
And feel as safe as guarded by a charm
Against the stab of worldlings, who if rife
Are weak to injure. Very whitely still
The lilies of our lives may reassure
Their blossoms from their roots, accessible
Alone to heavenly dews that drop not fewer;
Growing straight, out of man's reach, on the hill.
God only, who made us rich, can make us poor.

Sonnet 24, Elizabeth Barrett Browning

I was washing the car with my brother yesterday and the weather had been pretty miserable all day..Yet the sky was blue and cloudy one side and dark and ominous the other. Soon the rain came and what a sight it was ...

Today's prompt: Rain through Sunshine

The droplets begin to fall, falling, pounding the ground
A sound so fresh yet old as time
Spattering, soaking, puddling, chilling;
Purging every surface with its penetrating hands.

Yet the astonishing brightness of the afternoon sun
Soars and sears through the glum and eerie dullness;
The dense heaviness of rain, weightless and buoyant
Pleasant and free.

Where a perilous mass of grey, illuminated strangely
Lends a surge of joy, lighting the faces sunny
A strip of vibrant colour, stroked lovingly across the sky
Faintly echoed by a sister, bordering her splendid brother

The colours merging, seeping, like ink on grey silk
A flawless range of beauty; a promise from above
No flood will rule the earth, this symbol is my word
And my word will never soak away like the rain through the earth

So our local library reopened today after being closed for a month's refurbishments. I do kind of relish the fact that I'm one of those "regular members" who goes there quite often! :) I've always loved it - done the children's reading challenges over the summer; used it a lot over study leave, revising for GCSEs and Alevels; and now it's more a haven of relaxation and to find some really good reads! I realised that I kinda missed not being able to pop in and just browse and feel at ease. It's almost been a second home to me! So I was eagerly awaiting its reopening. Anyway, here it is...

Today's prompt: The Library

A cozy blanket of warmth encases me
Whilst the smell of new carpet greets me
I walk up the familiar ramp
And survey the changes casually

A few things moved around
A new computer room I found
The bustling staff, the perusing regulars
Overall, I'd say it was pretty much sound!

It felt so pleasing to be back again
Amongst the familiar shelves and books of zen
I smiled at the thought of fresh reads to devour
And sat happily down in my home of a den.

Hmm, feeling pretty tired this evening...Think i might just give a link to a branch of a story I just wrote over on protag. That took me long enough. That's the thing...I can only ever write bits at a time, cos it takes me so long to write so little. I edit it about 20 times before I'm happy with it! *sigh* I have to come to terms with my perfectionist nature.
Well here it is...

http://www.protagonize.com/stories/view.aspx?storyID=4259&branchID=25820#comment31462

p.s. It is advisable to read at least the first branch to get an idea of the story.

Must...go...to...bed. *eyelids droop*
Au revoir!!

Rose @>}-----

Me again...

Aww, pretty awful about Jade Goody and also Natasha Richardson! So tragic! My respects and condolences go to both their families. :'(

Well, a fairly lazy semi-unproductive day for me today...but ah whatever...my room is still tidy which is all that counts! haha. I feel like doing a story type writing today, rather than a poem. I've done enough of those to be going on with! ;) Maybe something fantasy actually...try my hand at that!

Sooooo...Today's prompt is *drum roll*: Waiting

Elsie tiptoed nervously in her pale violet leather boots, neatly tied like a string bag around her slender ankles, hovering tentatively above the damp mossy dome. These were her favourite pair of shoes; they had remained surprisingly intact, despite frequent friction with brambles, puddles and gravel and there was only a slight scuff on the right boot. Which was pretty good, she thought, considering she'd got them for the bargain price of just 20 green ivies, at Leafy Hollow Market no less!

She craned her neck across the expanse of dew-covered blades, waiting, hopeful. A harsh breeze suddenly whipped around her fragile frame in a whirlwind, unbalancing her graceful floated figure and ruffling her ragged leafy dress. She tutted, momentarily distracted, and smoothed the front down carefully, crossing her pale arms tightly against her chest for warmth. It was a chilly evening and all she wanted was to be back in the warm den of home.

She shivered and frowned desparingly, letting out a gentle sigh. Shaking out her wings impatiently, she flapped them back and forth in an attempt to kill boredom and restlessness. What remained of the evening's twilight rays, glinted happily off the fluerescent splashes and strokes which lined Elsie's paper thin wings. Each time they flitted open again, the light danced manically off the bark of a nearby oak tree, almost like a high speed lighthouse signal.

Where was he!? Her eratic thoughts darted around like laser beams, searing the inside of her mind with frustration and worry. In the end, she didn't know what to think anymore. All she knew was that he hadn't been late before; not once.

I'm really getting into this poetry thing :)

Ah, so hello :) Didn't post yesterday because I had a good girly friend of mine round! :) But that meant that I had to tidy my room, so now it is all spotless! YAY! And oh, how sweet it is!
So anyway...I feel like a bit of ramble first..before I have to write. Gargh, my shoulders are killing *sits up straight sharply*. I must stop hunching over! Ah, Coldplay are the best! Do you think I overuse exclamation marks? I am pretty enthusiastic though, so I do mean it! lol, there I go again. Hmm....so my new craze at the moment is origami. It's awesome! I've made butterflies, lovehearts, frogs, boxes, birds, rings...it's so fun! :D I'll make you one if you ask nicely ;) It's extremely satisfying starting with a square of paper and ending up with this cute model after a bit of skilled folding. And I put them in letters and cards and stuff to add that little personal touch. :) I think it's kindof romantic too...I'm afraid I first got (rather cheesily) inspired by Prison Break where Scofield makes that crane and then the flower for Sarah. aww!! I gotta get round to watching the second season of that! Wentworth Miller is H-O-T! *heart beats wildly*
*ahem* So anyway, I bet you're sick of my rambling. You're lucky I'm not going any further than this...so better get down to that writing!
This happened to me today so I felt inspired to write a poem about it.

Aujourd'hui's prompt: Song Memories

I shuffle in my chair and the song starts playing,
My ears prick up but my mind's still delaying
I feel a sudden pang but what's it saying?
There's a memory attached yet murky it's staying.

The music seeps deep
Into my senses
Awakening them
Like stagnant sleeping streams
Whooshing in, soaking every corner's defenses
Taking me back to what seems like dreams

More memory of a feeling than of a scene I'm seeing,
A hazy era, of sweet joy and warm thrills
Thrust back a moment of wistful longing, wishing,
At my reckless heart it stabs, kills

The minutes pass, the music's surging,
My memory keeps on swimming, stirring
Unearthing, exposing, dragging aged seaweed off those buried shipwrecks,
An attempt to grow over the past, now uncovered with no attempt at mercy.

I still haven't tidied it yet....

I'm currently meant to be tidying my room, but I really don't want to get on with it...for obvious reasons! So seeing as I could go on about it forever, why not choose it as today's topic!
I shall! I shall!

So...today's prompt: Messy Bedroom

I push open the door,
It won't budge any more,
Some towels line the floor,
Amongst other decor.

Towers and rows of those library books,
Littering my desk and various nooks,
Meant to return them three months by the looks,
A huge fine no doubt, the heartless crooks.

A draw open there,
Clothes strewn everywhere,
Trip! That blasted carpet tear,
I'm gonna pull out my hair!

Plates, bowls, even dried mould,
"You must tidy it now!"My mother scolds,
"I can't do the clothes, they take ages to fold!"
I tug a shirt from the depths, revealing a sole.

"Ah that's where they were, I was looking for them!
But I can't say I know where that top is, for certain.
I'll tidy it now!" I promise her then,
But I'm still sitting here, in a bombsite of a den.

Sweet!

Hmm so here I am again...it's been mildly sunny these last couple of days; spring has finally reared its head after many months of bitter cold. So I thought I could use this as my prompt for today.

Today's prompt: Spring

I open my eyes
A bright surprise
Pleasure swoops in
Expectations win

Banished away, the dull, the cold, the plight
Streaming in, the joy, the warmth, the light

I can feel it in the air,
I can hear it on the street
The warmth on my face
The laughter as they greet

It beckons me out,
You must, it sings
A more moment in
No less than a sin

A skirt, a skip
A ribbon, a flick
Floral, flowing
Beaming, airing

Sweep open the door,
Stand in the heat,
Winter's no more
Spring, so sweet!

Rambling

Ah, it's so late and I'm practically dropping off to sleep right at my desk. I should write something but not feeling particularly inspired right now. Just been doing a bit of commenting over on protagonize. It feels good to make some fair judgements that you know will be gratefully received by other writers. I know I always appreciate any comments I get, so when I hover over the comment box of someone's story, I just think, "why not!"
It feels so nice to be back on protagonize, see what everyone's been up to...read the latest stuff and post some of my own inspiration. I've really missed that time when I can just bring out a string of satisfying description and get that fulfilment of really capturing what I'm wanting to say. (gah my shoulders are aching like mad!)
Right, well my bed is calling loudly to me (even though it is piled high with strewn clothing)...I will definitely write something on here tomorrow, to make up for my rambling this evening. Which is easy, cos I do it all the time!The rambling I mean.
RIGHT. Until tomorrow then!! x