Tag: Writing

Posted in Challenges, Fiction, Flash Fiction

The Sound of Silence

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

#RetroTuesday June 25, 2024

Friday Fiction with Ronovan Writes

Challenge #30 – Favorite Song

Introduction: Way back in the day, everyone loved Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” It was an anthem for the baby boom generation, including me. Flash forward to about 2016. I heard a cover of the song by the band Disturbed and it knocked me off my feet – and still does. This story is about that song, but the Disturbed interpretation of it. Maybe I should say my interpretation of their interpretation.

Here are the lyrics for those of you not familiar:

Hello darkness, my old friend
I’ve come to talk with you again
Because a vision softly creeping
Left its seeds while I was sleeping
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence

In restless dreams, I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone
‘Neath the halo of a street lamp
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence

And in the naked light, I saw
Ten thousand people, maybe more
People talking without speaking
People hearing without listening
People writing songs that voices never shared
And no one dared
Disturb the sound of silence

“Fools” said I, “You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows
Hear my words that I might teach you
Take my arms that I might reach you”
But my words, like silent raindrops fell
And echoed in the wells of silence

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made
And the sign flashed out its warning
In the words that it was forming
Then the sign said, “The words on the prophets are written on the subway walls
In tenement halls”
And whispered in the sound of silence

The Sound of Silence

No one talks to each other anymore. At least not in America. Not in other countries either or so I’ve heard. All we hear is the sound of silence. People who are alone and lonely. Families who have broken apart. Friendships that have been destroyed. Neighbors holding grudges against neighbors.

When people do talk to each other, it is with raised voices and it is a tirade of hate, misunderstanding and evil. So silence has fallen upon the masses.

We’re afraid to disturb that silence. Our society has become so fragile we can hear our world coming apart. The ripping of those societal bonds is silent, but we know and hear it anyway.

We try to talk with them, to reason with them. We might as well stay silent as their neon god has convinced them that it is us against them. All we want to do is save ourselves and our country. They don’t seem to see that we will be destroyed if the silence prevails. How have they been blinded and deafened? Can’t they compare the current state of affairs to history? Instead of dialogue, there is the well of silence.

The silence, like a cancer, stands in the way.

Thanks to athling2001 for hosting this challenge.

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, nonfiction

#weekendcoffeeshare #167

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Welcome to my #weekendcoffeeshare #167! Please join us and pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea. There are lots of varieties on the bar.

If we were having coffee, the first thing I would share with you is that I have revamped my contact page. If any of you would like to contact me, please feel free. Just click on the link!

It’s been a busy week, both on the blog and in other parts of my life! Summer has begun here in Kentucky, U.S.A! The temperatures are heating up and the vegetation here in Daniel Boone National Forest, where I live, is lush. We had so much rain in the spring that the forest responded and the vegetation is especially lush this year. It’s like living in the rain forest!

Early in the week, my husband was doing some yard work and came across a timber rattlesnake. He was far enough away from it so it couldn’t strike, but it tried. They are quite poisonous. He took care of that problem. Here is an image of a timber rattler in case you need to know.

Timber Rattlesnake

If you see one of these guys, be calm, back away slowly, and either leave it alone or end its life as this snake is very poisonous. It’s also very common in this part of the U.S.

This week, we also attended a Celebration of Life for a friend who just passed away. She was one of my best friends and it’s been a sad time. We met when we were 6 years old and have stayed close our entire lives. I will miss her always. The Celebration of her Life was so nice with a huge turnout. It was nice because I got to see a lot of friends who I seldom see. Carol would have enjoyed it.

The cupboard was bare here at the beginning of the week so we made a trip to a couple of places we shop for groceries. One place was the local vegetable market, only open in the warm months. They have wonderful fresh vegetables and fruit. Since we try to eat healthy, we frequent this old-fashioned market often.

Fannin’s Vegetable Market, West Liberty, KY, USA

We’ve had good and healthy food to eat this week!

I’ve spent a lot of time with my two dogs this week, engaging in some dog training. Sophie, my German Shepherd dog, is already trained in obedience and protection, so I spent some time teaching her to play fly ball, which she loves. The next task is to teach her to play frisbee! Sophie likes to play fly ball with her squeaky chicken!

Sophie and her squeaky chicken

Hazel, a Pembroke Welsh Corgi, is my other dog. She will be two years old soon, but she got a rocky start in life. We rescued her and she has some health challenges, so she is a little behind the curve. We love her and have to protect her from too much activity. I’ve started taking her on short walks, getting a bit longer each day. She loves her walks!

Hazel

We went out to dinner this week which we don’t often do. There is a wonderful restaurant in a little town about 40 miles away that is right on the Ohio River. We had dinner with our friends there and we really enjoyed seeing them.


If we were having coffee today, I would very much enjoy seeing you and sharing my week!I look forward to reading your #weekendcoffeeshare.

Thank you to Natalie the Explorer for hosting #weekendcoffeeshare!

Posted in #unicornchallenge, Challenges, Flash Fiction

Stairway to Heaven – #unicornchallenge June 14, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
@Ayr/Gray

Once upon a time, there were two children who lived in the country. The girl, Mary, was 12 and the boy, Eddie, was 10. They were neighbors and became the best of childhood friends.

Mary and Eddie lived in the forest with their families. One day, their adventures led them to some steps that went up from the forest into a small clearing with the forest on either side.

Every day, they would sneak up the stairs to the clearing and play one of their imaginary games. They usually played a game they called Explorer. They would pretend to camp at the clearing and explore the forest.

One day, they discovered the remains of a campfire. They ran off into the woods to see if they could find the campers. The children stumbled across two hunters who warned them that it was hunting season and they should stay out of the woods.

They were disappointed but there were always other games to play.

Many years later, Eddie was ill. He sat in his recliner at his home and his wife tried to get him to go to the hospital. Instead of answering her, he fell into sleep or perhaps a meditative state.

He told her this story, but in bits and starts. She thought he was hallucinating and called the paramedics. Before they arrived, Eddie finished the story, fell into sleep, and then he was gone. He left with the memory of his Glory Days on his mind.

Thanks to Ayr/Gray for hosting the #unicornchallenge.

Posted in Challenges, Flash Fiction

A Change of Heart – #fridayfictioneers June 14, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
Photo Prompt @ Lisa Fox

She walked away from her home because she needed to think. Depression and anxiety were plaguing her. She felt like she was losing her mind. Her heart was sick.

She arrived at the path that led to the ocean. She started to walk toward the ocean. She wanted it to swallow her. Maybe then she could forget.

When she got to the sculptures, she stopped and admired them. A feeling of hope washed over her. She wanted to live, really live. After standing there, she turned to walk home.

She knew what she had to do.

Thanks to Rochelle for hosting #friday Fictioneers!

Posted in Appalachia, nonfiction

Appalachian Honor Culture

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

The Appalachian Honor Culture is a phenomenon that exists in the Appalachian Mountains, U.S., but also exists in other forms in different geographical areas in the U.S.

Sometimes I think I have lived in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, U.S. for so long that I take for granted the cultural differences that exist here and other places outside these hills.

The Appalachian Honor Culture is one of those cultural behaviors that have existed in these mountains ever since the Native American people here were encroached on by the white European settlers. This culture involves how people of the Appalachians settle their differences.

If a person, particularly a man, in Appalachia is insulted, embarrassed, called out, or shamed in any way, the Appalachian Honor Culture demands that they react either with threats of violence or immediate violence. As an example, let’s say that one man insults another man’s wife or one man comments on any aspect of another man’s life in a negative fashion, Appalachian men react with their fists first and think about legal charges of assault later.

This scenario is played out in Appalachia, especially southern Appalachia, over and over in cases of small, unintended embarrassments to bigger insults and arguments. There is usually no talking about a problem and settling it peacefully. Either violence erupts or something more insidious like the holding of grudges. Appalachians can hold a grudge, and often do, for a lifetime, even against members of their own family. It isn’t only men who uphold the Appalachian Honor Culture. Women do as well.

Let’s take my maternal grandmother as an example. She was, in many ways, a woman ahead of her time, but she was also an Appalachian through and through. There were members of our family and extended family that she held a grudge against for a lifetime. There was seldom such a thing as forgiveness even long after the issue that caused the grudge was long forgotten.

She loved my grandfather with a passion even though they seldom agreed on anything. If another woman, however, tried to make inroads with him, she would have picked up her shotgun and run her off their property without hesitation. Then, she would hold a grudge against the woman forever. This was and still is normal behavior in the Appalachian Mountains.

In Appalachia, you have a rather odd mix of people who are the nicest people you’ve ever known, the coldest and most stubborn people you’ve ever known, coupled with violence and feuds that could rival any gang activity in big cities.

The earliest settlers of the area came, in large part, from the Anglo-Scottish borderlands, and parts of Ireland and Great Britain with a smattering of Germans thrown in. You may find similar cultural anomalies in these areas that the immigrants brought with them to the U.S.

Posted in #FridayFictioneers, Challenges, Flash Fiction

Dog Gone – #FridayFictioneers – May 31, 2024.

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
Photo Prompt @ Mr. Binks

Maud had been working hard with her dog rescue group. Today, they were going to the carnival.

As Maud and the group strolled around the carnival, they gasped. There was a dog in a locked steel crate tied up to a fence. They released her.

They walked around with the dog and a man approached them saying she was his. Maud said that they had to rescue the dog.

“No problem,” said the man, “I don’t want her.”

The next day, the man was served with a demand to appear in court for animal abuse. He was the local veterinarian.

Thank you to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting #Fridayfictioneers! Thanks to Mr. Binks for the photo prompt.

Posted in #weekendcoffeeshare, Horse Racing, Recipes, Uncategorized

#weekendcoffeeshare 164 – May 24, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Hello and welcome to my #weekendcoffeeshare! I’m so glad you could all join me this morning. We have several kinds of coffee and tea, so grab a cup and let’s go catch up!

One highlight of my week was, once again, horse racing! I wrote about racing in a previous #weekendcoffeeshare; in fact, the Kentucky Derby. The Kentucky Derby is just the first jewel in the races known as the Triple Crown. The second jewel is the Preakness Stakes, ran at Pimlico Race Course in Maryland, USA. The Preakness started off this week for me.

The Preakness is a shorter race than the Derby. It is one mile and 3/16. The Derby is a mile and a quarter. Horse that fade at the end in the Derby often run in the Preakness. This year, just like in the Derby, a long shot won the day. A gray horse, Seize the Grey, came in first. There will be no Triple Crown winner this year.

The last race in the Triple Crown is the Belmont Stakes which happens a few weeks from now. It’s my time of year to enjoy horse racing as it is for many in the U.S. and specifically in Kentucky.

My flower garden. Gardening is disappointing this year. There has been so much rain, daily almost, that my flower blooms have been ruined. It is so disappointing. The weather people have said that my area is going to have the hottest summer on record. The thunderstorms and rain are going to have to stop before that can happen!

The only other thing I’ve been doing is some writing and some reading. Also a little cooking. Fresh produce is starting to arrive at the markets and I love it, so I cook fairly frequently. Sometime, I’ll have to fill you in on U.S. southern cooking. It’s different! If you’re interested in that sort of thing (or in eating!), you might want to take a peek at some of the recipes I’ve posted, particularly this one.

See you next weekend!

Thanks to Natalie the Explorer for hosting #weekendcoffeeshare!

Posted in #unicornchallenge, Challenges, Flash Fiction

Bad Dog Bark

Posted on by R.M. Carlson
Photo Prompt Ayr/Gray

I awakened with a start. What had I heard? Oh, it was only Sophie, my German Shepherd dog who sleeps beside my bed. Wait! Sophie! Why was she whining? I leaped out of bed realizing my clock said 6:45 a.m. I usually took her for a walk on the beach by 5 a.m.

We walked outside. She pushed open the garden gate and started for the beach. I followed trying to stop her. Since one of her strides is equal to three of mine, there was no hope of catching her.

I jumped in my car. What else could I do? My dog was taking herself for a walk to the beach.

I pulled up in a parking space watching Sophie run gleefully around on the beach. As soon as I stepped on the beach calling her, a police car pulled up beside me. Sophie immediately ran to me, fearing I was in danger.

Ma’am, get your dog off the beach.”

Sophie barked at the officer. Her bad dog bark.

“Get off the beach with that dog,” he said in a loud, aggressive voice.

“Officer, if you would just give me a………”

What happened next wasn’t very pleasant. Sophie and I ended up looking through the bars of the backseat of a police car.

I was unhappy. The officer was unhappy. But Sophie? She had gotten to defend me from the bad police officer. Now if she can only figure out how to charm us out of jail.

 

Sophie and her squeaky toy
Posted in #FridayFictioneers, Challenges, Flash Fiction

The Violinist – #FridayFictioneers – May 17, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

The old lady trudged up the street to the church she had attended for more than 60 years. The light from the steeple caused the white church to glow. She climbed the stairs up to the steeple.

The violin was lying on the table. She opened a window for some cool air. 

The old woman started to play. She played Horner’s “My Heart Will Go On.” A crowd gathered on the street. They waited for her to come out to praise and thank her.

The steeple went dark. She didn’t appear. They looked for her, but she had vanished.

Thank you to Rochelle for hosting #FridayFictioneers!

Posted in #unicornchallenge, #unicornchallenge, Challenges, Flash Fiction

The Locksmith – #UnicornChallenge – May 9, 2024

Posted on by R.M. Carlson

Photo Promp @ Ayr/Gray

It was an old locksmith shop located in an ancient building in a small town. The windows were broken. The inside was filthy and filled with rats. Henri was determined to revitalize it. He was a locksmith by trade and felt like he could make a good living here.

Henri had seen all the special, butnecessary, services drain away from the town. Occupations like clockmakers,shoe repair, and locksmiths were gone as young people wanted to work in themore exciting field of technology. He dreamed of a large town square wherethere was an abundance of such services. Henri had hope since, just down the street, another space would house a clockmaker. 

As the crews went to work on the locksmith shop, they found so much that had to be completely redone. Henri also found treasures. Equipment from over 75 years ago. He found antiques that, although he couldn’t use them, he could display them.

Henri’s friend, the clockmaker, also found treasures in his shop. As they talked, the thought of a small museum featuring the old treasures popped up.

One day, a young woman, happened along and spent some time talking with Henri. She was a painter and a former museum curator who was looking for a store front. She had the idea to share her space with the old treasures.

As time went on, Henri’s vision of a town square started to take shape. He and Anais, the painter, grew close and worked together on their projects, both for their work and their lives. Finding that old store front turned out to be the best thing that had ever happened to Henri, Anais, the small town and even the clockmaker.

They found that dreams can come true with a lot of vision and a little luck.

Thanks to C.E. Ayr and Jennie Gray for hosting the Unicorn Challenge.