Tag: writing

Neon Haze

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Morning, all!! Quick update time. It’s a wonderfully sticky Monday morning here in Houston and as the day slowly lightens, thought I’d let you know what I’ve been up to lately as I sip on my peppermint mocha…

In actuality, this weekend was a nice and calm one, which I appreciated much. Friday night, went with Sammy to a random church’s young adult group meeting, where he was engaged to preach. He was much blessed by God and preached mightily on 2 Samuel 11 and the effects sin has on us. Powerful, convicting and encouraging – God be praised! Saturday, I got many random errands done, then went to Natalie and Andrew’s engagement/wedding party in the afternoon, where it was awesome to celebrate their soon marriage!! Sunday was church and afterwards, I went straight home and did various household chores before finally sitting down and having my dinner of leftover lasagna and a tomato salad. And…with my dinner, watched Return of the King. It’d been far too long. And even more fun was me and Maryanne watched it in sync, so we got to text each other random comments back and forth as we watched. Fun times…just wished we lived closer so we could watch in person!!! Alas. Oh! I also was much engaged in writing yesterday afternoon…got a powerful urge to put a story to paper, even though I am now doubting my literary powers and ability to do the themes of this story justice. I’m about 2200 words in and halfway done, but it is most rough so far and I am unsure whether it will get to where it needs to be. We shall see. I need to fly now, but shall leave you the opening…sorry to be such a tease. Love you all, my friends!!

A window stained, spattered with raindrops and grim in both general aura and appearance. Thunder rumbled in the far off distance and the harsh neon lights glared into the window, through the rain streaked plastic and into the cramped room. The room, mean in appearance and dim lit with a single lamp beside the bed, had a singularly utilitarian appearance. A bed, a sink and a mirror. Nothing more, nothing less. Nothing more was needed. Nothing less was used.

A Note

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Hello friends…and happy Monday!! I don’t have time to write long, but thought I should dash down a few words here, even though I can’t properly chronicle the weekend! Alas. Still, a good one was had(even though I was busy every night and didn’t quite get in a relaxing rest night like I had planned!) Still, I can only thank and bless my God for all His goodness, for all His love. I was able to sing praises to my God in a hymn-sing that John put on, Friday night…oh so joyous!! And then dinner and good chat with new friends(plus John!). Saturday involved a quality coffee morning and many more conversations at the Maresh’s, followed by watching the new Jason Bourne movie with Julie(it was a good movie…but definitely not up to the standards of the previous three. Oh well. Still awesome seeing Matt Damon be amazing on the big screen!!) Then I had a craving for lasagna so of course…had to go home and make that for dinner!! Julie came over to help me eat it and we watched so many good Olympics events(and had some good chat interspersed!). Saturday night was an excellent Olympics night…Mo Farah taking the gold(again!!) in the 10k – so thrilling, especially as I remembered watching it from my Calsayseat flat four years ago!! – then Michael Phelps dominating in the pool one last time…Sunday, many more fun things happened, but I simply don’t have the time to write about them now!! Sorry for this poorly constructed, somewhat rambling entry, but just wanted to write these things down so that I always point back to them and…remember the goodness of the Lord. Be well, my friends – take courage and live today for the glory of our God and Father!!

A Most Profound Loss of Place

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Hello friends!! It’s Saturday morning here at Starbucks and I’m just about to leave…I actually am forced to leave, because I need to go pick up my car from its annual inspection. Here’s to hoping it passed! (It better have…) Anyway, this Saturday is set to be a very productive one(I hope), since I plan on doing a bunch of cleaning at my place and following that…some solid writing time just needs to happen. I’ve been meaning to write something substantial for some time now, and I swear, I shall force myself to do so. Since Starbucks writing clearly isn’t working, going to just ensconce myself in my living room at home and hope my couch isn’t too comfortable to keep me from writing something properly beautiful. We shall see – I must at least experiment and get myself out of this extremely bad habit of not writing! (Oh and as always…if any of you have some writing ideas/prompts you would like to share, I would be ever so grateful. Truly) Now, I must fly. Peace my friends – have a most glorious Saturday!!!

A Situation

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The loss of oxygen was actually not that alarming, considering the circumstances. Multiple alarms warbled in imperfect harmony and far too many lights flashed persistently on the status boards. Irritated at her ship’s newfound desire to self-destruct, Juliet jerked her control cord to a new setting and hissed quietly in frustration. It was going to be close. Groaning in arrhythmic stutters, the chamber around Juliet’s pilot pod began to heat up. This was not entirely unexpected, but a bit too soon for comfort. Juliet glanced at the altitude indicator again and bit her lip. She needlessly tightened the strap on her rebreather and flipped the final switch. In one last protest, the structure surrounding her began to crumble into nothingness. Outside lay blackness and flame. Juliet leaned her head back and sighed. An explosion of soundless beauty. And then, the lights came on.

Closing her eyes, Juliet asked in barely concealed anger, “So how’d I do?”

“You died,” came the disembodied voice in her earbuds. “Again.”

“Really?” scoffed Juliet. “Well then, let’s run it one last time.” Her eyes flashed purple fire. “Again.”

So Neatly Written

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello, dear friends, and happy Friday! I sit at my desk at work, minutes before the clock ticks over to working time, but I couldn’t resist just saying hello. I’m drinking my peppermint mocha and pondering deep thoughts, like say…what shall I do this weekend? Actually, I’m a bit stunned – I’m going to be in Houston all weekend, a shocking development! Been traveling so much lately, it shall really be quite nice to be at home and get some proper rest. But for now, one more day of work, so no rest for me(yet!). Have a most blessed and wondrous day, my friends.

Fingers drumming on the tabletop,
coffee mugs littering the counter,
clamorous chatting fills the kitchen,
Something comforting, this home sweet home.

Closer Creeps the Night

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Beth sighed as she sat in weary anticipation on the front stoop. Hearing a car approaching, she looked up warily, only to see a little black ’88 Volvo approaching. Not her ride. Actually, she had no idea who the driver was, and she knew most people in the neighborhood(naturally, as she’d lived in that same neighborhood for most of her 19 years). After the Volvo drove past, she put her head down again and watched the late autumn leaves tumble down the sidewalk in front of her. The leaves seemed to be dancing with gleeful abandon as they darted by, rejoicing in the winter-tinged air. Beth shivered. She didn’t share the sentiment. Pulling her orange coat closer around herself, she sighed once again. Where was Rich at? He had promised to pick her up at the crack of dawn, but as the early morning light spilled over the sleepy neighborhood sprawled out in front of her, Beth started to worry. She tended to do that a lot, particularly when things didn’t go according to plan. And in her life, things had a tendency to not go according to plan. Unfortunately. Beth rubbed her arms again. She was cold and irritated and still not quite awake. A squeal of tires skidding around the nearest corner shook Beth out of her brown study. In a flash, she hopped to her feet, grabbed her small knapsack and started walking towards the street. Rich’s lime green monstrosity jumped up next to her and she tugged on the door handle violently. Time to go save the world.

Penstroke

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A morning where a
darkness reigns throughout the land
and yet there is a wind that blows,
a return of sweetness and decency
mayhaps.

A morning where a
bowl of oatmeal upon worn table sits
and brown sugar swirls in dreamy paths,
a return to first love and hopes fairest
maybe.

A morning where a
moonlit herald sings in quiet wonder
and I hear a call to that far country,
a return to truest tales of yore
perhaps.

First Blush

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A mount untraveled,
a tree not blooming,
a flag yet unfurled,
and the sweet colour
of the pale of dawn.

I look upon a crescent moon
and I sigh
in unbridled wonder
that there could be such
beauty.

And behold
tulips blossoming in purest white,
stars singing sweet and strong in dazzling night,
fields of wheat rippling in warm sunlight,
that music bliss and those blue eyes bright
oh behold!

Beauty
that there could be such
in unbridled joy now
and I sigh –
I look upon a waxing moon.

The path is winding through the wild moors,
The trees stand tall and kiss their brethren,
And upon the terrace of brick and stone,
look and behold the aching sweetness –
oh the tale of dawn.

Unwilling

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Dirty feet and
dirty floors,
See how all the
filthy money pours
across counter-tops and
tables stained,
not a cent is clean
or rightly gained.

Who dares overturn
our ways,
crack the whip
and halt our days?
Who dares let his eyes
grow sharp in rage
Who dares shout aloud
and then say,

This was to be a house for prayer,
but upon this holy ground
your dirty feet quick into wickedness
have trod;
This was to be a house of love,
but upon the poor and weak
your dirty feet quick and merciless
have trod;
This was to be a house for peace
but now comes near a sword and flames,
oh how I weep,
return, return,
come nigh to God.

Soul Power

James HoganLeave a comment

Morning all!! It’s Monday morning once again – the beginning of another (hopefully busy and exciting!) week. I’m sipping on my hazulnut mocha and enjoying the slow lightening of the western sky as the dawn continues its inexorable march. I really don’t even have that much to write about(since I just posted two days ago…two posts in three days – shocking!), but thought I would at least say hi.

A slow and ponderous turn of earth,
seems so heavy at times,
so full of nickle and iron
and far too many broken dreams.

Yet soaring through the not quite vacuum,
Soulful dance of nebulae and stars,
Not so heavy now, see?
Tapestry of space flutters,
dreamily.