mum23

To the tune of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine"...


Ain’t no sunshine now you’re gone
Felt so faint… you flew away
Ain’t no sunshine now you’re gone
No cheer left within my soul
and my smile has gone away.

Wonder if you’re nearly home
O’er the water, far away
Drinking coffee on my own,
No idea how I’ll be strong
Grave and lost… you’ve gone away

And I know, I know, I know, I know,
Paroxysms of grief will have to go
Barking dogs, warbling birds all try to show
Lost in the woods just ain’t the way to go
I know, I know
Hey, I oughtta be brave, just carry on
But ain’t no sunshine now you’re gone

Though your words they echo on
“Practise drawing every day”
Ain’t no life now that you’re gone
And this house just ain’t no home
Ever since you went away
Ever since you went away
Ever since you went away
Too long since you went away

anotherronism

Hey folks... Good to see TW is still around even if it's not feeling so well. I'm almost never on this site anymore but maybe I'll take a stab at this list.

chelydra

Please do! It's heartening to see entries arriving, but I suppose we'll need a bunch that get the word count right to legitimize this rebooting. Either that, or we could just admit that the golden age of ThinkWrite is long gone, and we've entered a degenerate stage where anything goes...

anotherronism

“Godsmack” by Ron

Latoya Lincoln died in her sleep.

She was the last person affected by the phenomena known as “Godsmack”. Her experience led her to found the Church of Mindful Awareness.

When asked how she had changed the world she would grin.

“I was nasty, rude, young and stupid. I didn’t know what people felt and didn’t care.

“I once went drinking and afterwards stopped for food. The place was packed. I remember the girl working the counter. She was busy but pleasant and wore a faint smile.

“I lit into her for being slow. I told her to hurry. I was drunk and belligerent. Customers started laughing at the girl. She started crying. I was still barking at her when it happened.

“Someone slapped me. I felt welts rising. I saw red and went crazy. I screamed obscenities and lashed out. There was no one there but I kept getting slapped. Finally I was too tired to continue.

“Everyone was on the floor. The girl was handing out water. People rubbed their bloodied faces. We all wondered what had just happened.”

A new age was born. Across the globe people were slapped hard by unseen forces whenever they were rude or discourteous.

The world went through a paroxysm of anger and disbelief. Chaos ensued but as anger increased so did the slaps.

Realization dawned. Something was judging mankind. An idea took hold. People had to practice courtesy. Always.

The Church of Mindful Awareness was born.

It reiterated that Godsmack had actually happened. Something was out there. Mankind was being judged. Fundamental change was necessary.

Latoya Lincoln did change. She spent her life changing the world by changing herself.

She rested in a casket of wood beside her own grave. The crowd was huge in the sunshine. Everyone was courteous and filled with good cheer and respect.

chelydra

I'm not checking word counts but it looks like we're getting there, slowly but surely . . . Resolved not to comment prior to vote, but it is nice to have an entry that should be required reading for most of the human race, which of course doesn't necessarily mean it has to win the thinkwrite torch . . .

anotherronism

chirp chirp chirp

ladyhwin

Definitely not my best writing, since I am very out of practice. But its 305 words exactly and has all the required words.

************

Birds chirped in the treetops, quietly and happily. Their music floated through the wood on a gentle breeze, rustling the spring grass and toying with the long dark hair of a woman seated on the bank of the river. She did not respond to its playful touch, however, but merely sat, as grave and quiet as a statue. The sunshine attempted to rouse her with his warmth, bouncing in and out between the clouds. Even a squirrel and a rabbit chased each other around her, chattering and trying to cheer her, but to no avail. Her sharp features remained stolid and cast in shadow. Finally the forest quieted and began to retreat back to give some privacy. She seemed almost grateful and her features softened slightly, until the sudden sound of dogs barking across the river made her start to her feet. She stared across the water, her body tense, her eyes shifting to and fro with fear. A faint tendril of wind cast itself about her arm, trying to pull her further into the trees, but she still refused to listen. Instead, a smile began to spread across her face.
“They are coming for me!” she exclaimed excitedly, breaking into a paroxysm of laughter and darting further up the river.
The forest rustled its leaves and splashed its waters, trying to attract the attention of the dogs and the people who would naturally be with them, but the effort was strained. This was the third time in one morning that the rescuers had come near enough to be heard and the practice of calling out was beginning to feel hopeless.
But suddenly, the birds had an idea and began to call out in a singular manner to their neighbors across the river, telling them what to do. They could still save the desperate woman.

Qsilv

http://www.thinkdraw.com/forumPosts.php?topicId=1460

post #18

Every one of Chelydra's 11 required words, in the form he stipulated (vs our usual shameless practice of gerundizing etc) ...in precisely three times the requested word count (= 915). I started to triple each word, but... Nepenthe calls... and... wins. ;>

chelydra

Let's have one more story (or two or three) and then some nominations for the next torch-bearer.

chelydra

Well... ThinkWrite's forum page is sinking towards the bottom of the pile again, but anotherronism's entry is calling out to us, so I'll skip the ideas of calling for votes, trying to get seven stories that strictly follow the rules, and just pass the torch... hoping anotherronism hasn't got tired of waiting and wandered off.

Many thanks to all who joined in. Some good stuff, worthy of comments which I would offer if the current Mars transit rendering me incapable of saying anything right at the moment — but special thanks to Qsilv for her eschewal or gerundizing (anyone else who did the same).

Congrats to anotherronism. Best wishes for a continuing (and accelerating) recovery of ThinkWrite!

chelydra

Insert weren't (or wasn't if you prefer) before "rendering" above. Thought I'd managed a typo-free posting.

chelydra

(And substitute whatever other diagnosis you prefer for "the current Mars transit" if you feel so moved.)

chelydra

(And insert "and to" before "anyone else who did the same".) (That should do it.)

chelydra

(One more: substitute "some great stuff" for "some good stuff".)

chelydra

Anotherronism? You there?

marg

Ronnie gone ?

Yes, Ronnie gone

..and Cyril ..?

Yes, Cyril gone too. Ages ago.

.. and Bertie ?

Uncle Bertie went right after your wedding [you old fool]. Lordy, lordy, why do you keep harping on these old relics of your past, dad ? Here we are in the park and I thought it would cheer you up to get away from the home for a day, and enjoy a bit of sunshine ? Look at the ducks on the water and the dogs chasing the ducks and barking and the little kids playing with their stones and, er, bows and arrows – doesn’t that bring a smile to your face ?

..what about Ernie ?

Dad, Ernie’s been in his grave the last 15 years. You remember, after Glynnis died his practice went to pieces and they brought that new Tibetan doctor in ?

.. but Freddy’s still here ?

Dadddd ! Uncle Freddy had that paroxysm/fit/attack/whatever after those picnickers took a movie of him dancing around Birstley Wood in the nude that night. I have no idea whether he ever got out of the hospital, but I’d say the chances are pretty faint.

Gone, all gone..

Oh, dad.. yes, some people have gone but there’s lots of nice new people around ! Of course, most of them don’t remember ThinkWrite, but maybe we can start a session after bingo on Tuesdays ?