The Wordsmith's Forge

dialecticdreamer is hosting Magpie Monday today with a theme of "spring miracles." Leave prompts, get ficlets! There are perks for boosting the signal and donating.

I’m doing this for fun, but I’m increasingly hoping for income, and will offer one more scan for errors, then post the sponsor’s chosen story immediately, which could offer a glut of reading for everyone to enjoy! If I reach $65 in sponsorships, not only do the requested stories post, I will also post a five thousand (5000) word story as a bonus. How did Saul and Genna work out the tension that kept Saul away even in Minnesota? This is the tale!

These are some posts from the later part of last week in case you missed them:
Poem: "The Line of Righteousness and Justice"
Cape Gooseberries
Climate Change Paper
Recipe: "Barbecue Pork Ribs"
Emotional Labor
Fixing Emergency Room Flow
Community Building Tip: Tool Sharing
Speed of Transport
Illustrating Hurricane Paths
Poem: "A Nation of Craftsmen"
Emotional Intimacy Question: Traditions
Snow
Hard Things


Last week I got some good prompts during the fishbowl, although the time got eaten up so much that I only had 2 writing days.  :/  I'm still really pleased with the new material -- fans seem to enjoy the eastern genre.  :D


Poetry in Microfunding:

There are two open epics. 

"A Cave Swarming with Strange Forms of Life" belongs to Polychrome Heroics: Iron Horses. Kenzie goes to Pretty Ears for counseling.

"So Many Notes and Colors and Flavors" belongs to Polychrome Heroics: Shiv. Heron and Shiv are comfort-cooking, and not everything goes smooth.


Weather here has been variable. It was icy, then rainy and windy, and now it's milder. Seen at the birdfeeders this week: a large flock of sparrows, a large flock of mourning doves, a small flock of dark-eyed juncos, a pair of cardinals, a female downy woodpecker, a male downy woodpecker, a rabbit, and a squirrel.  My house finches have returned!  :D  Yesterday and today I saw a pair of them on the thistle feeder, which has otherwise been abandoned for months.

Here is a diagram showing a lovely array of indigenous words for forest and related land types, distinguished by natural features and usage.  It's much easier to discuss land management with such a nice vocabulary, instead of just "forest."

This poem came out of the December 4, 2018 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a discussion with aniustaluwis (Hikaru). It also fills the "minimum effort" square in my 12-1-18 card for the Summer in December Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by Anthony & Shirley Barrette. It belongs to the Polychrome Heroics series. It directly follows "The Heart to Rejoice," so read that first or this will make no sense.

Warning: This poem contains some intense topics. Highlight to read the warnings, some of which are spoilers. It includes an incursion from another dimension, attempted kidnapping, threatening a child, obnoxious high-handed behavior, vulgar talk in Faellyn, family drama, offensive offers to buy off Shannalyn with money, and other challenges. If these are sensitive issues for you, please consider your tastes and headspace before moving onward.

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Here are the notes for "A Perfection That Eludes Us."

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