Takhayyal writing prompt 105: Winter to Spring

New month, new writing prompt!

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's MONTHLY picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal or Imagine.

March is the month when the world begins to shift from Winter to Spring, not bringing the woes of climate change here but it's a reminder of change, growth, and a journey to beauty. 

I took this image from a friend a while back but I felt it's destined for March. March 2020.

Look at the picture and let it inspire you! 

 

Photography by Mahmoud Mansi 

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction, an imaginary situation, an artistic thought; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·  Use the image for inspiration and write your piece in the comments below or publish it on your blog and leave the link to it in the comments

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·     It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets or tag me @NadanessSobhi and I'll retweet you :)

Let's IMAGINE!

Takhayyal Writing Prompt 86: Raging Sea

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's monthly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal/Imagine.

I was a bit stumped with what to post for June, the first month of summer for a lot of schools here, although I must note that sweltering heat has already started here (Egypt). We had a couple of 40-Celsius weeks already and they call it spring!

Anyways, this is an image I took last year of the Mediterranean Sea towards the end of the season. The sea had gnawed at the rocks and it was impossible to swim at this point.

I hope you find inspiration in this sea as it has inspired me year after year.

 

North Coast, Egypt, KM 87. Photography by Nada Adel Sobhi/Nadaness In Motion

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Takhayyal writing prompt 79: Welcome to Life

Welcome New Year 2018!

And welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayya/Imagine.

The New Year is here and somehow this picture spoke to me of New Year when I first saw it!

Are you ready for the first writing prompt of 2018?

LET'S!

This image was coloured by Batool M. Montasser via the Recolor app

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity and explore new genres.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Takhayyal writing prompt 78: Evil Santa?

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

So, Christmas is kinda over but the season isn't. Did Santa visit you? Krampus or this evil Santa here?

If you've been suffering writers' block, this blue-eyed Santa here will probably inspire you! (Can't wait to read your work *evil laugh*)

(I wonder what the children are thinking or worse the bunny!)

Image found online. Artist unknown.

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Takhayyal writing prompt 77: Santa vs Krampus (2 prompts)

Welcome back Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

The holidays are almost here and I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

We all know Santa, but what about a heroic Santa? Or Krampus? 

Believed to be of Austrian or German origin, Krampus is said to be St. Nicholas' (Santa's) evil counterpart who punishes children who have been naughty throughout the year (and puts them in sacks and hangs from a tree to eat them later but you can leave that part out if you wish)

The below image may or may not be Krampus. I'll leave that to you. 

Image found via Google.

Here's another Santa versus Krampus option. In case you were thinking the first one is a little over the top. 

I hope you'll find some time to write a piece, no matter how short.

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a challenge for writers of all ages and genres; a place to spark creativity.

Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General rules:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a nice and encouraging gesture to comment on others' pieces.

·        Feel free to add your Twitter handle (@....) so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Underestimating Autumn by Nada Adel Sobhi - Prose

I have always viewed autumn as the tasteless season. A season with no character. Just grey skies, jittery weather; you never know if summer has ended or winter has started. You feel like you’re unsure what to wear and always end up with the wrong guess. You wear something light so it ends up being cold; you take a jacket or something heavy - because winter is coming right? - and it’s too warm.

But then I saw ‘her’ garden. I was struck, not by lightning, but by beauty, by colour.

Colours I had never seen in nature before. Colours no painter’s palette can ever bring to the canvas. Colours that breathe life into your being.

I have often read descriptions of autumn, where yellow and orange leaves litter the sidewalks. The descriptions were enticing. But that’s what I had often assumed they were: descriptions.

Photography by Cathy Ace - Her Garden of Inspiration

Here, in Egypt, there are no yellow-and-orange leaves. The dull greens fall and the trees become bare in autumn and winter. The sky wavers between grey and sunny, unsure what the day will bring, like it is trying to maintain a level of suspense. But as time passes, this suspense wears away and everyone is just bored.

I admit: I never liked autumn. The bland season. The prelude to the cold. Not until I had seen these images. I felt my eyes open.

I was seeing another - stunning - world for the first time, an enchanting one.

I stared at - and shared - the images before me. I wanted the world to see them, feel them, bask their beauty. I could almost feel a slightly cold breeze, smell the damp grassy garden, and see myself sitting amidst the flowers and trees, reading, writing, and above all living.

I look at the pictures again and understand why authors abroad write such beautiful books and settings. Because their views are different. Colourful. Vibrant. Alive.

Cathy Ace's garden in full colour and force. Photography by Cathy Ace

I know the garden will turn white with snow when winter comes, but for a moment I lived.

Writing by: Nada Adel Sobhi/Nadaness In Motion

Photography by: Cathy Ace (originally a cozy mystery author.) Find her on Facebook and Twitter. 

I saw these pictures by Cathy and the words just started flowing out of my mind and pen.

Raging Waters by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

The sea is high,

Fury runs in its veins.

The colour

Deadly beautiful,

Calling swimmers to their doom.

Anxious,

Angry

Are the waves.

"Rage forth unto these mortals!

Rise! Rise!

And show no mercy!

Let them know fear."

I can hear Poseidon howl

From the unseen depths

"Let them see and feel

Our mighty fury!"

The colour seduces me.

But I know better.

Even a mermaid

Would lay low

From the mighty king's wrath.

And yet,

I cannot keep my eyes off it;

Never seen this hue of deadly turquoise.

Schools of fish

Rooted in their place,

The current too strong

Despite their number.

The colour calls to me,

But the waves warn me.

'Not today, little one.

We have no control!'

The wind blows strong,

From all directions.

A sail boat would flip over,

None to survive.

No breeze,

Nor water spray,

But bellowing wind,

A scorching sun,

And a deadly wave

Drenches me from head to toe.

I will heed your words.

"Come mortals!

Face me!

Face your demons,

In my once clean waters!"   

Photo credit: Nada Adel Sobhi. Location: North Coast km 87, Egypt

Written Sunday, 14 August, 2016 at 2 pm

Sleeping Train by Nada Adel Sobhi - Poem

Darkness surrounds,

Worry abounds,

No snow,

But bone-chilling cold

Lurks in the vicinity

Hoodie-covered,

Sweater-hidden

Men and women

On a sleeping train

But who is truly sleeping?

The train stops,

Some get up and wonder

"Are we there yet?"

"It's too early to stop,

Still 8 hours to go!"

Several trains pass us by.

Hands shake,

Shoulders shiver.

The cold seeps in,

Threatening to break our sleep,

Or dormant strength.

Sounds from the next door cabin

Spell noise

For the already restless and wandering mind.

Eyes once too sleepy,

Now awake,

Searching,

Studying,

Calculating,

Jumping from side to side

Looking for answers.

The heater seems to have died,

Or the cold has won the fight,

A fight the sleepers are unaware of.

The night grows darker

And we are standing still.

Where? I know not.

My mind won't dim tonight,

Not at least until we're moving again.

Then I'll begin my own battle

With the cold,

Under a hoodie and a blanket

That are no match

For the cold seeping into my bones.

Written 26 January 2016

At 1:41 am

On a train from Cairo to Luxor

train-at-night (via greenlanternpress.wordpress.com)

Summer - 55 Word Challenge

Scorching heat emanates from the pavement. Even the sun seems to pity the land below, unknowing how to handle the heat it brings forth.

To top it all, water begins to run short.

It's summer, an exceptionally hot summer, and all everyone wants is to get away to a sea breeze.

My entry WON Over Achiever in the 55-word challenge - YAY
 
It was an entry for Over Achiever for this week's 55 Word Challenge. Used all three pictures and was mostly inspired by this year's summer in Egypt - several heat waves and a two-day water cut.

My piece is 51 words long.