A new gallery

July 20, 2025 Chris Hall37 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

The two boys were back in France, in a small town where Great Aunt Margot lives.
‘What’s the time?’ said one of them, as they both looked up to the big clock outside in the main square.
‘Okay, one more time to walk quickly around the great church – why not?’
‘Shall we do it?’
‘Yes, let’s go.’

Meanwhile, Great Aunt Margot had bought her usual things in the market: a long baguette, some very oozy cheeses and three little patisserie cakes, which she put in her big basket.
She then stopped next to the new gallery.
‘How is it going, my dear?’ said Great Aunt Margot.
A young woman smiled. ‘Anything you would like?’
‘Hmm, something small perhaps,’ as she stepped into the shop.

A couple of minutes later the two boys appeared.
‘What have you got?’ asked one of the boys.
‘Never mind about that, I will show you that back at home. But any way it’s almost lunchtime,’ as she grinned.

The three of them chatted happily, as they walked down to where they stayed, but no one would be able to find what they did after that.

And also in the small town, not far from the woods, you might still see a few unicorns, and their names are: Victor, Wellington, Xena, Yasmine and Zacharia.

So thanks for that Jenne and C .E. Aye, we’ve had a great time, and maybe we will see you around sometime.

So now I must find a new tale, but where?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Weaving

July 18, 2025 Chris Hall39 Comments

Alma Thomas, Celestial Fantasy, 1973, acrylic on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Warp and Weft – it’s a Shadorma (twice)

warp and weft
beautiful colours
let’s begin
to weave now
it is mostly bright, bright blue
with a hint of pink

lots to do
as the shuttle moves
quick and turn
and again
it’s not a painting this time
it’s a lovely scarf

~~~~~

Written in response to this week’s Tanka Challenge hosted by Melissa from Mom With a Blog

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 21, Shadorma, 7/15/2025

Tour de France 2025 – 2nd week

July 16, 2025 Chris Hall35 Comments

Paris Photographer – Louis Paulin

The two gargoyles had managed to get away from the gendarmes since there was a small crash with several cyclists on the Tour de France just at that moment; sadly they had to leave their big motorcycle, but they quickly got to the fields and they hid in the many, many tall sunflowers.

They whispered together: ‘what are we going to do?’ – ‘look, the river is just over there,’ – oh yes, I can see a boat,’ – ‘you mean we are going to row? – ‘hmm, I’ve a better idea…’ as he pulled out his smartphone, and began to send a WhatsApp.

Joan picked up her phone as her face lit up, she glanced at the red-headed woman, ‘haven’t you still got that little car? – ‘I.. em, yes… I’ll go and get it, and I’ll drive back to you,’ as she jumped up, ‘we will all go and find that place… yes?’

Two hours later, the three women had already found that big motorcycle; ‘well, I can ride it,’ said Scatty, ‘and I’ll sit on the back,’ said Joan.

It was the next day, and the three women were still looking for the two gargoyles.

Francis was on his own, it was the rest day for the Tour de France, so no cycling to watch; he walked into the music room, it had been hardly used for decades, but suddenly Francis had a hankering to play: maybe the piano, or the guitar? but no, that lovely cello, ‘I’m going to play it.’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Di of Pensitivity 101 –Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: PIANO, GUITAR, CELLO

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: ROW

More #SixSentenceStories

A long way to go

July 14, 2025 Chris Hall29 Comments

a long way to go,
as I continue to climb,
it’s almost a race.

don’t look down, look up,
did you say that I’m tiny?
just think perspective.

you see from my side,
I’m invincible, really,
I am a giant!

such fun, eh… giggling.

~~~

Image credit: Vladimir Vinogradov @Unsplash

This image shows a small metal statue of a tiny man climbing a pole. The statue is of a man wearing a suit and a hat and looking upwards.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #297 photo prompt.

What do you see # 297- 14 July, 2025

It’s a lovely train!

July 13, 2025 Chris Hall37 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

It was another Sunday afternoon for the two boys.
‘It’s always nice to go on our bikes, isn’t it.’
‘Yes indeed, we are very lucky, especially now it’s a lovely day.’
‘Let’s go faster, and maybe we can see a train, since the tracks are not far from here.’
‘Gosh yes, we can go over the bridge just over there.’
And so the two boys rode off as fast as they could.

They came to a stop, and right in the middle of the bridge.
‘Can’t see a train either on the upline or downline at the moment.’
As they both looked (and twice).
‘Are there trains on Sunday?’
‘I’m sure there are… I think.’
They thought again, and looked again; but nothing.
‘Oh well, let’s ride as close as we can, since there’s a little road over there.’

So they continued for quite a long time, still looking for a train.
‘Gosh, we’re almost in another village, and I don’t know this place.’
‘Me neither, but look…’
‘Oh yes, it’s a level crossing and also a little train station.’
‘And now listen…’
‘They are closing the gates…’

The two boys grinned.
‘Quick, let’s get on the platform.’
‘Are we allowed?’
‘Yes, of course.’

The train stopped and people got out, and in.
The guard glanced over to the two boys and their bikes, and he said: ‘Do you want to go in the last carriage? And there’s no charge for you.’
‘Ooh, thanks a lot,’ as they both grinned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Birthday Treat

July 12, 2025 Chris Hall45 Comments

a tasty morsel
tongued with creaminess, gorgeous
it’s melting and moist

sprinkling happiness
drawn with pastels and charcoal
a luscious painting

a delightful cake
dark and delicious, blissful
it could eat itself

~~~

Thanks to Colleen for the inspiration to write syllabic poetry. This week, let’s experiment with synesthesia.

#TankaTuesday Poetry Challenge No. 20, Synesthesia, 7/8/25

Tour de France 2025

July 9, 2025 Chris Hall46 Comments

Paris Photographer – Louis Paulin

The red-headed woman had known the strange and wonderful breed of people who stayed around Montmartre for more than a year now, she had been reminiscing about all of them: the three vampires, the one shapeshifter and (of course) the two gargoyles.

She’d been to the small but beautiful cemetery known as the Large Quarries, where she’d drawn a rather nice picture using her new pastels and paper; she was about to finish since no-one was around today, but then she saw Scatty.

‘Gosh, that’s good,’ said Scatty, ‘you’ve drawn several plants around here – the one’s I have used…. hmm, delightful, and useful too – magical; but never mind about that, we should go to that old mansion, and let’s not delay – you do know that the Tour de France is about to start, don’t you?’

‘You remember what they said, the two gargoyles, while we all watched that gorgeous ballet a few days ago?’ – ‘I do remember what the two of them said, something about going to see the Tour de France, and riding on a big motorcycle, yes?’

‘Come on we’re here, and we can watch the TV,’ – the red-headed woman and Scatty sat down on a large couch, while Joan and Francis were already sitting here to watch the Tour.

‘Look over there,’ said Joan, ‘we can see those two on their big motorcycle, and there’s something going on… a couple of policemen (gendarmeries, in fact), oh gosh, it seems that both of them will be detained!’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Di of Pensitivity 101 –Wednesday’s Three Things Challenge: DETAIN, DRAWN, DOWN

Denise Farley of GirlieOnTheEdge
Sunday’s Six Sentence Story Word Prompt: BREED

More #SixSentenceStories

Beautiful eagle

July 7, 2025 Chris Hall50 Comments

a beautiful eagle
he flies up
such a wonderful sight

I look up and I can only just see him
I craned even further
and I almost lost my balance
on my window

then he dives down, what has he taken?
a mouse, perhaps?

~~~

Image credit: Sasha Matic@Unsplash

This image shows a hawk-golden eagle, sitting on the grassy surface. Its neck is turned sideways and it’s staring intently into a distance.

Written in response to Sadje‘s What Do You See #296 photo prompt.

What do you see #296- 7th July, 2025

Goal!

July 6, 2025 Chris Hall28 Comments

© Ayr/Gray

The two boys were playing football in the park. It was Sunday afternoon, and very sunny.
‘This is fun, isn’t it?
‘Very much so,’ as he dived and stopped the ball.
‘Shall we ask some of the other boys here in this park?’
‘Good idea, and I would like to be in goal.’
‘Fine. You’re pretty good, aren’t you?’
‘Aww, thanks,’ as he grinned.

A few minutes later, several boys appeared.
‘Now we have enough players to have a good game,’ as they decided who would do what.

It had been great at the start but then there was a problem, since the ball went too far and too high. It glided over to someone’s back garden.

They looked at each other. ‘What are we going to do now?’

Several of them peered over the high wall.
‘Hmm. Not easy, but doable, don’t you think?’
‘Well, it is my ball. I shall try.’
‘Both of us will do it.’
Then a couple of other boys helped them up.

Soon they were both sitting astride.
‘Okay, we can do this. Yes?’
‘Of course we can.’

So they jumped down. Grabbed the ball, and hurled it back to the park.
They could also get back themselves, since a handy shed was close enough to jump from that to the wall.
They managed to get away with that before anyone saw it.
It seemed that everyone else was watching the telly – either Wimbledon or Tour de France.

‘Shall we continue the game then?’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Posted for The Unicorn Challenge, a magical challenge hosted by Jenne Gray and C E Ayr, where they provide a photo and we, in turn, provide up to 250 words.

Time for Opera

July 2, 2025 Chris Hall48 Comments

Paris Photographer – Louis Paulin

The red-headed woman had been back to the hairdressers since she didn’t really like that colour – too blonde and not enough red, she’d been looking it the colour chart in the salon, and eventually she plumped for something called ‘cardinal’, a vivid and warm-shade with auburn undertones (just like a little bird).

‘A wise choice… and definitely for you,’ said the hairdresser, as she began to trim the hair; the red-haired woman smiled as she waited to drink her coffee, and as usual it would be tepid by then.

Several hours later, the red-headed woman joined the queue with Francis, Joan and Scatty, everyone was excited, and wearing very nice clothes, since it was the open night in the ‘Opera de Paris’ – fabulous place, expensive but worth it, as they began to walk up the stairs.

‘At least we have a box,’ grinned Joan, ‘much more classy, don’t we think,’ – ‘oh yes, definitely… should I order some champagne, the best of course,’ asked Francis, while he opened the door, and waved a hand, ‘we don’t want to be dry while we enjoy the beautiful ballet.’

Meanwhile, the two gargoyles had climbed up to the top – ‘best view from there,’ they muttered, then one of them dropped a programme down using a particularly good aim.

Scatty suddenly saw it and caught it: ‘what is this?’ – there was a note inside – it said: we are going to see the Tour de France, and we will jump on to ride a big motorcycle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~