Friday Writings #205: Food as Ritual

 

According to the ancient wisdom of Google, “food as ritual means that the preparation, serving, and consumption of food are deliberate, symbolic acts that go beyond mere nutrition to express cultural values, build social bonds, and connect individuals to their heritage or beliefs.” Since I agree with the thought, and this weekend most people around my bit of the world are celebrating a holiday that involves a whole lot of cooking and eating and squabbling, I think that it makes total sense for today’s optional prompt to be “food as ritual”. 

photo by Artem Maltsev, on Unsplash

So, my dear poets and storytellers, write poetry or prose. Let your writings be old or new. If food as ritual doesn’t tempt your muse, delight on a topic that does. One post per participant, please. 369 words maximum, excluding title. When you’re ready, add the direct link to your response to Mister Linky. Then visit other writers and share your thoughts on their tasty words. 

next week, we’ll invite you to take inspiration from the title of songs in Florence and the Machine’s new album, Everybody Scream. Examples: “Sympathy Magic”, “Perfume and Milk”, “Buckle”, “Kraken”, “And Love”.

Friday Writings #204: The Most Expensive Garment

 

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! I had been chatting with Magaly the other day about recent reads and interesting quotes. She told me about My Life as a Goddard Movie by Joanna Walsh. It's an essay about beauty, desire, and revolution inspired by the work of Swedish film maker Jean-Luc Godard. One particular quote seemed very ripe for exploration: 

“The most expensive garment you’ll ever own is your own flesh.”

So for this week's optional prompt, I ask you to take some inspiration in that quote. As always, prose and poetry are welcome, as is fiction and non-fiction. Just please be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer, and one post per person.

Next week, we’ll invite you to write about “food as ritual”.

Friday Writings #203: Why I Love / Hate ...

  

 

Hello again, dear Word Weavers, 

How is life treating you, in these dramatic and disconcerting times?

There is much to hate about the world we live in, and also there is still much to love.  Even in regard to one’s own tiny life, both surely apply.

These thoughts arose from seeing this on social media recently (evidently the great SF author Ray Bradbury was asked for advice on how to find subject matter):

 

So that suggested to me your optional prompt this week. Only, even though he does mention both poems and short stories, ten would be a lot in a short piece of writing! The way it’s worded sounds as if he means you to use all ten at once – even though he used only one of each in Fahrenheit 451, and that's a novel. 

Well, perhaps he really meant only one love and one hate per each poem or story. In any case, I think we could manage three, particularly if they’re related (though they need not be). But then, you may not wish to tangle love and hate together, in which case you may choose either. 

To help your inspiration, here is a poem by Caitlin Johnstone, read by her husband Tim Foley, in which she masterfully entangles things she hates and loves. 

 

 

To recap:

Optional prompt: Three things you hate (which may or may not be related) and tear them down, and/or three things you love and celebrate them.

Guidelines: Poetry or prose, old or new, on prompt or not, one post per person, 369-word limit (excluding title and notes). Please also read others and leave encouraging comments. You are welcome to leave comments here too. 

Next week: We will invite you to find inspiration in this quote: “The most expensive garment you’ll ever own is your own flesh.”

  

Friday Writings #202: What I Love About the Dark

 

Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! We've reached the point in the northern hemisphere where nights are all too obviously noticeably longer than the day. And with daylight savings time, I'm racing the sunset when I take my dog for her late afternoon/ early evening walk. 

But there is something cozy about the shorter days. I love how crisp the night sky is. It feels like something of a little luxury to be able to take it in a little longer. Settling into a slower, more reflective mode is a nice change of pace.

For this week's optional prompt I am asking you to take inspiration from what you like about the dark. As always, I'll accept poetry and prose, fiction and non-fiction. Just be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer, and one entry per person please.

For next week's optional prompt, be prepared to write about three things you hate and tear them down, and/or three things you love and celebrate them.