I Challenge You To…

August 9, 2018

I Challenge You To…

This week’s challenge is to write a story, limerick or poem on the subject of:

Running

Last week’s theme was television. Here are just a couple of the great pieces you sent in:

Keith Channing sent in a very clever one:

I just bought a new smart TV
Now so many things I can see
There’s Homeland and Bones,
Of course, Game of Thrones
But where do I find BBC?

Please visit MWS R Writing‘s website for something very interesting:

https://mwsrwritings.com/2018/08/02/i-challenge-you-television/

I absolutely love Val Fish‘s:

Mesmerised, unable to speak
I’m feeling decidedly weak
Glued to the telly
Legs turned to jelly
At the sight of Poldark’s physique.

***

running

Esther Chilton

Challenges, Uncategorized

blogging, inspiration, writing, writing challenges

11 responses to “I Challenge You To…”

Keith Channing

August 9, 2018

Reblogged this on Keith Kreates! and commented:
Hmm. This week, Esther’s keyword is running…

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Keith Channing

August 9, 2018

Running as fast as a horse
Will often end up in remorse
I’ll tell you what’s worse
Try jesting in verse
Or try an on-line writing course!

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1. Esther Chilton
  
  August 9, 2018
  
  You never fail to rise to the challenge 🙂
  
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  1. Keith Channing
    
    August 9, 2018
    
    😀
    
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Purgatory #Poetry #Challenge #Running – Poems for Warriors

August 9, 2018

[…] This poem is an entry to Esther Chilton’s Running Challenge on her blog. […]

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TanGental

August 11, 2018

I’ll put this up on my blog next week but here’s the response… it’s been too long.

The Future Of TV

‘And… cut. Well done everyone. Take five and we’ll be back after the adverts.’
‘Harry, can I have a word.’
‘I’m a bit busy Maureen. Can it wait?’
‘It’s just I was down by the screen, keeping the sweat off…’
‘I know, horrid job but we can’t afford the smears. Some aircon is on order…’
‘It’s not that. It’s the little girl. She’s seen us.’
‘Well, I hope so. Rather the point of watching TV, don’t you think?’
‘No I mean she’s seen us. You know, actually us. In here.’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, Maureen. You know humans have no understanding of we Wemans. They think they’re the only bipedal opposable-thumbed mammals on this planet capable of memory, emoting, reasoning and formalising hopeless voting structures. It’s the hiding in plain sight stratagem…’
‘Yes, Which is fine for your average suggestible adult but children haven’t been indoctrinated. I caught her looking in the side of the screen. I’m sure she saw me looking back…’
‘YOU MADE EYE CONTACT?’
‘No. Well, no exactly. More a mutual askance. Thing is she’s out there now, round the back trying to see inside.’
‘Where are her parents?’
‘Making tea. What…?’
‘People! Listen up, we have a situation. Jim, make ready with the Shortbox. Daphne, I need a public service tableau. Number four.’
‘What are you doing? We need to stop the girl.’
‘Maureen, watch and learn. We can hardly jump out and, what tie her down, tell her to behave, can we?’
‘No…’
‘So if we can’t stop her, who can?’
‘I don’t know? The Authority?’
‘Perlease. You know what they’d do? They’d have the set catch fire so the girl doesn’t get to see any TV. You want to be out of work?’
‘No….’
‘Ok. That’s why, when her folks come back with their tea, we’ll wait while the girl tells her folks. They’ll laugh and she’ll go and point out where she saw you. At that moment, Daphne’s troop will put on a playlet showing the dangers of letting children near the TV what with all the electrical charges held by the capacitors – it’s beautiful, the way the little girl dies of electrocution – so poignant. At the same time, Jim will set the Shortbox going. Now that’s spectacular, all sorts of bangs and fizzes and sparks. The parents will be horrified, assume it’s something that the little girl has done and the ‘little people’ inside the box will be forgotten. You go take a seat. We will be back to normal in 30 minutes.’
‘Gosh that’s clever.
‘Not really. Anyway, it’s a losing battle.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘We’ll soon have to find a new way of making ourselves useful. Flat screen TVs will make us redundant. Still there’s no reason to worry.’
‘No?’
‘Have you heard about AI? Those humans think they’ll have invented robots to look just like themselves in the next ten years. And guess who’ll be inside those metal carcasses?’
‘Goodness, I didn’t know.’
‘Yep, very hush hush. Though, word to the wise. If they make them exact replicas you might want to specialise, sooner than later. Stay away from anything to do with the bowels.’

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1. Esther Chilton
  
  August 12, 2018
  
  Thanks, Geoff. It’s great to see you back here, taking up a challenge. Hope all’s well with you 🙂
  
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  1. TanGental
    
    August 12, 2018
    
    Yes thanks. Still churning out words. Quantity over quality natch! I know, I’m fishing fir compliments. I’ll be needing your services soon too as I’m drawing together my 2017 output of short fiction to see if I can’t produce a third anthology. Provisionally Life In A Conversation, given how much dialogue I write.
    
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  2. Esther Chilton
    
    August 14, 2018
    
    Glad you’re not holding back on the word count! That’s great news about gathering together your 2017 short fiction; I look forward to reading it 🙂
    
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Rajiv

August 15, 2018

I will get in this week!

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The Future Of TV #flashfiction #Ichallengeyou | TanGental

August 15, 2018

[…] is is response to Esther Chilton’s prompt I Challenge […]

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