Late for Work

inspired by Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) of 7 March 2021, article.

An ambitious young author, confused,
He retired to his bed, sleep refused,
While he found it cathartical,
To pen a new article,
In the morning turned over and snoozed.

Under Pressure

inspired by Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) of 6 March 2021,contain.

My girlfriend would solve secrets coded,
But would often become overloaded,
No way to contain
What went on in her brain,
’til it suddenly, one day, exploded.

The Lucky Ticket

for the Weekly Prompts Weekend Challenge of 6 March 2021, purple. A childhood memory.

The Real Deal

For KK’s Flashback Track Friday prompt. This is my “proper” response.

The stakes were high,
We all were primed,
So much to gain or lose.

From long, hot days,
In captive grip,
We heard upon a muse.

She spread from one,
To two, to ten,
Her message loud and strong,

So clear to us,
The hungry youths,
Contained within her songs

I should explain. It is 1989. We are in Cardiff, UK, and I am in my final year of university.

I worked sixteen-hour days, mostly in a windowless library. I lived like a monk, not even seeing my then girlfriend for a month.

Because of this preparation, the exams went better than I expected. I began to socialise among student friends. One record was doing the rounds, the new addition to seemingly everybody’s collections.

An artist we had never before heard of. Her debut album. Every track with a message. We were willing recipients. Many tracks were covered, none came close.

I’m searching for the right words. “Breath of Fresh Air” does not do her justice, though that was precisely what she was. I don’t know whether it is simply because of my age (I was 21), because of my impressionability, or because of the direct link to me final exams, but there was never another album, before or since, which blew me away the same.

This is Tracy Chapman. I shall choose one track, but I recommend the entire album. https://open.spotify.com/album/6hmmX5UP4rIvOpGSaPerV8?si=DsJLpYc6Sc25FRn9pDR3sQ

Warming Up

For KK’s Flashback Track Friday prompt. I’ll have to think about a proper response, but immediately thought you might like this. For UK readers, a memory – this badboy went to #1 – and for non-UK readers, an insight into what makes Brits so…