PERFECTLY PEDICURED

WEDNESDAY 12th AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

PERFECTLY PEDICURED 

by John Yeo

   Chao Lin was the daughter of a rich Chinese businessman. Just approaching marital age, she was betrothed and her wedding was arranged to take place within the next few days. Lee Wen-lin, was the lucky man to be betrothed to Chao Lin, he was fascinated with her tiny feet. It had been a centuries old Chinese custom to bind a woman’s feet to enhance their beauty. This painful process often resulted in deformity and difficulty in walking. Yet Chao Lin showed no signs of difficulty in gracefully getting around on her tiny feet.

  The day before the wedding, the young couple stole away for a few moments together and Lee Wen-lin, who was besotted with his wife-to-be said, ‘Chao Lin, I love to look at your beautiful feet, was it not painful to go through the binding to encourage them to grow so beautiful.’

   Chao Lin, who was equally very much in love with him, replied,

‘No my tiny feet are naturally small and petite my love. Let me show you.’

 She removed her tiny slippers to reveal two beautifully formed, perfectly pedicured tiny feet.

© Written by John Yeo

A SIZABLE SANCTUARY

TUESDAY 11th AUGUST 2020

This post is written by response to a prompt by ‘M’ on WordPress which can be accessed by following the link below.

August writing prompts

A SIZABLE SANCTUARY

by John Yeo

The motor cruiser was steeped in luxury

Every need of the occupant was catered for

The sea would always be a sizable sanctuary.

~

The Captain headed off on this voyage in a hurry

The passenger laid back watching the receding shore

The motor cruiser was steeped in luxury.

~

The wind on the waves blew calm and blustery

As the boat left for distant parts to explore

The sea would always be a sizable sanctuary.

~

The rich man had left the pandemic instantly

News broke of the deaths and spread, so sure

The motor cruiser was steeped in luxury.

~

The awful truth of the dangers and the discovery

The symptoms were much too plain to ignore

The sea would always be a sizable sanctuary.

~

His medical team monitored his health constantly

As the wealthy man gazed from his position offshore,

The motor cruiser was steeped in luxury.

The sea would always be a sizable sanctuary.

~

© Written by John Yeo

JUMBLED LIKE JENGA

MONDAY 10th AUGUST 2020


This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’. Which can be found by following the link below..

….https://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com/2020/08/01/august-writing-prompts-3/



JUMBLED LIKE JENGA


by John Yeo
   

06:30, the sun was shining already and I decided to get up early and make my way over to the allotment. Margaret had turned over in our bed and sleepily said, ‘I’ll walk over to the allotment and join you there later.’   The rooks were cawing loudly in the nearby rookery, I remember thinking, when I arrived, ‘I would hate to live in one of the houses nearby.’ As soon as I reached our plot, I sensed something was amiss, it wasn’t until I saw the broken glass on the floor outside our shed, I realised we had been victims of an attempted burglary. The large padlock was still securely fastened to the door frame and had obviously resisted all attempts to remove it. The window had been smashed and the villains had tried to squeeze their arms in to steal whatever came to hand. Consequently a nest of shelves had been pulled down and everything was scattered everywhere.  At that point Margaret arrived and remarked that all our seed packets and plant labels were all over the place.    ‘Oh no!’ She exclaimed, ‘Everything is scattered and jumbled like Jenga’

   ‘We’d better call the police.’ I said, ‘There’s traces of blood on the glass, who’s Jenga?’

 ‘It’s a game, don’t worry about it, just call the police!’


© Written by John Yeo


DR. GALAXY

Sunday 9th August 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

DR. GALAXY 

by John Yeo

Dr Galaxy was in charge of Covid isolation ward E,

Anonymous with her face visor covered by a mask

She was suited and booted covered with PPE.

~

She wore her name on a badge all could plainly see

She was a healing presence with an unenviable task

Dr Galaxy was in charge of Covid isolation ward E.

~

When the horrors accumulated to a terrible degree

Surrounded by suffering the infection rate vast

She was suited and booted covered with PPE.

~

High tension in the ward, science couldn’t foresee

Some recovered, yet many patients breathed their last,

Dr Galaxy was in charge of Covid isolation ward E.

~

It seemed the virus, out of control, running free,

Indiscriminately passing from person to person so fast

Staff were suited and booted covered with PPE

~

The professionals clapped whenever a patient was free,

They were too busy fighting to stop in their glory to bask,

Dr Galaxy was in charge of Covid isolation ward E.

She was suited and booted covered with PPE.

© Written by John Yeo

PANCAKE PANDEMONIUM

SATURDAY 8th AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

PANCAKE PANDEMONIUM

by John Yeo

 There was a feeling of mutiny in the air at Clive college. One of the teachers had caned a popular boy for his insolence. Apparently he had had the effrontery to refuse to clean the corridor with a bucket and polish, not only that, he had stuck his tongue out at the matron, when she asked him to do it.  It was Shrove Tuesday and after the normal assembly, where prayers were recited, the whole school had been treated to a lecture on obeying instructions instantly. Tom Magillen, a senior boy and his sidekick,  Clive Charter, called together their ‘circle of seven’, a group of friends who always stuck together. 

    ‘We can’t allow this treacherous assault on one of our number to go by unanswered.’ Said Tom.

   Clive agreed emphatically and replied, ‘Last term we had a similar incident and staged a bun fight at supper time. We could always try something like that again and make our point.’

  ‘You’re right there!’ Exclaimed Tommy Dorset, if we all act together they will have difficulty punishing the whole school and at least we’ll have made a point.’

  Tom Magillen then spoke up again, ‘We all need to pass the word around at breakfast time this morning and when I give the nod we should start the riot.’

 Pancakes were on the menu at lunchtime and this was where the school cook came into his own and served 200 pancakes, mostly liberally drenched in thick gooey syrup  When the plates heaped with sticky pancakes where passed around and reached the final table, Tom Magillen nodded towards the top table where the senior staff sat. Instantly the air was full of flying sticky pancakes flooding toward the senior staff table. It was pancake pandemonium as the senior staff were instantly covered in sticky, gooey, treacle and pieces of flying pancake. Within seconds the dining hall had emptied of pupils. The culprits behind this riot were never brought to book as the telling of this story would certainly cause some ripples of embarrassment for the good name of the school, if the local press got wind of it. 

© Written by John Yeo 

EERIE SIRI

THURSDAY 6th AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

EERIE SIRI

by John Yeo

    ‘I never use Siri or Alexa, simply because I find the idea far too eerie. I find it quite disturbing to think that a machine can actually personalise answers to lifestyle questions. I get the feeling that this requires a deep study of my personal likes and dislikes. I am aware that every site I visit on the internet is recorded. Everywhere I go is monitored through my mobile phone, thereby building a complete picture of my habits and lifestyle. Everyone I call or electronically contact is registered, this gives an even clearer picture of my lifestyle and the social status I’ve achieved in life. I’m loath to add to this massive store of electronic information regarding my habitual lifestyle and I never use Siri or Alexa. I consider this accumulation of data connected to me and my lifestyle to be a gross invasion of my personal privacy. I look with horror on the future of mobile communication aids that will possibly include a built in camera that can automatically switch on and off and film my entire waking and sleeping life in incredible detail. Who would be able to view the astonishingly boring episodes but an unfeeling, unthinking machine. My only request for both Siri or Alexa, would be. ‘Hey Switch off!’

© Written by John Yeo

BITTER BANANAS

WEDNESDAY 5th AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

BITTER BANANAS 

by John Yeo

Pedro and Miguel entered the bar sensing the drama

That had taken place in this Cabana that morning,

A fight had broken out over the bitter taste of bananas.

~

They ordered two banana smoothies and two Americanos,

Pedro grabbed the barman’s collar and issued a warning,

Both men wore multicoloured identity shielding bandanas.

~

Miguel placed a hand on the polished bar in Havana,

A hand of juicy yellow bananas without any forewarning,

‘Use these for our smoothies, not your green bitter bananas.’

~

Miguel and Pedro entered the bar with a hand of bananas,

The barman grabbed them and soon the juicer was forming

Two perfect smoothies, accompanying two Americanos.

~

Pedro and Miguel paid the bill and headed for the savannahs, 

The barman then waited to juice his bananas, confirming

He never had trouble again, from serving bitter bananas.

© Written by John Yeo

IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

TUESDAY 4th AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

IT’S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE

by John Yeo

    Brains was in the process of constructing a hoax, in the form of a practical joke. He put a secondary hidden wire behind a simple light switch leading to a surprise destination. Brains was top of the class in Science and he felt he had to justify his position. He was acting as if he was new to the subject after a new assistant teacher arrived. 

  Mr Tweed, a bumptious upstart bully who delighted in showing up the students had picked on him in front of the whole class. To the surprise of everyone in the class Brains was asking questions on the simplest of subjects. 

   ‘Excuse me Sir, can you detail the constitution of electricity.’

   ‘What do you mean by that you idiotic moron, everyone knows. Electric charge is a fundamental property of matter, borne by particles.’ 

  ‘How do you switch on an electric light or a lamp, to convey the electricity to the bulb?’ asked Brains.

  ‘Are you kidding me, you impudent misbegotten escapee from the planet of the apes?’

  There was dead silence in the class as the students held their breath, waiting for a response to this obvious insult.

  ‘No Sir, I leave all that to the butler and the maid at home, my Father says I don’t have to worry.’

   ‘Look here! It’s not rocket science. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.’

With that the teacher flipped the room light switch and received a nasty electric shock. There was pandemonium as the lights fused and the matron was called. Mr Tweed was whisked off to the infirmary.

  Meanwhile Brains removed all signs of his electrical trap.

  A week later Mr Tweed returned to the class, he warily treated Brains with a new respect, having realised the embarrassing truth. 

© Written by John Yeo

BFF – BUCKET FILLING FRIEND

 MONDAY 3rd AUGUST 2020 

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

BFF – BUCKET FILLING FRIEND

by John Yeo

  ‘Hey Grandad and Grandma! Why have you got a wishing well on your allotment?’ 

   The grandchildren were on holiday and there were five children to be entertained. Four boys and a lively baby girl were exploring and helping out on the allotment. The sun was shining, the children were constantly under supervision and Grandma had her hands full. Grandad pushed his battered trilby hat to the back of his head and smiled.

    ‘Well, sit down for a minute and I’ll explain about a precious part of gardening, while Grandma sorts out the picnic. Water is special to help the garden plants grow, but our well is really special. This well is extremely deep, the bucket is attached to a long rope. We have a magical friend at the bottom of the well, Wally Wishbone lives there and every time we lower the bucket he fills it to the brim with crystal clear, life giving water. We then quench the thirst of our vegetables and they grow extra strong, large and tasty.’

   ‘Hey Grandad, does Wally Wishbone make wishes come true?’ asked Finley.

    ‘Of course, but you have to throw a coin in.’

 Bradley, who had been listening closely, frowned and said, ‘We haven’t got any coins Grandad. How can we make a wish.’

     ‘It just so happens, I’ve got five coins in my pocket, you three bigger boys will have to throw Maya’s and Archer’s coins in as they are both too small.’

     OK! Grandad chorused the three eldest boys.

Ronny at ten years old, was the eldest, a thoughtful sort of a lad said,

    ‘Grandad what happens if we throw the money in and our wishes don’t come true? How do we know Wally Wishbone won’t just keep the money?’

Grandad straightened his trilby, grinned and replied, ‘We don’t know anything for sure Ronny, except we have some excellent sandwiches prepared by Grandma from our fresh home grown vegetables. Wally Wishbone fills buckets full of crystal clear water making our wishes come true every day.’

Grandma Margaret working  exceptionally hard.

© Written by John Yeo

DELIGHTS AND DELICIOUSNESS

SUNDAY 2nd AUGUST 2020

This is a response to a Flash Fiction prompt from ‘Putting My Feet In the Dirt’, Writing Prompts hosted by ‘M’.
Which can be found by following the link below..

August writing prompts

DELIGHTS AND DELICIOUSNESS

by John Yeo

    ‘Hey what are we going to do today? We can’t go far as we are in the middle of the ocean all day long.’ said Dominic to Joy, his wife.

    ‘I don’t know Dom, I think I’m a little bit seasick, my stomach feels really queasy, turning over with the billowing waves,’  Joy replied.

  ‘That’s funny, so do I, It’s as if I’ve been on the fairground, Big Dipper ride. This is our first cruise so we are probably taking a while to get used to the swell of the waves at sea. We can get some seasick tablets free from reception.’  said Dominic.

  ‘Hey Dom, look! They’ve organised a special lunch today with a free cocktail, on the house.’

    ‘Doesn’t appeal to me, not with my crazy upset stomach.’ 

   ‘Oh! Can’t we just go and take a look. Please Dom.’

    ‘OK,’

They entered the crowded dining room where they were immediately handed a free green coloured cocktail drink with a cherry on the top. They both grimaced and abandoned them on the nearest vacant table.

    ‘Oh Dom, your face has gone as green as those two horrible concoctions.

  The couple then surveyed the tables around them, groaning with the weight of a wonderful array of delights and deliciousness. The first thing was the meticulous way the food was displayed. Multi breads from around the world, with cheeses in abundance with olives, grapes and pickles. A large salad bar with seafood and fish, including a whole smoked salmon and caviar displayed in abundance. Exotic fruits were carved into the most amazing shapes, around a huge ice-sculpture of a large eagle. The main courses were representative of foods imported from around the world. Then to finish there was the temptation of the dessert section, pavlova, ice cream, and much more.

Joy looked at Dom and burst into tears. ‘All these delights and deliciousness but we daren’t touch a morsel.

Dom frowned.

© Written by John Yeo