Z is for Zebrafish.....

Zebrafish, Pterois volitans, more commonly known as Australian coral reef fish or red lionfish, not to be confused with the harmless Danio rerio, which is a member of the minnow family, popular with aquarium enthusiasts.

No, the zebrafish we're talking about is quite the striking creature covered in red, black and white zebra stripes with venomous spines that circle its body much like a mane. The spines make the zebrafish inedible and inaccessible to predators. Anybody unfortunate enough to be stung by one of these monstrous spines can expect a very painful response.

Zebra Stripes and Lion's Mane

Don't try to test my patience,

I assure you, I have none.

I care not for where you're standing,

I care less for what I've done.

Can't you see I'm swimming here,

your foot is in my way.

I've got royal business there,

I kindly bid you sir, good day.

If you'd rather not heed my warning,

I fear I can't be blamed,

for any mild discomfort,

you feel about your frame.

I told you once to walk on by,

I hate to repeat my plea.

I guess you'll need more persuasion,

before you'll turn and flee.

Since you feel the need to mock me,

even though my colors tell you run.

I suppose I'll have to 'show' you,

why ignoring me's no fun.

---e.a.s. demers

A-Z Reflections, year 4....

A-Z blogging challenge for 2014 has come and gone, seemingly without my realizing it. And, though I fell behind once or twice toward the end, I finished this year's challenge right on time. Really, I can't believe it's already over. I feel like I just finished my post for letter A... Year 4, for this blogger, was a far cry from the tortured state of despondency that was most of Year 3 -- I'll not mention the irony of this year's focus on death being easier to blog about than last year's foray into supernatural creatures, we'll leave that for my therapy sessions *ahem* As always, A-Z brought with it, not only 26 days of unbridled and far-reaching knowledge (disguised as entertaining and thought-provoking blog-posts), but a chance to connect with new faces while reconnecting with familiar faces--who had perhaps drifted away--from A-Z's past. I am always amazed by the ingenuity and inspiration that comes from lumping a couple thousand folk...

Bitter Honey

Weaving dreams of beguiling gold, a future's price for happiness. What secrets do you, determined, hold? asks the summer wind's soft caress. A guarded name, a hidden hope. Spinning wheels clutching time, grasping straw that falls away, What dreams may come, we soon may find, won't recall at end of day. A cherished life, a memory lost.

K is for Kelpie.....

Today's entry is dedicated to my wonderful social club pledge sister, who sent me off from our college sanctuary with a copy of "Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales", containing an inscription that the "magic and mischief of the Kelpie follow me".... She knew I had an affinity for water and for mischief...and for all-things Celtic--so the Kelpie seemed to suit---- though, I'm not quite as savage as many folktales paint Kelpies. Kelpies are Celtic water horses, believed to haunt the lochs and rivers of Scotland and Ireland. The Kelpie was known to appear as a "lost pony", though, its identity is given away by its constantly dripping mane. Most stories give the color of the Kelpie's coat as black, though there are a few that mention the color white. The texture of the Kelpie's skin is likened to the smoothness of a seal, but its temperature is "cold as death to the touch." Like many other tales of supernatural creatures, the Kelpie...

From the Inkwell, From the Vein.....

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