Image PROMPT for this week’s 55-word challenge is > LIGHTHOUSE
The first piece is titled Lighthouse – yes I know, quite innovative!
In the old days, a lass was a young female, woman of the fairer gender. We don’t say ‘sex’ – that would be so un-Victorian! I wonder how that term ‘cutlass’ came about.
Many assume that ships were lost at sea due to bad weather and those lost near shore, smashed into rocks. Probably true – and we also assume this is the work of nature.
All dark, I’m afraid. I hope your springs bubble forth with more light. I welcome and would love to read your 55-word contributions.
Some guidelines:
1. Your contributions can be in prose or verse.
2. Please do make it count exactly 55 words (excluding the title, if any).
3. Your contribution does not have to include my title > LIGHTHOUSE > rather, please draw off the Image, let your imagination sail.
If you can leave your contributions in the Comments below, I shall be happy to post them in a Gallery on 30 April, giving you full credit and with a link back to your blog…
Many thanks 
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If you are new here, please check out these links:
Previous 55-word Galleries:
1. House
2. Coffee Cup
3. Lioness & Cub.
See also Blog Tips – What this Gallery is all about.
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Tomorrow a Haiku
Who is the Boss in your home?
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Yes, Eric. That will be fine with me (retain the title). Thanks.
So very lovely for sharing this. God bless, Eric
Hi, Eric. Am I too late? Just got home from work after a grueling 12-hour day. I had this mostly written this morning before leaving for work. Great picture prompt! I enjoyed your trio. Thanks so much, Peg.
RESCUE
Rays of light beckoned,
Barely penetrated
Fog shrouding my mind.
The storm of his anger
Raged on, threatening
Our ship and all on board
With great gnashing words,
Thundering, us apart.
Moaning winds lashed
My cheeks with tears
Until a whisper slipped through,
Riding upon light:
“Step out on the water;
Come unto me, child.”
No my dear, you’re not late. I usually set aside about 10 days so that everyone can take their time.
A 12-hour shift – that is gruelling indeed.
Peg – those last two lines gave me goose pimples. So very lovely. Much better than any I wrote. Thank you, Eric 🙂
Thanks, Eric! The experience was quite real a few years back. Thanks for your kind words. Blessings, Peg.
Eric, It is now the exact 55 words. I dropped the title, just in case that was a hindrance. These pieces with exact word count create quite a challenge, but fun.
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Waves buck, lashing the sides.
Storm clouds roll in, dumping rain.
Lightning strikes.
No radio contact.
Did they get my SOS?
Where is the shore?
Darkness prevails.
Rocks rising up from
out of the deep, black sea.
I can’t see them. I feel them,
scraping across the hold.
A cone shaped light emerges.
The lighthouse.
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Excellent, Joyce 🙂
The image gives some leeway but the specific word count throws up a challenge, yes. I’ll retain the title if its okay by you – its not a hindrance.
Peace, Eric
Thanks Eric, I was not sure about that exact number count. Yes, I am going to revise just a bit to reach the 55 mark, and I shall return soon to the tempest storm. 🙂
Thank you dear – very glad you’re taking it in the right spirit. See you back 🙂
P/s I envy you – just 30 minutes away and all that wonderful nature. Wow!
The picture is brilliant and evokes a feeling of hope and despair! Your version s of the image are absolutely brilliant and different from one another…as usual you create different imagery with the same image.
My lines would be this for the prompt:
Fleeting ship moves
in the storm of raging fears,
ship of life quivers,
The belief becomes shaky and wavers…
how to escape the unknown tempest,
what to hold onto in the darkest,…
When the last thread of hope breaks,
knowledge dissolves in the rage,
a twinkling light flashes then,
A lighthouse protects in the dark
Hello Soumya dear – thank you for your kind words.
Love your ever presence here and also the contribution 🙂
Peace and blessings,
Eric
Thank you, Eric again for the prompt, cool photo and opportunity. Here is mine at 54 words.
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GROUNDED
Waves buck, lashing the sides.
Storm clouds, rolling in.
Lightning strikes.
No radio contact.
Did they get my SOS?
Where is the shore?
Darkness prevails.
Rocks rising up from
out of the deep, black sea.
I can’t see them. I feel them,
scraping the hold, breaking.
A cone shaped light emerges.
The lighthouse.
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Hello Joyce,
Welcome back 🙂
Love this but there is a “but”. It comes to 53 words – title does not count and needs to be exactly 55. Any chance you can tweak it a little?
Peace, Eric
Dear Brother Eric,
Please consider my contribution as follows 🙂
Lighthouse, lighthouse
I’m the lighthouse
Yes, I’m the lighthouse now.
I need to shine
To shine brightly
To let the lost ships to cry out to me.
My light switches on
Switches on all the time
HEY, lost ships
Where are you?!
Shout to me!
I’m right here!
Rays of light
Found the lost ships.
How do you feel? 😉
Your title and content arouse my these inspirations and I feel so alive 😀
Peace,
Yoshiko 😉
Here is another cute one from you, Yoshiko. What do I mean by “cute” – it sings with child-like innocence and joy.
Glad that the dark image evoked such light and joy 🙂
Thank you for sharing,
Eric
Thank you, Eric
I don’t know how my work evokes such feelings to you.
Thank you for your compliment 🙂
Peace,
Yoshiko
Excellent work. You sang to my overcast nautical soul.
Thank you Paul – you’re kind when you say “sang”. As everyone knows, I can’t sing to save my life – but your compliment taken 🙂
I really liked the second one! Very intriguing!
Here is mine! It was really fun to write, and I hope you like it (and I hope you pick me..) lol
The violent ocean waves had tossed our tiny boat around for the past week. Lives were lost, our food was gone, and hope was dwindling. I thought we’d never escape that country, but we did. Now, I fear we won’t make it to America. Hope returned, however, when I saw the glow from the lighthouse.
I like this “positive” take amidst all the dark themes I wrote on.
Thank you and I’ll definitely include yours in the Gallery 🙂
Cheers, Eric
Awesome! Thanks! I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi Eric,
My effort.
Title – Fishing in Galway Bay.
Once upon a time while visiting the West of Ireland
I jumped aboard a Galway Hooker
Did I hear a sharp intake of breath?
Allow me to explain
The galway Hooker is a fishing baot
Dissapointed?
Well don’t be I had a most enjoyable time
Came back ashore with my catch
Enjoyed the Guinness later.
Chris.
Always great to wrap it off with a Guiness I reckon 🙂
Thank you Chris, for joining. Good one!
Peace, Eric
P/s I’ll fix the typos – “baot” to “boat” and “galway” to “Galway” – unless you had a reason for this, which I missed.
Thanks Eric, must have been the Guinness – always find something else to blame typo errors on bar yourself – feel free to correct thanks again.
Chris.
I love these prompts Eric, they really make me stretch my brain a bit. No light here I’m afraid. I’ll call this Sea Serpent’s Wrath.
Scaly coils curled around the ships form
Wood splinters beneath its furious strength
The men scramble and flee in panic
Hindered by glassy-eyed corpses of lost crew-mates
Already taken by dragon rage
A light beckons in the distance
Safety just barely out of reach
They dared venture into the unknown
Now they pay the price
Hello and welcome back Jessica 🙂
Sea Serpent’s Wrath – what a complete story you weaved. Good one and I enjoyed it so much.
— Eric —
Wonderful stories. I love them. Here’s my attempt.
With the storm raging, the crew scanned the horizon for signs of light and hope, seeing neither. The captain so sure he had set the correct course didn’t realize he was fifty miles west of the lighthouse and safe harbor. The great wave came crashing across the bow driving the ship to the sea’s depths.
Ah, another good one Susan – what a twist, that final sentence. What a tragedy.
I thought I’d have a go at this one, Eric. It’s called “Bemused:”
“Captain! We’re dangerously close!”
*Aye, it’s always the same, ain’t it?* he thinks, striding out on deck.
The colours of the reef are dazzling.
“Drop the mizzen! Hard to starboard!” he screams.
Returning to his cabin he gazes at the painting once more.
*Why is there always a bolt of lightning next to the lighthouse?*
(*italics*)
This is great and am so very glad that you’ve joined in. Thank you. Yup, I got the italics!
Why? Good question 🙂
Very glad to ‘be aboard,’ as it were… 🙂
Marcus
Looks like I’m the only one so far who likes the last one most – just my simple mind, probably, because Evals just simply has to be a hunchback IMHO
Well, Max has always had some unique tastes, I reckon 🙂 In my hunchbacked opinion, Eric 🙂
Loved them all yet lighthouse was the one I liked the most. I love your Gifts of expression and the way you artfully use words Eric. Thank you for choosing to share them in so many ways.
Joe
You are very kind Joe with your shower of praises. Glad that you loved them all. I can see the attraction Ligthouse holds as it shows man’s unselfish service to help his fellow man while risking his own saftey —
Peace, Eric
Like the first one the most. Pls find my contribution below:
The young ship captain
sees no lighthouse, rescue still far away,
The Cormorant his only saviour
in the mighty dark sea.
He pauses when it stops,
and moves when it takes off,
Its white head plumage, his shining star,
in the gloomy night
All fifty human lives in the ship
clinging to the sea raven
Hello Padmini,
First one with the contribution and lovely too – how precarious life, how desperate man’s hope.
Thank you for joining. Much appreciate this,
Eric
Hope this is reasonably apt for the prompt this week. Thank you so much for the opportunity
Loved Lighthouse!
Glad you found something to your liking 🙂
I got stuck right at the beginning with the word “lass” … have fond memories from some 30 years ago … just immigrated to Canada … totally lost and cleaning rich people’s toilets … the lady of the house approached me asking how I was doing and she called me “Lassie” … I remember bursting into tears … homesick lassie in some rich people’s bathroom … how pathetic, eh … Bless you, Mrs. Veronica Waller (RIP) for blessing me that day.
Yes, Cat – that word is seldom heard now, I reckon.
Sounds like you had it rough. Many of us went through difficult times but I always believe He never gives us a burden we can’t bear.
Peace and blessings,
Eric
Great illustration at the top too.
Oh, hello Ian – thank you 🙂