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Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Kerry's Wednesday Challenge ~ On the Road

“Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me, as is ever so on the road.” 
 
Jack Kerouac, On the Road



The simple and functional road has long made its imaginative mark on the human psyche.  Perhaps it is because we like to live in the future context of our own lives: the possible outcomes which are yet to present themselves, the destinies which seem to promise the fulfillment of our lives' purposes.  I love the sight of an open road, the sense of movement and freedom that travel allows.


My challenge this month is not complex. I have taken great pleasure in collecting several quotes from remarkable authors and I present them to you, along with these pictures of interesting roads for the sake of inspiration. The rest is up to you. This is not a 'picture challenge', as such, so you do not have to use one of these images.  The only prerequisite is the theme. 




“You forget what you want to remember, and you remember what you want to forget.” 
Cormac McCarthy, The Road



Roads go ever ever on,
Under cloud and under star.
Yet feet that wandering have gone
Turn at last to home afar.
Eyes that fire and sword have seen,
And horror in the halls of stone
Look at last on meadows green,
And trees and hills they long have known.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring



“A man of my acquaintance once wrote a poem called "The Road Less Traveled", describing a journey he took through the woods along a path most travelers never used. The poet found that the road less traveled was peaceful but quite lonely, and he was probably a bit nervous as he went along, because if anything happened on the road less traveled, the other travelers would be on the road more frequently traveled and so couldn't hear him as he cried for help. Sure enough, that poet is dead.” 
 
Lemony Snicket, The Slippery Slope



“Just look down the road and tell me if you can see either of them."
I see nobody on the road," said Alice.
I only wish I had such eyes," the King remarked in a fretful tone. "To be able to see Nobody! And at such a distance too!” 
 
Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass


“People create their own questions because they are afraid to look straight. All you have to do is look straight and see the road, and when you see it, don't sit looking at it - walk.” 
Ayn Rand



“It was that kind of a crazy afternoon, terrifically cold, and no sun out or anything, and you felt like you were disappearing every time you crossed a road.” 
J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye






“Life is one big road with lots of signs. So when you riding through the ruts, don't complicate your mind. Flee from hate, mischief and jealousy. Don't bury your thoughts, put your vision to reality. Wake Up and Live!”
Bob Marley


One more thing before I leave you to your thoughts ... It is preferred that your responses to challenges on Real Toads be new work, rather than older pieces written to similar themes. The starting point of this writers' group is to inspire poetry, not merely to provide an open forum for bloggers to showcase their work.  

28 comments:

  1. Oh, Kerry, this prompt calls to me. I must give it a lot of thought in the morning.
    K

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  2. This prompt reminded me of something long-forgotten.

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  3. Fantastic photograph. I am greeting

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  4. ..."My challenge this month is not complex."... So our timeframe to complete is a month? Or do most people finish this within a few days. It is an exciting theme and I have a few ideas percolating...

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  5. There is no time limit on the challenges, and my challenges only appear once every 4 Wednesdays. If you write later than today or tomorrow, you might want to link on an Open Link though, in order to endure that we will all get a chance to read your work.

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  6. Not *endure* ensure... one day back at work and my faculties are already slipping.

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  7. Great prompt Kerry. As we're all on a (life) journey, I'm sure we all have different paths/roads too write about. Lovely pics too.

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  8. Intriguing prompt ... on the road again!

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  9. Love the prompt..it is especially timely since I will be "on the road" for about two weeks starting May 11th.

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  10. i can't pass up a 'road' prompt. call it genetic weakness.
    but i don't promise overt references to journeys. or, in fact, any mention of roads at all... this is where it took me.
    ... prose poems are allowed, right?

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  11. I hope you like mine, Kerry. I worked my ass off on it.

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  12. Really great prompt(and pics and quotes)Kerry--I am so burned out after doing a poem a day that I don't know if anything will come or not--if so, I will be here with bells on. Will do some reading either way later.

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  13. That's okay, Joy. I feel kind of burned out myself, and I didn't do the poem-a-day challenge!

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  14. What a fantastic collection of photos and quotes, Kerry! LOVE it.

    de
    whimsygizmo.wordpress.com

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  15. I love the third and fifth images. So cool.

    My poem is just a teeny haiku, so don't get excited. You know I like short. ;)

    rosemarymint.wordpress.com

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  16. It's a "new" poem, in a way--I've been toying with the central concept for years, eons even, but since the last incarnation of this idea was a cinquain, I'm comfortable presenting this as a new piece.

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  17. I enjoyed writing for this one Kerry. I seem to be in search of the right road lately.

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  18. Kids, I am exhausted but when I saw Kerry's prompt, I could not resist. I am going to bed and will read and comment on everyone's tomorrow. It has been a long and rather difficult two days.

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  19. Kerry, this was a wonderful prompt. I don't always get something right for Toads, but this was the perfect time for my poem. Also, hope you don't mind, I used a different picture, an image of Marley that matches the poem better. THANK YOU! Peace, Amy

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  20. I love this prompt!
    I have journeyed many roads, but the road
    I am on now speaks to my heart.
    Off to gather words and soul signs ; )

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  21. This was a really fun prompt for me! Thank you and I will be back later tonight to enjoy the other posts.

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  22. I appreciate this challenge today, Kerry, thank you!

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  23. Thanks for the prompt Kerry ~

    Happy day to everyone ~

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  24. I did not mean to link the first one Kerry. I wrote the second on specifically for this prompt.

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  25. I enjoyed this prompt. Didn't have time to focus on it until today! Hope I am not WAAAYY too late.

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Much time and effort went into this post! Your feedback is appreciated.