What Pegman Saw | Den of Dreams

What Pegman Saw: When You’re Gone

Posted on June 7, 2020 by Serene

Much thanks to J Hardy for hosting this amazing challenge of What Pegman’s Saw. This week, we’re off to Chechnya Russia.

Screen Shot 2020-06-04 at 7.12.19 PM — *Copyrights: Google Maps*

When You’re Gone

An icy spell hovered by the clouds,

With nothing but snow all around,

Hamza dragged his boots into the snow,

He didn’t know what to do, or where to go,

He wore nothing to make him warm,

Only dark thoughts swam

Round his mind, only darkness lingered.

His heart felt more frozen than his limbs,

His mind felt more numb than his fingers.

He looked into the skies,

Drew back, a sigh,

And whispered into the air,

The words no-one could hear,

“When you’re gone, my world feels more bleak

Than all the winters at peek,

My heart has dried like all these leafless trees,

And I won’t mourn if one day I shall freeze

For when you’re gone,

I’m all alone,

No beauty is appealing,

No cure is healing,

No bird seems to sing,

For my darling, you, and only you, is my spring.”

What Pegman Saw: A Street Without You

Posted on December 21, 2019 by Serene

Thanks to J Hardy Carroll for hosting What Pegman Saw. This time Pegman takes us to Asución, Paraguey.

A Street Without You

In a busy, crowded street,

I didn’t know I’d meet,

The stranger who could change my life.

Yea, I was a gangster, playing with a knife,

Toying with guns, rough with words,

Sharper than swords,

And you were calmer than a mouse,

But invited me in house,

And cared me above the yourself,

You gave me a bookshelf

And a world full of care,

From an urchin of nowhere,

I have risen so high.

Still now, I look at the sky,

And remember everything you did for me,

Like a burning candle,

You’d been caged but made me free,

You’d given your all,

For me, you fall,

And now is a day when you’re gone.

And I still stare at the streets where once I met you,

Where once we walked together but now I’m lone.

This is actually from the point of view of the main character, Yuma, of a story I am writing now. He is a 16 year old former gangster, thrown out of the gang after attempting to kill a mathematics school teacher when he meets a quiet, studious 16 year old student Kenjirou. It’s a story about sacrifices.

Older Days

Posted on July 27, 2019 by Serene

Thank you so much, K Rawson for holding this amazing challenge of What Pegman Saw! This week he’s off to Bhutan, taking us with him in the journey.

Older Days

Hundred years I have lived,
In edges of pines and curves of grasses,
Hundred clouds I have seen,
Kissing the ground as dawn passes
Softly, beside the gurgling streams.
All my life, was a spring,
Till there were flowers
In the long dotted fields,
Till there were dragon flies
Hovering by the contours of dark green hills,
Till they saw me with the lightning
and thunder of stormy nights,
Till they believed me and gave me a place
In their lives.
Now I am a lie,
Just to exist in books,
And in the flag fluttering in the skies.

Notes:

Perhaps you had already guessed it, it was written in perspective of a dragon. Druk, the dragon in Bhutanese flag, is a Tibetan mythological creature.
Written missing those days where people used to believe in dragons.

What Pegman Saw: Leafing through the memories

Posted on July 20, 2019 by Serene

Thank you so much, K Rawson, for your brilliant Pegman’s Challenge! And thank you for choosing Loxton too 🙂

Just outa town, Loxton, Australia | Lee Merchant, Google Maps

Leafing through the memories

For others, Murray was just a river and those odd tracks lining up the shores were just signs of drunkards messing about.

But for me, it had a much, much greater significance. It’s a gesture that Gakal had not forgotten me yet.

Every time I see those large clumps of seaweed, I remember him. Everytime I see those marks slapped by the the tails, I remember him. Oh, Gakal why did you have to go?

They said, “He’s gone for good!”

They said “He’s a monster!”

But to me, he was a savior. Yes, he looked ugly but he had saved my life more than once and on his back, I had travelled all around river Murray, and I have leaped back and forth time.

He shouldn’t have gone.

They said, they have killed him.

I don’t believe it. Dear Gakal, when will you return?

Notes:

Gakal is an aboriginal Australian word meaning “skill”
The character of this story, Gakal, is a Muldjewangk, an aboriginal mythical creature.
The main character is Alex, yes, the one about whom I wrote in last week’s challenge 🙂

A Shady Inn

Posted on July 13, 2019July 13, 2019 by Serene

Thank you, K Rawson, for hosting What Pegman Saw ( https://whatpegmansaw.com/2019/07/13/great-yarmouth-uk/ )

It felt great, as always!

A Shady Inn

Luckily, when we entered the dimly-lit inn, it was almost deserted. Just a half-asleep worker behind the counter.

“Good!” said Nathan in a hushed whisper, “So what’s the next plan?”

“Just act as if we are mere tourists,” I said.

“Good inn, mate!” said Nathan to the man in the counter, “Old fashioned, huh?”

The man mumbled something and then asked in a hoarse voice, “What ye want?”

That was rude, I know but there wasn’t time to complain.

“Bacon, “ I began but was interrupted by a strong tug in the shoulder.

“Look over there, Al,” Nathan pointed to a stranger sitting at the farthest corner, holding a glass with his slender fair fingers.

His long hair was tied in a ponytail and a dark cape hit his shoulder. He was prince, it seemed, pursuing or escaping a dark secret.

Good, then there are darker men than us.

A Voyage To Unknown

Posted on July 6, 2019 by Serene

This week Pegman takes us to Portsmouth in Hampshire, UK. This location was suggested by the talented Kelvin M Knight. Be sure to check out Kelvin’s blog where you’ll find articles, flash fiction and short stories. Also check out his author page on Amazon where you can pick up copies of his short story collections. Thanks for the great suggestion, Kelvin!

The Pegman challenge is simple. All you need to do is write up to 150 words inspired by the location–be it poetry, prose, or essay. You can use the exact location provided above, or take your own tour of Portsmouth using Google Maps. Once your piece is polished, share it with others at the linkup below. Reading and commenting is part of the fun!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

ships in port in portsmouth UK — HMS Warrior, Portsmouth, UK | Elliott Teed, Google Maps

A Voyage To Unknown

I walked alone on the deserted port,

I missed your voice and laughs beside my side;

In and out came the tides,

Sweeping in memories.

You are gone, I don’t know where;

You have taken half the sphere,

that I call ‘My world’.

I remember all those rubbish theories

You told about love.

It’s not there, I tell myself, it never had been.

The sea water gleams,

By sunlight beside the ship.

I must go, I tell myself,

to a voyage far away,

to a voyage to unknown.

Changes Left Unchanged

Posted on June 29, 2019 by Serene

Thank you, Karen and Josh for the What Pegman Saw challenge. Thank you for taking us to a different part of the world every time! This week we’re there in Cardenas, Cuba.

Changes Left Unchanged

For most people, Stone Castle was just a stone castle as the name suggested.

But for me, it was more reverend than Jerusalem itself.

It had been almost nine decades since I’ve been staying there. I’ve seen the seas change, the trees change, the houses growing and the animals going.

I’ve seen myself change with time too. My youthful face is now scared and lined and my back is now hunched and my silver beard sweeps the ground.

But one thing has remained unchanged, untouched and unshaken. The hole on the wall from where the pirates once passed and from where the great reverend dragons, my ancestors came to light up this castle.