Magpie Tale #74

         Every week Tess Kincaid hosts Magpie Tales. She provides the photo, we provide the creativity in the form of a vignette or poem. This is the 74th Magpie.  Being consistent for more than a year is awe-inspiring. There are probably weeks that Tess would like to devote her time to something else. Replying to the Magpies is a large investment of time; every week Tess lures in dozens and dozens and dozens of writers. And yet she continues to cast her line out and we take the bait...oh, so eagerly.

        Thanks, Tess. And below is my Magpie.

      
      a map of africa
      or a mask

      it makes no difference

      the dark continent
      should stay there
      in-the-dark-and-out-of-our-thoughts

      egypt
      and all its rich history?
      it's in africa?
      i don't think so

      the cradle of civilization
      is in africa?
      surely you jest

      all that apartheid stuff
      and those mass killings
      and the boys 
      who get stolen into soldierhood
     
      it's so far away...
      does it really affect us?


And finally...Lisa Ricard Claro is hosting a contest to celebrate luring in her 200th follower. There will be more than one winner. If you don't already follow Lisa and her blog, it's well worth the meandering over. She's offering copies of a Chicken Soup book with beautiful Golden puppies on the front. Be sure to follow (if you're not already) and enter...

For all the details about the contest, go here.