Kreative Kue 263 asked for submissions based on this photograph:

John W Howell is the author of the John Cannon trilogy of My GRL, His Revenge, Our Justice and Circumstances of Childhood, co-author of The Contract, and blogs at Fiction Favorites.

I Spy by John W. Howell © 2020

“Harold, come here.”

“What m’love?”

“Look out the window over there. Just beyond the trees.”

“What am I looking for?”

“Don’t you see above the trees what looks like some kind of antenna?”

“Oh, now I do. Would you look at that? Them government people are checking on us.”

“Checking on us? Whatever for?”

“I think they are checking to see if we are maintaining the shelter in place rules.”

“Couldn’t it be they are looking at someone else?”

“Bertie. Think about it. What other houses are there around us? We are the only one here.”

“What do we do then?”

‘Well, we are sheltering in place according to the rules.”

“I just don’t like being watched. I mean a couple of over the hill pensioners like us. Don’t they have anything better to do?”

“I see your point. It is a matter of personal freedom. It’s bad enough being cooped up here without some snooper team checking up. I’m going to get something.”

“Don’t you lower yourself to go down there and talk  to them, Herold.”

“I have no intention of talking.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I have something here in the closet.”

“What is that thing?”

“This, my dear, is an MK153 shoulder-launched multipurpose assault weapon.”

“Goodness, where did you get that thing.”

“Amazon prime.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Take out that snooper thingy.”

“Won’t you get into trouble?”

“A gray-haired old fart like me. What are they going to do? Shoot me?”

“Maybe. Might shoot me too.”

“You know I never thought of that. Okay, maybe we try to ignore that thing.”

“Nah. Take it out. Harold.”

My effort was

Poodling

Words can scarcely express my elation
That the lockdown may end in this nation
The truth is, I fear,
Whilst my van is parked here
I can’t pick up my fav’rite station.

We have an exceeding large garden
And I hope that you’ll all beg my pardon
But I like to go wild
Like a seventies child
Please don’t let your attitudes harden

I do love my lockdown walks oodles
Just ambling around with my poodles
I derive so much joy
From Helen and Troy
It’s better than winning at boodles

A few of these rhymes may be tentative
Some even experimentative
But I’m trying my best
(Although not by request)
To do something less representative

On to this week’s challenge: Using this photo as inspiration, write a short story, flash fiction, scene, poem; anything, really; even just a caption for the photograph. Either put it (or a link to it) in a comment or email it to me at keithchanning@gmail.com before 6pm next Sunday (if you aren’t sure what the time is where I live, this link will tell you). If you post it on your own blog or site, a link to this page would be appreciated, but please do also mention it in a comment here.

Go on. You know you want to. Let your creativity and imagination soar. I shall display the entries next Monday.