Cage of emotions

Writing Assignment from the Red Dress Club:

Brief: "Think of a person you don't like, and describe what you might say if you had to share an elevator ride together. Then describe what happens when the elevator breaks down. For six hours."

The cage.

'Oh No! Help! help! down here!!!! Please help...hel-p...Oh nooooooo! nooooooo! nooooooo this can't be happening!!! Noooooo....' 

[Silence fell in the tight darkened space. All cries for help echoing through space ascending and descending the elevator shaft...but no voice called back.]

{Well...here we are...alone in this cage that incarcerates us for only God knows how long...I shall not speak of things past, those painful things and the heart ache it brings...No...I cannot..will not even dare to think upon it...no...}

[Three hours pass...the silence is deafening...the undertone of emotions run high... temperatures soared as the dam of emotion broke within her and she could not help but give voice to her heart as it became awash to the point of drowning in its own tears...]

'Suffocated...

Desolate...

Displaced...

Imprisoned....

Rejected...

...yes, that is how you have made me feel all my life! how you make me feel now...

Almost. Yes almost is who I am...who I have always been to you...

Almost present...
Almost worthwhile...
Almost good enough...

Almost worth loving...
Almost worth hearing...

Almost what you want...

Almost worthy of your time...

Almost pretty enough to entice you...

Almost beautiful enough to captivate you...
Almost strong enough to support you...
Almost weak enough to need your strength...

Almost woman enough to hold your attention...

A...l...m...o...s...t... That is all you see when you look at me... 

Almost...is all you hear when the melody of my voice resounds in your ear...

ALMOST

Yet like an optical illusion your lips speak mockingly of my being worthy...what a woman I am...a wife and mother I would make...a partner, a shoulder, a friend... They speak of a place you have reserved just for me, a life you have designed with me in mind...A joy sweeter than the honey comb's first fruits...Then you look away, gazing into the distance...and with no more than a sigh you switch on me and your actions SCREAM...almost!

Why the disguise? The lip service that has no one fooled but foolishness itself? Why the words that are like a westerly wind, blowing my sail high and low turning me over to the point just before I capsize... Know you not that with every whispered word and screamed action, you defer my hope and make my heart sick? I've tried, oh yes I've tried to rationalise why? Yet I come up short and perplexed at how you make me dance through the mine field of emotions you present with a red bow tied around it and call it a gift of love... 

I look within for answers. Question who I am, or at least who I think I am; who the world says I am and try to reconcile it with who you say I am... 

The world says I am;

Beautiful... Intelligent... God fearing... Loving... Woman... Passionate... Kind-hearted... Maternal... Headstrong... Straightforward... Inspirational... Loveable... Compassionate... Driven... Funny... Silly... Demanding... Trusting... Worshipper... Energetic... Enthusiastic... Down-to-earth... Positive... Hopeful... Believing... Charismatic... Flexible...No-nonsense... Focused... Smart... Intuitive... Dreamer... Honest... Influential... Warm... Open minded... Fearless... Zany... Encouraging... Open-book... Friendly... Friend-for-live... 

But the books don't balance every time...Your 'almost' withdrawals are always so much more than any deposits of good will and well wishes the world can give me...


...almost...

[Three more hours pass then suddenly a voice...]

'Hello...hello, this is the rescue services, we are coming to get you. Can you let us know how many people are in the elevator? over'. 

'Hello! hello! please come quickly!!!! How many people?... Oh..th-here is just me...

My Favourite things...

Sun...Sky...Solitude...Salmon..Sugar cane...

Being...feeling...living...totally in love...

Family...Happiness...friendship...The small things...

Mangoes... Avocados...Corn-on-the-cob...

Jamaican...Italian...Chinese...Nigerian...Sea food

Bubble bath...foot spa...pamper days...

Shoes...hand bags...leather...silk...lace...

Books...Music...Art...Poetry...Theatre...Shows...

Malawi...Bristol...Cape Town...Mortimer...No.47

These are a few of my favourite things... rue x

Six Word Fridays hosted by Making things up.com

Photo Friday: Warped

Warped...Enjoy the ride...

Photo Friday

Rue's Friday Fragments #5

Hi I'm Rue, the artist and voice behind Passion in the Moments / E:thos Photographic. As you may have gathered in looking around the blog,  I think a lot and share those thoughts with all and sundry (that is anyone who will listen!). This weekly posting is essentially an opportunity to share tid-bits, rants and observations that I have made in the course of the week that are not really worth writing a whole article about but are interesting nevertheless. These coupled with that odd picture I have taken that doesn't really fit in anywhere, news about what's going on @ E:thos and a review of something interesting, put together in one post makes up what I call Rue's Friday Fragments. There is humour, righteous indignation, sad truths and a little of me, so something for everyone...enjoy!

Coming Soon...
We will soon be collaborating with an online magazine contributing to a social documentary photography feature section! The details are still being ironed out but watch this space for the launch!

Trish in one of her own creations
 on her wedding day

This week's shout out is to an up and coming fashion power house called Trish Carmen. It is a South African based label whose creative director / lead designer is a lovely lady called Trish Carmen Ntombela who is originally from Zimbabwe. Trish Carmen is worn by celebrities and influential people and their designs are winning acclaim across the region and they also distribute internationally. So if you go to their website and like what you see, do get in touch with them to see how you can get your hands on one of their interesting and beautiful creations.


I for one will be booking this hot new designer for my wedding (whenever that may be!) as I am in love with the dress she designed for hers! (see image to the left).

Trish also designed clothing for the whole wedding party!

Contact Info: Trish Carmen International website is still under construction however you can contact Trish via her facebook page here...Trish Carmen 

You can see some of Trish's collections at the following pages:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175839&id=843052295

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=175013&id=843052295

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=178620&id=843052295

10. Picture of the week

I couldn't resist! An old style British 'phone booth that offers email and text  too! Times they are a changing indeed!

9. Jesus Toast

Now this story has left me in a tizz I must admit! I don't know whether to laugh or cry! Laugh at the out right foolishness of the story or cry at how this story just shows where our modern societies are heading! The long of the short of it is that there is a couple in the states who thought that the whole 'graven images thou shalt not have' commandment was not really serious and that everyone should having a 'Jesus' sighting in their own homes everyday so they designed...wait for it...( I guess the title almost gives it away) a Jesus toaster!!!! Seriously! What goes through one's mind as they sit at the drawing table trying to develop an idea for a business? Hmmmm....maybe they should have considered some S.M.A.R.T objectives prior to sending off for these toasters to be built and then buying 3000 units! Worst of all, they are actually selling! No doubt to Christians who don't read their bibles and non-Christians who think it would be funny to have burnt Jesus toast for breakfast! I give up!!!!!


8. Canadian Idol hopeful suspected terrorist
Well after the Zimbabwean illegal immigrant on X Factor UK, I guess this weeks story of a would be terrorist being in Canadian Idol! Clearly reality talent shows are seemingly now the stage for illegality and criminality! The mind boggles just at the thought of what else is going on in the world of reality television but I am sure glad I have not been swallowed into it thus far...Dr Khurram Syed Sher (28) was charged in August for conspiracy to carry out a terrorist activity (making bombs) and released on bail on Wednesday to the Toronto area, however with strict restrictions (and I imagine undercover 24hr special forces monitoring). Here's hoping  reality television producers worldwide will employ secret service techniques for background checking in the future! 


7. Queen Elizabeth II 

This week the Queen, Elizabeth II launched the new cruise ship by Cunard's which bares her name. She officially named the ship at the ceremony. The QEII will make its maiden voyage on Tuesday next week heading for the Canary Islands, which was fully sold out within 30 minutes of the tickets going on sale! Wow...And I say wow because my parents did a similar cruise on the former QEII and therefore I know that you can pay upwards of £3 000 per person for a week so it is not a light thing that it sold out so quickly. It certainly will cost a lot more for this historic voyage but as my father says, memories are priceless therefore it should be no hardship nor should you spare an expense in creating great ones!!!




6. Love can ease your pain 

Brain researchers at Stanford University USA, recently carried out a study on how people in love respond to pain. The picked a small group of people who had a fairly new relationship and showed them pictures of their loved ones while administering small controlled measures of pain to them. Brain scans taken during the study suggest that many of the areas normally involved in responding to pain are also activated by, 'amorous thoughts...' according to the report. The study was however carried out on fifteen people in new romances so I am thinking that infatuation may have been the pain blocker or maybe lust and not so much love...I say this because long term relationships and marriages are not as...shall we say, 'cloud nine-ish' about their loved ones and have a more practical and committed approach to their love so gazing at a picture would not necessarily do the trick for everyone but the new kids on the block so to speak in my opinion anyway...But hey, who am I to comment not being a scientist or anything...


5.Miners Rescued!

Well... unless you are an ostrich with your head deeply buried  or living under a rock you will have heard about the miners stuck in a mine for weeks in Chile.Well the great news is that they are out! Fantastic work by all the engineers and workers who have been working round the clock to save these men! I have nothing but respect for these guys and glad the miners are all home safe and sound tonight... well most of them. The 21st miner to be rescued may not be sleeping at home tonight as his wife and mistress had the opportunity to meet, get to know each other and swap notes in the weeks the miners were underground! His only redemption (if you can afford him that) in this story is that his lover was not that much different in age or appearance to his wife! So one can only wonder why a man would have a five year affair after twenty eight years of marriage? (a subject beyond the fragments column). What we can take away from this miner experience is that living a double life will catch up to you eventually so if at all possible, don't do it! But if you do do it, make sure your story is rock solid or you may find yourself in hot soup as the saying goes...So right here today I declare an amnesty for all double lifers - Come clean and you wont be harmed - (just in case you fall down a man hole in the street and are trapped down in the sewers long enough for your house of cards to come tumbling down...


4. Black Girl Escorted
This is an email my sister sent me this week which I thought has great historical significance and is also encouraging. Proof that things can change in a positive way if 'we' let go of the past, don't focus on our differences but strive to do the very best we can as people. Its also good to point out how wonderful it is that education is accessible by all people today. The email read as follows:

"On November 14, 1960, nearly 49 years ago, a 6 year old girl faced hostile crowds, and had to be escorted by U.S Marshalls, because she was the first black child to attend previously all-white William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Ruby was 6 years old. That morning, she had only been told by her mother that she was going to be attending a new school that day and 'had better behave.'  Little did little Ruby know that she would be bombarded with jeers and even death threats; and that she would end up being the sole child in her first grade class because all the other children were kept home by their parents, all because Ruby was Black.
On January 5, 2009, nearly 49 years after Ruby attended her school, 7 year old Sasha Obama, also black, faced cheering schoolmates as she is escorted by her Mother and U.S. Secret Service Agents to Sidwell Friends Elementary School in Washington, DC. Sasha and her mother had Secret Service escort because Sasha's father Barack Obama is now the 44th President of the United States of America and the first black man to hold this office almost 49 years on...times they are a changing..."

3.Public transport

I sooo wish I had taken this pic!

I saw this picture of Facebook this week and literally rolled on the floor laughing hysterically at the thought of this goat being stood on the side of the street hailing a cab after a hard days work and all he got was this open air chariot that could throw him off at any time! But with Mrs Goat at home waiting for him to arrive for dinner, he throws caution to the wind, jumps on and hangs in there for dear life!!!!!! Hee! hee! hee! Fantastic shot! 

2. E:thos' Official Mother and Daughter  Portrait of the year
Read about this lovely pair here

Michelle and baby Wanai

1. I am ready for love...
I heard this song on Wednesday and thought wow! India Arie is the vocalist behind the song and she delivers it with a crisp clarity that sends shivers down your spine.The lyrics are potent and could be anyone, I dare say many of us have found ourselves in the place she describes and so I felt this would be a lovely way to round up this weeks fragments by declaring a readiness and willingness to embrace love which we all need, no matter the packaging...so until next week, enjoy...

Finally...that's all for this week! Please do send in your thoughts / comments and stories! Also if you want a shout out then email me @ ethosphotographic@gmail.com