A macaque shares the rooftop
Lingers on the rail
As the rising sun stokes
The smoke laden atmosphere
To molten amber
It's tempting to believe
The monkey is as enthralled as I
With the iconic Red Fort silhouette
But I rather suspect the bugger's
Feigning disinterest in my breakfast
They're clever that way
To stray any further from the table
Set lavishly with silver and crystal on white tablecloth
Would invite a blitzkrieg
And the confiscation of my croissant
It's what I would do were our roles reversed
Fortunately, this angle is perfect
And near enough the table for deterrence
As the shutter clicks
I thank my little gray enemy
For the perfect pose
The croissant is delicious
Slathered with raspberry jam
I chase the last of it down with espresso
While the disappointed macaque lumbers off
In search of its own breakfast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the photograph:
Rhesus Macaque with Red Fort
Rooftop of Tara Palace Hotel
Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi)
New Delhi, India
Taken during travels, 2017
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A reading from the blog post:
Monkey Business ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #360: https://pixtowords.com/2024/03/11/monkey-business-pic-and-a-word-challenge-360/
From my blog Pix to Words: https://pixtowords.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Pic and a Word Challenge is a weekly creativity prompt offered Mondays.
With each challenge I provide a photograph of mine along with a single word. The challenge? Use the pic and/or word as inspiration to create something -- a photograph, a painting, podcast, video, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, longread or just a few words. You are welcome to use these two elements (photograph and word) literally, thematically or metaphorically. If you create both images and words, all the better.
Challenge rules are provided in the blog post link above.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.