Endangered

Over the years their devotion to one another was as unwavering as her dedication to her career. Though he often joked about being a “work widower”, he was proud, admiring of her tireless efforts.

But recent events were tipping the scale. He was sick with worry as her career became increasingly dangerous.

Not quite an ultimatum, he begged her, “Please. Quit teaching.”

             

  It’s only six sentences in 62 words. Denise’s Six Sentence Story prompt this week is “scale”. The Weekend Writing Prompt #125 from Sammi Cox is “ultimatum” in 62 words. Try out both of these prompts, separately or mashed together. 

 

Crimson’s Creative Challenge #46

Crispina Kemp puts out a weekly challenge with “plenty of scope and only two criteria: Your creative offering is indeed yours; Your writing is kept to 150 words or less.” Every Wednesday Crispina posts a photo and we are exhorted to “respond with something CREATIVE”.  Her challenge is “open to all—just for FUN, FUN, FUN”. The photo below is for Crimson’s Creative Challenge #46. Check out her site for more creative ideas for responses. It defies definition!

You can lean on a post

You can sit on a rail

or you can follow

your life’s winding trail.

There’re some ups

and there’re some downs

some blind curves

that you can’t see ‘round.

Get up your courage

get off that fence

before your get-up-and-go

has got up and went.

D’ Extinction

D’ Extinction                              (D’Verse Quadrille # 88)

 

Kids.

These days! Limited

vocabulary, low language. I’m sorry

for their losses

accelerated all thumbs texting Omg

it’s all done

with emoticons, fcol!

I hold up standards but they

head bent say

I’m gone by.

But I stand

by words; sometimes

even fly.

 

I don’t know who invented quadrille over at the D’Verse pub for poets, but I sure like the free form with the 44 word constraint. This week those 44 are to include, in body or title, the word “extinct”. Thank you for the prompt Linda Lee Lyberg.

Admissions

   “Jamie’s moms weren’t sure if they should invite Linda too?”

It was a question containing more questions, nestled like a stack of paper cups. One of the contained questions was about Dad and Jimmy’s mom. Linda.

“Dad?”

“She’s never coming back, August.”

“Linda?”

“Huh? No. Not Linda. Your mother. She’s never coming back.” The admission crept like gray dawn across his face.

My voice cracked. “Like Jimmy.”

“Linda’s hurting bad.”

“It’s no reason to not like Jamie.”

“I told her that.” He let his breath out slowly. “Thanksgiving will be a nice interlude. Just you, me, and Jamie’s family.”

 

The September 19, 2019, Carrot Ranch prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about an interlude. It can be a pause between two key moments, the pause between acts in a play, an intermission, or a temporary amusement Go where the prompt leads you! 

This 99 word episode follows Stepping Out.

 

The Gift

His whole life he’d told very few people; had learned that it was a thing best kept to himself, but he finally told her, reluctantly and in confidence.

“But that is a wonderful thing; for surely you can see that you and I are to marry and have a wonderful life together,” and she took his hand and twirled as if dancing, then leaned into his embrace. “It is the gift of Sight you have, and you shall use your gift to help people.”

He forced a smile for her, pretended to agree.

He wished he could refuse this gift; he felt it as a curse that burdened him with helplessness and despair. For he did not know if it would be the horse that today pulled her buggy, or some other horse some other day, perhaps in the street, or some horse on the farm that they might share; he just knew that it would be a horse.

***

Denise is at it again, with a little help from some friends. The Six Sentence Story prompt word this week is “refuse”. The rules are to use that word in six sentences, no more, no less. Go to GirlieOntheEdge for more stories of refuse, refusing and refusal.

Present Gifts

The Carrot Ranch prompt this week is to write a 99 word story that includes the greatest gift. What a fine thing to consider, for we too often don’t appreciate what we have till it’s gone.

What’s the greatest gift? Is it something so common for many of us, (not all), that it’s easily taken for granted? Air, water. Food, shelter. Life.

The word gift is spoken at births and funerals, times when we pause and consider the wonder and sanctity of life.

We reflect at these comings and goings; how now do we live our Gifts each Day?

 

Given, Not Gone

 The gift of creation, with free will, was given long ago. Somehow this planet came into being in this solar system; over time each one of us also had a beginning. In our beginnings was wonder, was potential, power, and promise.

That was then, this is now.

Now we might dwell on our flaws and misspent potential, might despair at our human failings, might mourn the state of our planet.

Or, right now, we might acquire humility and gratitude for the Gift. Every Now is a beginning. We could choose to cultivate and nurture potential and promise, right Now.

***

Reciprocation           (Rerun! first published for theApril 6, 2017 Carrot Ranch prompt)

Do not forget Turtle who brought the earth up from the watery depths. Do not forget Tree, whose roots hold and cradle the earth, whose branches hold up Sky. These ones, Turtle, Water, Tree, Sky, are sacred.

Long ago these ones spoke together, and together thought to provide and to sustain; they thought us into existence that we might use their gifts.

Be humble. Our creations are mere imitations, expressing gratitude, expressing wonder. Be mindful. Give thanks to Turtle, to Water, to Sky, to Tree. We are their thoughts that receive their gifts, and they think us most sacred.

***

Spun Out

I am reblogging this as two more 99 word bits have been added as I consider the idea of Gift, prompted at Carrot Ranch. Maybe this is the final final installment.

ShiftnShake

By speaking to this girl at the library, telling her how to keep her bike safe from the likes of me, I’d become memorable, recognizable. Now I was making the risk worse by talking with her further. But for some reason, I admit the truth, at least the truth about not being a student. I also tell her that I run a mobile bike mechanic service, which is a lie, but will be true beginning tomorrow. Because, truth is, being recognized for a kindness felt good. Beginning tomorrow my gifts as a bike mechanic will be brought to light.

***

I had a stand, tools and a sign on a trailer I towed with my own Surly Cross Check. Where before I tried to blend in, now I tried to stand out, brand my business as the bike mechanic who’d come to you, work around your schedule.

I joked with…

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Spun Out

By speaking to this girl at the library, telling her how to keep her bike safe from the likes of me, I’d become memorable, recognizable. Now I was making the risk worse by talking with her further. But for some reason, I admit the truth, at least the truth about not being a student. I also tell her that I run a mobile bike mechanic service, which is a lie, but will be true beginning tomorrow. Because, truth is, being recognized for a kindness felt good. Beginning tomorrow my gifts as a bike mechanic will be brought to light.

***

I have a stand, tools, and a sign on a trailer I towed with my own Surly Cross Check. Where before I tried to blend in, now I try to stand out, brand my business as the bike mechanic who’ll come to you, work around your schedule.

I joke with a young man walking by that he needs a bike. Then he tells me his got stolen.

“You must be pissed,” I say.

“Eh. They musta needed that bike more than I.”

I watch him walk on. I hadn’t needed the bikes I stole. What was it I needed?

***

“How much?” asks my first customer.

“Pay me for parts if any are needed. If you have time stick around and I’ll teach you how to do this yourself.”

“That’s bad business!”

“Consider it a gift.”

And I change the rates on my sign to say Free.

People give me coffee. Somebody brings me lunch.

Someone from the college comes by, asks me if I’d give bike repair workshops two evenings a week. They have a space, they’ll pay me for my time. The cycling team is looking for a mechanic too, he thinks.

This is a good day.

***

This is the final installment of a thread that started with the August 29 challenge from Carrot Ranch as “Cutting Loose”, then continued through two Six Sentence Stories, “Good Business” and “Sidelined“, and ends here as another 99 word Ranch response.
The September 12, 2019, prompt? In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story that includes the greatest gift. Answer it as if it were a question, or show what it could be. Go where the prompt leads you!

 

Against the Window

Thomas knew he wouldn’t ever be so lucky as to go on a turkey drive like Robert had but he still felt like he must be one of the luckiest boys around to have such a great big brother, a hero returned from the southern war. Even though he didn’t remember him from before, even though Robert was fifteen years older, the two were close from the moment Robert returned home and set his musket in the corner of the hallway, from the first time Robert tossed him in the air but then asked Thomas seriously how things were on the farm, respecting him and the chores that he kept up with. And Robert was good to work with, more patient than Pa, always took time to explain why things were done a certain way, allowed Thomas time to see how things worked.

Thomas looked out for his big brother, didn’t worry him about overhearing Pa wondering with Ma if Robert was all right, wondering at how he’d changed, wondering how he was going to make it. Thomas looked out for Robert the time he yelled and thrashed about just because of a cardinal beating its wings against the window, got him quieted down, said it’s all right, shush it’s all right, just a little bird got confused, shush now, don’t get so excited, what’d you think it was?

Thomas wouldn’t realize that Robert looked out for him too, looked out for him by not answering his questions about why he had bad dreams and waking nightmares.

 

This is a second Six Sentence Story for this week’s prompt word “cardinal”. (The first is Sidelined) This story features Civil War vet Robert, returned to the family farm in Vermont, and his little brother Thomas, both of whom you may remember from past flashes.

Nick of Time

another season

turn turn turns

click

ringed gears

revolution

passing years

time

tick tick ticks

third clock

circling the sun

facing east

since time

begun

picking up sticks

spearing

scraping

scratching

stirring

and one for counting

carved and nicked

ever westward

our light runs

 

***********************************

De Jackson, aka WhimsyGizmo, is serving up quadrille at d’Verse Poets’ Pub this evening. Drop by the Pub for a shot of #87; the rules are few, just poem up with 44 words exactly and make sure one of the 44 is the word “nick”.