Colonnade

Fernando and Pedro walked the boardwalk with a colonnade of condos on their left and the ocean on their right. They stopped at a mural. The artist painted a somber woman with an orange and gold halo walking past an archway.

Fernando remarked, “There comes a time in one’s life when one reaches the age of reason. One only wants the best. And then one wants to give it all away.”

Pedro asked, “And what if we never reach that age?”

In the warm winter winds  they admired the mural of that woman.

“Ah! But what if we do?”

Linked to Charli Mills’ Carrot Ranch January 17: Flash Fiction where “colonnade” is the theme for this week’s 99-word story and to Sue Vincent’s Imagination #writephoto prompt.

Sue Vincent provided the photo above. Charli Mills provide the photo below.

Charli Mills’ prompt for this challenge

Coin Laundry

 
If I could only wash my age-soaked heart
The way I do these clothes in this machine
And trust in thirty minutes they’d be clean
I’d likely try it once or twice to start.
What soap would do the best to tear apart
What’s good from what has grown with time too mean?
I’d make it cleaner than I yet have seen
And wash it everyday - if I were smart.

These quarters are too little I confess.
For payment ancient angels might want more
Since no one gives forgiveness out for free,
But then came dreams of lucid mystery.
They weren't what I thought I was looking for
Yet I felt clean enough to let them bless.

Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar where Jilly is hosting and the form is the sonnet with enjambment. I hope there are some lines above that represent enjambment.

Flower

One-Liner Wednesday – Forgiveness

It’s hard to forgive, but after doing so, it’s hard to see why it was so hard.

Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday and Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays.

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/
#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/

Personal

 
The present doesn’t go with last night’s dream.
My future rolls her eyes. Those older books
Stare at me with their hostile, angry looks
Suggesting that I’d not know what they mean.

My dragons are far kinder than they seem.
We drink fresh water from the ancient brooks.
We catch our fish with only magic hooks
And what we eat becomes our sacred theme.

It’s not that I have nothing to confess.
It’s only what I’ve done is far too small
To bother you with details should I sin.
I’m sure the bed you’ve made looks like a mess.
I’m sure you also felt that you would fall,
But here we are. And look! The morning’s in.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Anmol is hosting with the art of confession.

Sun Approaches

The Spirit of Rain

 
The Sun is raining down on me
To warm the watery mystery
That also sometimes likes to fall
To change from clouds pressed over all.
Formerly that greedy cloud
Darkened, thundering out-loud -
What lovely gifts we freely get.
Some come dry. Some are wet.

Linked to K’lee and Dale’s Cosmic Photo Challenge with the theme “the spirit of rain” and to dVerse Quadrille where
De Jackson, aka WhimsyGizmo, is hosting with the theme word “change”.

Lost Sunglasses

Alternate Prediction – Carrot Ranch Story

Three crows landed near Pablo. Two of them pretended to peck around for treasure while the leader laid into Pablo with an obnoxious, “Caw! Caw! Caw!. Fortunately, Pablo was fluent in this particular dialect of crow. Crows don’t stop by without a message they feel they must deliver:

“You will experience enrichment beyond your puny imagination. All those plans you’ve been making will fail. They are nothing compared to the reality that awaits you. Any questions?”

Pablo and this crow had previous encounters. “Do I have a choice?”

“Unfortunately, all you can do is mess things up a bit.”

Linked to Carrot Ranch’s January 10: Flash Fiction Challenge on the theme of the idea of “enrichment”. The challenge is to write a 99-word story (excluding title word count) on the theme. Come join us with your own story.

Little Guys on the Beach

One-Liner Wednesday – Clouds

Clouds help make the sunrise beautiful.

Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday.

#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/
#1linerWeds badge by Cheryl, at dreamingreality646941880.wordpress.com/