Photography – Page 117 – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Prize

What’s tentative fell to the ground,
But reason helped it stay afloat.
The words came choking on the throat.
The premises felt less than sound.

Defeated, dropped but then re-found
Where will this walk in circles go?
It leads to home. We didn't know
The autumn prairie took the prize
On blooms that mirrored sunny skies.
So likewise seek what you would show.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the rhyme word “prize” is to appear in the d lines. The rhyme pattern for this 10-line form is abbaaccddc.

Ronovan's Decima Poetry Challenge Image — Ronovan’s Decima Poetry Challenge Image

Somme Prairie Nature Preserve, Northbrook, Illinois

Jim knew that random stuff couldn’t all be his fault. Some of it was bad luck. And as for the rest, he intended to get even with Mark and his girlfriend Denise for dodging their involvement by witnessing against him.

The judge sentenced him to thirty years saying that at Jim’s age that would give him a good chunk of the rest of his life to think it over and give the community respite from his stony heart.

After two of those decades Jim was surprised to hear that first Mark and later Denise both died from natural causes. In his own last years he forgot all about luck and wished he could have seen either of them once again to tell them how sorry he was for wasting their lives.

Linked to GirlieOnTheEdge’s Six Sentence Story with the prompt word “random”.

GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley's six-sentence-stories icon — GirlieOnTheEdge Denise Farley’s six-sentence-stories icon

One-Liner Wednesday – Yesterday

If I only knew I should have done what I didn’t do the day before.

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

Badge by Laura @ riddlefromthemiddle.com

Surrealism

Cloudy contrast floating past
Even what’s so wild won’t last.

Linked to Cosmic Photo Challenge where Dale offers the theme of “surrealism”. The white funnel-shaped cloud was from a jet that passed by some time ago. The dark cloud held the coming rain. Together their contrast seemed to me surreal.

Also linked to Trent P. McDonald’s The Weekly Smile. Finding out that the mystery bug was a hawk moth or a hummingbird moth put a smile on my face. Also I was amazed at the quantity of wildflowers in the forest preserve yesterday when walking one of the trails.

Stacking Stones

Nature does a grander job. What we made was mindful. Besides that wasn’t why we piled stones on top of one another. We were testing each other’s patience.

I failed the test and let her set the last stone, her crowning glory, on top. They didn’t fall and so per agreement she left.

I would have told you about the arguments, but I’ve forgotten them. I only remember where we set those stones. It was out of the way. A decade later I came back. I looked everywhere.

Nature let us take our turn then washed it all away.

Linked to Charli Mills’ July 30th: Flash Fiction Challenge to write a 99-word story using the phrase “her crowning glory”. Although the story mentions “I”, it is not autobiographical.

Grow

I wasn’t there to plant this spring.
The morning glories didn’t care.
They’re back again off climbing where
I left some soil.  No watering
But they still rose. It’s comforting
That when I fail they ever grow
Although forgotten.  Watch them show
Their bright green leaves each like a heart.
I see the buds break out and start
To bloom again. There! Off they go.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challege with the rhyme word “grow” in the c position of the rhyme scheme, abbaaccddc.

Shower

The week was hot and Gloria listened to her grandson Brian justify the latest rally with such fervor that she felt his self-righteousness pummel her aging body. She was young once herself, but she wished Brian didn’t have to learn things the hard way just as her father wished the same for her.

In response to her objections Brian increased the force of his argumentation until his mother, tired of overhearing them, called to him from the kitchen. Wiping her eyes Gloria wondered why people couldn’t see how easy it was to waste their short lives.

Brian agreed to apologize and the next morning he brought in a tray with his grandma’s breakfast, but after trying he couldn’t wake her. He yelled for his dad while outside a storm began pounding a heavy shower battling the heat wave.

Linked to GirlieOnTheEdge’s Six Sentence Story with the prompt word “shower”.

Steward

Jim spent decades getting sick without realizing it. When finally diagnosed with an autoimmune disease he didn’t believe it. Sure he had a belly, but he felt fine. Reality smacked him and he rejected all prescribed medications. He would rewind his life’s bad habits starting with his diet.

That took time, but he lost weight. His biomarkers improved. The diet became habitual. Jim forgot he was even on it.

He stopped thinking about himself. He realized he was consuming less. Perhaps even he, old Jim, could steward the earth rather than want to eat more and more of it.

Linked to the Carrot Ranch July 23 Flash Fiction Challenge where Charli Mills offers the theme of “a story to show what it is to protect nature around us”.

Kind

Our lives seem flippant, short and free.
We need some rules and if you find
One that might work, slow down. Be kind.
Don’t fight for every cause you see
For some turn sour eventually.
So stand up strong for what is right.
Obediently praise the light,
But fear that foul self-righteousness.
Out back’s a bucket for such mess
With soap to make your stained clothes bright.

Linked to Ronovan Writes Décima Poetry Challenge where the challenge is to use “kind” as a rhyme work in either line 2 or 3.