I lost myself with some disgrace.
The mirror cringed to see my face.
I didn’t think it was a race
until I knew it was.
But that was then and now is now.
With soil turned beneath the plow
the seed was planted—God knows how—
and everything was changed.
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Ronovan Hester’s Ovi Poetry Challenge this week offers the word “race” as inspiration. Posted also at Poet’s Corner.
For Stan the idea that anything might exist put a strain on what he could philosophically tolerate. Asserting himself he told his students that there wasn’t a single good reason why any of them were here.
But all of that was before the accident, the emergency room, the coma and the visitations. Things started to click when one visitor with attractive horns offered him a full twenty years in exchange for his spirit.
Stan wished he could have told his students what he discovered before his life support was removed. He consoled himself with the thought that they would find it more credible if they heard it from someone else.
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Denise offers the prompt word “strain” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
Dale offers the prompt “shadows and silhouettes” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
These were taken in Miami Beach, Florida, near 74th Street years ago on two different mornings.
Depending only on the Lord
I took His word, a two-edged sword,
but left the demon’s sparkling hoard
I used to wish was mine.
That change of life I won’t forget:
within reborn without regret,
with joy the well, with river wet
which flows with living water.
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For Ronovan Hester’s Ovi Poetry Challenge. Posted on Poet’s Corner.
The hostility between Steve and Bobby was miraculously resolved during the funeral of their older-by-twelve-years sister and Fred’s wife, Lily. During Fred’s eulogy for his wife he handed Steve and Bobby separate boxes containing mementos of their lives from infancy through grade school that Lily saved having watched over them many decades ago. He then handed them envelops with the words “Last Will” written on them containing a letter asking her two brothers to stop fighting with each other.
Touched by a sense of melancholy while going through the box he received from Fred, Bobby apologized to and forgave Steve who seeing this as a sign of weakness announced to all at the funeral that this long-overdue confession coming from the likes of Bobby was a miracle (which it may well have been).
In spite of that remark peace between them lasted until Steve insisted moments later that he get credit for being the one who apologized first which everyone at the funeral knew was a lie. Through the resulting commotion Fred called for silence and handed the brothers another envelop containing Lily’s second Last Will which simply read, “Didn’t I tell you two to STOP FIGHTING?”
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Denise offers the prompt word “melancholy” to be used in this week’s Six Sentence Stories.
1 John 2:9
He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now.
Dale offers the prompt “three shots from one spot” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
I went across the street to the park with a man-made pond.
Then I wondered: What direction should I aim my phone? These are the directions I thought might be interesting.
Having “a bad case of music festival withdrawal” Dale offers the prompt “music on film” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
Letting my imagination dance around me I found two recent photos I took on a walk through the old golf course that was turned into a park across the street.
My imagination said about the first one, “Those plants are dancing.” Then I heard, “That bee and blossom are dancing to the music of a beautiful day.” I thought to myself, You’ve got to be kidding, but I realized I best not say that out loud.
Ralph ran his mind like an audio device on permanent replay. He believed in neither demonic nor angelic spirits which made the demons giggle with double delight.
What overflowed through his mouth further challenged his pretenses of being rational. Additionally all the time he spent muttering to himself made him wonder precisely whom those meditations were meant to impress.
To keep reality afloat in spite of his doubt that reality was really real he wondered if reality might well be an AI program simulating who knows what or whether there were some female identity trapped inside his male body all of which surprised even Satan who laughed at the inanities unrenewed minds wasted their lives on. As the day ended Ralph tried to put his spirit to sleep while his spirit struggled to wake him up.
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Denise offers the prompt word “replay” for this week’s Six Sentence Story.
Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Dale offers the prompt “summer views” for this week’s Cosmic Photo Challenge.
These are photos of flowers growing in our pots on the patio.
I have no idea what kinds they are. Since they came from the hardware store they are not likely rare. Since they are part of God’s creation they are very good.
Poetry, Short Prose and Walking 