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Author on Reedsy Prompts since Jul, 2021
Submitted to Contest #336
Lost in thought. The gentle caress of a breeze causes me to recall a youth long past yet not forgotten. What is going on in my life that causes me to reflect so deeply?Am I unhappy?I am not weeping. Am I lost?How do I know? Perhaps it is simply a moment in time when one pauses and reflects on what used to be. The sun sinks beyond the edge of my reality. Life is both lived and experienced, though not always at the same time. The rustling of the leaves and singing of the birds make me realize how lucky I am. Yet, something is missing. I have ...
Submitted to Contest #334
When the dust settled, I felt nothing. I had no identifiable emotional response. I was dumbfounded. What was that all about? What did I do to deserve being spoken to with such disdain? I must have done something. I begin to doubt myself. I'm a good man. Aren't I? I work hard and am a good provider for my family. I am kind and courteous. I am giving of money and time. Yet, none of this appears to be sufficient. “You don't listen, David.” “You are never home.” “We don't go out anymore.” “You show me no affection.” “You are emotionally vacant.”...
Submitted to Contest #333
Ethel Maude Williams, nee Warren, pottered around the kitchen, as she had done every night for sixty-five years. She set the table and prepared dinner, and since it was Thursday, meatloaf was in the oven. She has cooked meatloaf every Thursday since she was married. She was a creature of habit and fell into a routine early in life. Of course, there were critics; however, if they were of a mind to understand Ethel, they would soon realise that she was happy and content. Ethel was married in 1960 to Ronald James Williams. They met at church w...
Submitted to Contest #332
I was unsure how to respond. So, I acted honorably and ignored her. I cast no aspersions. I told her no lies. I refused to speak. I moved on. Still, she lingered in the background of my thoughts. A specter of much more than a philandering lie. Her image and her deeds were the anchor that drew me to the depths of the ocean. It was dark. I was overwhelmed. Yet, I became content. Invisible. I took pleasure in solitude and watched life pass me by.The lights. The noises. The struggle, the stress, the pain. None of it was mine. I don’t revel in th...
Submitted to Contest #239
The road has no end. Trying to make amends with my past. I make off-handed remarks to the intangible camera that follows my weary step. There is nothing left. I am tired. Hungry, weary and lost. I have paid the cost. I can’t shoulder the weight of my struggles standing still. I have to move. Aimless feet point west. Night falls on me like a leaden blanket. It is as heavy as it’s ever felt. It’s as dark as I have ever seen. Eerie. Haunting. Alone yet unafraid. I am the thespian that strayed from the stage. I was once filled with rage. It was ...
Submitted to Contest #235
“You can't run forever,” I heard myself say aloud. Physically. Idealistically, nor emotionally. You can’t outrun memories, feelings, regret, nor the past. The past lives with us forever. It is who we are. Without the past we are nothing. Without the future we are never becoming. Becoming what? Well, that is the question. Can you ever truly become someone if you spend your life running? You can’t outrun your problems. You can’t outrun your choices. The best you can do is accept the consequences. Knowing this, and...
Submitted to Contest #234
“One hour.” Sheriff Walls sat with his feet on the desk reading the Brady Gazette. The usual drab and familiar reporting did nothing to excite his senses. He scrunched up the paper and threw it at the waste paper basket. It rimmed out and landed on the floor. The man to whom the words were spoken said nothing. He paced back and forth in his cell. Ten feet by eight feet. It was a miserly existence and had been for some time, ever since he was arrested, charged with and found guilty of murder. His name doesn’t matter because soon he wil...
Submitted to Contest #227
Flakes fall like soft summer rain. The gentle folds of snow waltz through the sky before their journey comes to an end. They caress the earth. Safety in numbers. Their existence depends on elements out of their control. The first snowfall of the season. There is such delight in taking a moment to pause and watch the snow. It is moments like these that make me reflect on my life. The good and the bad. The lessons I have learned and the path I am walking. The decisions I have made and the memories of those I have left behind. I lean back in my...
Submitted to Contest #226
It was a difficult time in my life. Work offered me no joy. My friends were drifting apart. I was feeling disconnected from those around me. People and things held no significance. I just couldn’t connect. It was fair to say that I lacked a sense of belonging. My ecosystem had changed, but I hadn't. Slow to respond. Lethargic. I failed to adapt to the shifting circumstances that reshaped my life. I had used time to my advantage. I worked hard, attained some personal and professional achievements, and had established my financial indepe...
Submitted to Contest #104
"Are you coming tonight?"They were the last words she spoke to me. Her voice was sincere, almost pleading. She wanted me to, I just couldn't. I had too much to do. I can recall the moment she stood before me. Her daring navy blue dress, low cut and enticing. Pearl necklace and earrings, dull in the pale light. Her hair, long with a natural curl that moved in the same way as her body. Her smile quickly disappeared when I told her that work would keep me home. I sensed her aura shift, she was dissatisfied with my response. The smile she had wo...
Submitted to Contest #103
The path is narrow. It winds into the relative darkness, lit only by the faint light of a wilting moon. It is bordered by alien flora, waist high, spindly yet tough. The air is still. It is warm. Silence. I hear my heart beat. My breath is ragged. I focus on controlling my breathing. I look over my shoulder. Have I been followed? Of course not, it's just the paranoia. Is this what I have been searching for? Will I find it? After all these years will my journey end? I am scared and I am cautious. I am drawn forth, tempted by an uneasy re...
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