This week’s Friday Fictioners photo prompt (courtesy of Rochelle Wisoff) brought to mind all sorts of dark thoughts, which made me wonder–why are my thoughts so darn dark? It doesn’t have to be a murdered girl’s gravesite. It could something completely innocent. Even something fun! So after battling with my inner demons, this haiku emerged. It’s not exactly following the rules, so if you need to dump it I understand Rochelle!
Where the hell was that girl with his whiskey? It was cold in the courtyard. And drafty. But they wouldn’t let him smoke inside. And he really needed one. It was his first in six months so he probably didn’t need it so much as he wanted it. But right now he wasn’t in the mood to dissect the difference. He was too busy trying to pretend he didn’t really care. But his attempts at pretending collapsed almost immediately. He couldn’t lie to himself. He had wanted it. Bad.
As he thought about their rejection, he second-guessed every decision he had made. Where had he gone wrong? All he ever really wanted was to belong. Maybe that was it. Maybe they could smell the overwhelming need seeping out of his pores like a rancid perfume. The kind that claims to be glamorous but really is just cheap. Well screw them. He didn’t need to belong to their stupid group. Probably just a bunch of blowhards and know-it-alls. He took a long drag off his Camel and let his mind drift. He could see the headline now: “Unknown Author Defies Odds with Million Dollar Book Advance.”
But even as that thought formed, a single tear dropped. Stupid writing workshop.
Fandango posed an interesting (provocative even) question today: “If you could be the opposite sex for one day, what would you do?” As I thought about the question, I kept coming back to the same general thought—freedom. So instead of writing about the laundry list of things that would be different if I were a man or a presenting a manifesto on how I would use the power of manhood, I kept it simple. Being a man would mean that I was free of the constraints of womanhood.
And oh the places I’d go! And oh the things I would do!
But I promise I would use my power wisely. I’d only stir up the sea if it was really really necessary.
As yes, I know the men have constraints as well—but that’s not the assignment 😉
Also thanks to The Haunted Wordsmith for the perfect counter-point photo to my before pic. (It’s possible the Betta may actually be a boy, but I’m told it’s a female so I’m going with that interpretation for the sake of my story.)
Today’s haiku was inspired by dVerse and the challenge to think about touch. Plus, I REALLY REALLY wanted to capture the essence of this photo from over at The Haunted Wordsmith.
This week’s Friday Fictioners photo prompt (courtesy of Rochelle Wisoff) brought to mind all sorts of dark thoughts, which made me wonder–why are my thoughts so darn dark? It doesn’t have to be a murdered girl’s gravesite. It could something completely innocent. Even something fun! So after battling with my inner demons, this haiku emerged. It’s not exactly following the rules, so if you need to dump it I understand Rochelle!
Tina Stewart Brakebill 