Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

true life revealed (a haiku)

Tina Stewart Brakebill

A figment alleged.

But that vision melts away  

as true life bares all.

image-5Image credit: Angele Kamp @ Unsplash

Sadje’s WDYS Challenge today was to think about birthdays …. This got me considering life in general. Is our life imagined anything like our real life? If not, is that good or bad? And more importantly, is it wise to consider these thoughts during a global pandemic and the ongoing threats to democracy in the US? Probably not!

Anyway, thanks to Sadje for the original inspiration and to the WOTD Challenge (figment) and to Ronovan Writes Haiku Challenge for this words (life and view, which I subbed in vision.)

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

2020 Strikes Again

Tina Stewart Brakebill

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I had imagined this moment so many times.

Written stories. Blogged my theories. Argued with reddit idiots. Once I even tried to paint a picture.

And almost every night I dreamed about it. Beautiful dreams. Colors swirling. Humming anticipation. And me in the center of it all! Bathed in light. Me!

CHOSEN. Because I believed. Because I never lost the faith.

Instead, I’m watching from the sidelines as this drab gray lump tonelessly utters the most banal phrase possible: “Take me to your leader.”

Ha! Joke’s on it.

2020 really is the worst!

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Photo courtesy of https://sarahpotterwrites.com/

This photo instantly reminded me of The Day the Earth Stood Still. Add in the constant disappointments of 2020 and Fandango’s FOWC  (TRITE) for which I subbed in banal because I liked the way it sounds 😉 and you get this 100 word story for Rochelle’s Friday Fictioners Challenge. 

Please enjoy.

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

false tears (a tanka)

Tina Stewart Brakebill

You provoke! he cries.

An Aberration. he cries.

You make me! he cries

He cries. I apologize.

False tears. We begin again.

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Important reminder: COVID-19 has worsened the ongoing horror of domestic violence. If you or a loved one (in the U.S) needs more information or help, they can contact The National Domestic Violence Hotline

As a regular supporter of my local Domestic Violence Support Network (CASA) I have been keeping up with the added domestic violence dangers COVID brings to at-risk families, and today the image provided by Sadje’s WDYS Challenge and the word prompts from the WOTD Challenge (provoke) and Fandango’s FOWC (aberration) came together to inspire this work.

Be kind to each other.

REACH OUT (SAFELY) IF YOU NEED SUPPORT!

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

learning to cope (a haiku)

Tina Stewart Brakebill

hope once gone returns

resurrecting the story   

as paradigms shift

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AUTHOR’S PHOTO

I had multiple inspirations today, but it began with Mind Love Misery Menagerie’s challenge to write about COPING. Add in the WOTD Challenge to use PLOT (for which I substituted “story”) and Fandango’s FOWC prompt of PARADIGM and here we are.

Here’s to a hopeful Sunday.