Tag: #FOWC

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

A Fish

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Swinging her legs over the cliff’s edge, she can’t deny that the view is spectacular. But even this vista reminds her that it’s hopeless. The blue sky was only temporary. Already it was fading into the flat gray water. Soon enough the sky will darken.

Night will fall.

The glow never lasts. The dice turn cold. The dealer goes on a hot streak. She goes all in and a pigeon gives her a bad beat on the river. Soon enough luck always fails. Down to the felt. Again. Nothing but a fish.

Night falls.

(WC 94)

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Cliff Edge – Image by KL Caley

 As you might be able to tell from this sad little story, the world has me a bit down. Although I used to watch World Poker tournaments with my husband, I don’t gamble. I’m not sure why this piece emerged almost fully formed from my brain but here it is.

On a serious note, if you or someone you know needs help with gambling issues then visit: National Gambling Hotline & Resources

Thanks to all these wonderful writers and prompt providers for their inspiration today. Visit them for more writing and more details.

The photo and the challenge to write about the “cliff’s edge” was courtesy of #WritePhoto

Sammi’s Challenge was to use the word “glow” as an inspiration to write something in exactly 94 words.

Fandango’s FOWC prompt word was “hopeless.”

Linda’s SoCS Challenge was to be inspired by the word “luck.”

And last but not least, the WOTD was “spectacular.”

Haiku & Other Poetry, Random Rants, tutto e niente

Buoyant

Tina Stewart Brakebill

Buoyant.

What a great word. If we say something is buoyant, we could be saying it is light or possibly tough. It might be afloat or maybe flexible. If I’m buoyant, am I resistant, optimistic, or both?  Has this last year been a buoyant one? If you define it as tough, then yep. But carefree? Not so much!

But, weirdly, as I commemorate my birthday week, it seems the perfect word.

I am positively buoyant that my work is featured in The Sound of Brilliance. I’ve been a bit overworked, so I’m late to say THANK YOU to Susi Bocks and The Short of It for choosing me and for all her hard work getting the book published! I am truly afloat! You can also see a preview of my piece (and Susi’s hard work) in the Edge of Humanity Magazine.

I’m also buoyant after finding out this morning that a piece I submitted over one year ago (!) is being published in an upcoming issue of 50 Haikus: The Serious Poetry Journal with the Funny Name. I am feeling quite happy about it!

I feel remarkably buoyant after weathering this last year. I HAVE been tough and resistant. I’ve also been lucky to have friends and family that have helped keep me afloat (or should I say buoyant).

And I’m trying to feel buoyant about the unfolding days of my next year of life. We could all use some optimism!

So here’s to the light, resistant, tough, and hopefully happy tomorrows.

And of course, I must commemorate by day of birth with a haiku!

another year gone

and I may not be carefree

but still I’m buoyant

Thanks for the inspiration to Fandango’s FOWC BUOYANT and to Susi for being such a great supporter for my work.

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Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

An Impromptu Decision

Tina Stewart Brakebill

It had been an impromptu decision.

A be in the moment, what could possibly go wrong, you only live once, I’m not THAT old, you’re not the boss of me kind of non-decision decision.

The kind that had ruled (or almost ruined if you asked her) his life until she came along. No. This couldn’t be on him. Surely an alarm would have gone off.

No. Not his fault.

As the water crept closer, he tore his gaze away from the gushing pipe. Put on his game face. She’d be back soon. And this was definitely not his fault.  

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Image credit: Anne Higa

Thanks to Fandango’s FOWC wonderful word prompt of IMPROMPTU and Anne Higa’s great photo prompt, I’m back to Rochelle’s Friday Fictioners Challenge after a long absence!