Word of the Day – Tina Stewart Brakebill

this time

September 24, 2025 Tina Stewart Brakebill

Memories flooded my brain as the smoke from the flickering candle enveloped me. The hint of menthol cigarettes lingering in the air only amplified my déjà vu. My cowardice urged me to turn and run, but before my feet could obey this frantic command the sight of the Two of Swords reminded me of the weight of the choice ahead of me. I couldn’t let one bad incident stop me from seeking guidance. Maybe if I had listened that time, instead of mocking, I would have taken a different road, so instead of taking flight, I sank into the chair. Holding my question in my mind, I shuffled the cards and made a promise to myself: this time, I would listen, really really listen.

The Two of Swords card, conceptualized by Pamela Colman Smith

I had fun today, creating a six-sentence story and incorporating some additional word prompts that included CARDS, AMPLIFY, CHOICE, and INCIDENT. Visit the site below for more info and more great writing.

Writing Prompts

Amplify

It’s Thursday’s Six Sentence Story Blog Hop

FOWC With Fandango — Incident

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

true life revealed (a haiku)

November 23, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

A figment alleged.

But that vision melts away

as true life bares all.

Image 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.)

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

learning to cope (a haiku)

November 15, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

hope once gone returns

resurrecting the story

as paradigms shift

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.

Haiku & Other Poetry, tutto e niente

together we rise

June 21, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

together we rise

against a darkening sky

to awaken truth

storm-clouds-1

Late this week! But thanks to Sue for her Write Photo challenge and photo and to the WOTD challenge for giving me such a great word (awakening) to accompany the picture. Check out their sites for details and other entries.

Flash Fiction, tutto e niente

Up Up & Away

June 10, 2020 Tina Stewart Brakebill

“Five hundred bucks! You can’t spend that much money on a balloon! It’s crazy.”

“It’s our anniversary babe. No expense spared. Plus I had some money put back. Don’t worry. We’re golden.” It had only been a month but she’d see. It would be perfect! Then she’d say yes. We’d be together forever. I was sure of it. Ignoring the look in her eyes, I stroked the velvet box in my pocket and imagined our future. Her words barely penetrated my reverie.

“We need to talk. I’m sorry … I can’t …. Maybe you can still get your money back.”

ronda-pov

Thanks to Rochelle for her fabulous Friday Fictioners challenge and to Kristian for the WOTD-golden.