Succinctly Yours: Arbitrary

James stepped into the workroom, noting the sun’s pale light on orderly rows of tools, and the workbench thick with curled, cedar shavings. Arbitrarily, he picked up a wood file, its rough edges as familiar as his own skin, as evocative as the sharp combined scent of sawdust and oil that peppered his childhood.

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Yet this was not the time to ponder the past. They were waiting for him at the church, anxious for whatever wisdom he might share to make this loss bearable. The role of family patriarch was now his to don, with its uneasy mixture of pride and apprehension.

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James stepped out into the sunshine. He swiped a hand across his dark suit, dislodging small strings of dust. Squaring his shoulders, he whispered softly, “ I love you, Dad,” as he gently closed the door behind him.

(140 words)

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As a wife and mother, I’ve railed against the concept that men should stoically bear the weight of grief, unable to weep openly because it is their job to be strong and ease the pain of others. Surely, our husbands and sons should be free to fold themselves into our arms in time of need, knowing we offer a safe and secure refuge in the midst of life’s trials. Sadness, like love and joy, is meant to be shared, after all…

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Grandma's Goulash hosts the wonderful microfiction meme, Succinctly Yours, where each week she posts a photo around which we might spin a tale in 140 characters or in the same number of words. Extra credit is given for using the optional word of the week, which today is, "arbitrary".

For more takes on the prompt, follow the link below.

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Our thanks to you and your daughter for this fun challenge, Grandma!

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http://grandmas-goulash.info/

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Succinctly Yours: No. 15

 Said the spider to the fly,

“Come and visit me, big guy!

I’m a gal who’ll make you smile,

If you’ll only stay a while.

 

And of course I mean no harm…

I’m the epitome of charm!!”

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Photo courtesy of google                                (140 characters)

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 Today's optional word in Succinctly Yours is 'expedient', and while I didn’t actually use it in the piece, my wily spider exercises expediency in her approach to every meal!
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I apologize for the spider pic if it creeps you out. I'm one of the few folk I know who truly like creepy-crawlies of all sorts. Wait....I don't know anyone but me who does...how odd!!

Photo supplied by Grandma

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For more microfiction about flies, using 140 characters or words,

do check out the fun entries at Grandma's Goulash...

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http://grandmas-goulash.info/
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Microfiction Times Three

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I am apparently hooked on microfiction memes since I keep finding more of them all the time, (though truthfully, I believe they find me)!  Today, I offer three tiny bits of writing...

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Both men pondered the chance of claiming Gwendolyn’s heart…they had dropped drastically in the latest affection polls! Might one yet win her back….and by what means?

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(140 Characters)

(Photo provided by Grandma)

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The course of love rarely runs smoothly! Grandma at Succinctly Yours challenges us to spin a tale in either 140 characters or 140 words, using the photo prompt she provides. A further challenge is to insert her word of the day, this week's choice being "ponder". To see other takes on this pic, do check out the link below...

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http://grandmas-goulash.info/

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Life’s challenge gives us pause

…in the end, it is love

that will temper its harsh turns

and allow our hearts to find

peace therein.

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(25 words)
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(Photo by Lynette Killam)

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Yes...a mere 25 words is the limit Jenny Matlock set on this exercise, asking only that we base it on the theme of, "In the end". What a wonderful way to combat verbosity! This is my first time playing along with Saturday Centus, but I'll warrant it will not be my last...

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http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Saturday%20Centus

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This is another new meme for me. Eric 's Monday Morning Photo Prompt asks us to write a piece in whatever style or size the Muse dictates...

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The man woke up slowly, suspended in that place where one knows not which is real and which is the dream. He could feel cold steel under him, its icy, unforgiving surface chilling every inch of his being and setting him atremble. After a time, his eyelids slid open, but he quickly scrunched them shut again to block out the fierce and brilliant band of light that assailed him and pierced straight through his brain.

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Something was not right. Unease settled hard into his gut, threatening to unleash the bile that roiled up and began to demand release. He struggled to remember where he was, but the cold numbed his mind, and his eyelids proved inadequate guards against the riveting brilliance that continued to torment him mercilessly.
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It was now that the first real lick of fear worked its way up his rigid spine. Dear God…what was happening?
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(147 words - Photo provided by Eric)

This one was fun to do- unlike anything I've ever written before - but the picture made me think of alien abduction, and I quickly put down the first thing that came to my head! To read more responses to this pic, drop by Eric's page for a visit...
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http://bifocalunivision.blogspot.com/

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Succinctly Yours: Glisten

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Brow glistening with sweaty anticipation,

Klaus zoomed by the pedestrian,

snatched her purse in one deft move

and rode off grinning.

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 Thus began his long life of crime.

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(140 characters)

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I've posted this for Succinctly Yours, a meme graciously hosted by Grandma's Goulash

Each week, Grandma offer us a photo prompt and a suggested word we might incorporate into a written piece of either 140 characters or 140 words. You might enjoy checking out the humourous entries at the link below. Today's word is "glisten"...

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http://grandmas-goulash.info/category/succinctly-yours/  

Succintly yours: By The Sea

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For today's 'Succintly Yours' prompt, I've written two pieces...one semi-serious, one simply silly!

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She watched him watch the world; she always the onlooker, he seeing only what his lens allowed. Enough.

“Picture this, then!” she said, walking out of his life for good.

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(140 characters)
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and

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Myopic, mad and mildly morose, Morris missed by miles the many

moves Marcy made to merge more merriment into the meagerly

mundane. Magic made no mark on this man’s mind!

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(140 characters)

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For more microfiction in 140 characters or words, pop by Grandma's Goulash and enjoy the feast!

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http://grandmas-goulash.info/category/succinctly-yours/

Succintly Yours: Look Here

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Wilson went nowhere without his spare head. He thought himself prepared for all scenarios, and it’s understood that any worthwhile endeavour requires the support of a back-up plan.

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His second head was not quite as clever as his first, nor nearly as handsome…yet it could leap in and improvise when the first head was invaded with sensory overload and finally exploded. Second Head could supervise the clean-up, get First Head to the repair shop for a quick fix and do a reasonable job of being Wilson for a day or two, though it was admittedly a version of Wilson slightly befuddled and hampered by a disturbing lurch that he stumbled through.

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No matter…in the busyness of his day, and the isolation of his cubicle, people paid little attention to either of Wilson’s heads and – sadly - never noticed the difference.

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(This is a warped piece of silliness written in response to the photo prompt at Succintly Yours, yet as I came to the end, I realized I could empathize with Wilson’s sense of isolation, and could definitely use a spare for when my head seems ready to explode with craziness…:)

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Grandma’s Goulash asks us to respond to a photo prompt in 140 syllables or 140 words. An additional challenge is to insert a chosen word into the piece, last week's word being ‘invade’, (yes, I'm a week behind!) Do stop by her link to read some interesting tales.

http://grandmas-goulash.info/category/succinctly-yours/

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Succinctly Yours

In this age of technology and online chats, it remains a special joy to plop into a comfy chair and visit a friend in person….

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Sit awhile, dear one…

tell me what moves your heart and

what can make you cry.

Two souls with voices

mingled in both joy and tears,

meeting face to face.

Sit just a while…

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Photo courtesy of Grandma's Goulash

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With Susan at Microfiction Monday on a well-deserved break, Grandma’s Goulash generously invites us to Succinctly Yours, a meme that supplies a photo prompt and bids us tell a story around it in 140 characters or words. A further challenge is offered with a word prompt to work into the piece. Though I did not use today’s word, I offer this 140-character piece. Check out the link below for more fun writes…

http://grandmas-goulash.info/category/succinctly-yours/

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