Illusion

I would state my case,

state my plans,

write every little aspect

in a memo

(just for you)

and facilitate understanding,

so you embrace my contradictions

instead of turn away,

too certain of your certainties

to see.

But that's just a foolish dream.

In this country of illusion

you will confirm

affirm

support

sustain

your own beliefs,

instead of juggling

with the notion

that this time
you are wrong.

Since I have no love of argument

and shouting at the wind,

I will therefore leave my note

unsent

unposted

unaddressed

and let you tie

the ragged strands of truth

in whatever knot of lies you wish.

I hope if nothing else,

it makes an interesting picture.

This was written for The Sunday Whirl.

55 - Snow Day

A snow day was all he wanted.

He wished and prayed for it hard.

Just some precip and freezing temps,

and he would have snow in his yard.

So he sat in front of the TV

watching forecasts, hoping for snow,

and to his delight, during the night,

he got his wish, wouldn't you know!

This is an older pic, but there really is a chance we'll get a snow day tomorrow.

Have you written a story in exactly 55 words? Don't wait for a snow day to tell the G-Man!

Slow Dance

Calm, precise, stylized,

each step a minuet:

an exercise in control. 

skin deep

Probe the surface
and you’ll find

all the deadly sins,

plus a few extra.

Following the prescribed pattern

conceals our lustful and malevolent thoughts,

gossip and jealousy,

and the great trespass of boredom.

So hide your repulsive desires

behind a mask

and execute each figure

with a smile.

We are beautiful.

We are perfect.

We are liars.

And we are legion.

This is a Three Word Wednesday post.

Suit of Clothes

I would conjure

a suit of clothes

and stuff you inside,

like an eagle in a sparrow's nest,

making you bend and twist to fit;

here too loose
here too tight

tie the flapping bits with twine,

perhaps add a cap,

though it doesn't fit right.

Then I would love you

(or hate you)

for how well you wear

my creation.

Something tells me 

here lies madness,

though I suspect

you dress me, too,

in curls and trinkets

of your own devising,

that no more suit  me

than the feathers of a crow
or a peacock's plume.

But let us not break our spirits

over such matters.

I say here now,

I know my duty,

and though I breathe a little sigh,

I will carry my conjured costume for you

back to the chest of dreams

where it belongs.

This was written for The Sunday Whirl.

Storm Clouds

Headed into the storm again.

(All deeds carry a price.)

And though I try to stay remote,

sit still,

be mindful,

wait for wisdom

to illuminate my cluttered mind,

the impact of the past

makes unmistakable ripples

in the present's pool.

If there is one thing 

I need now,

it's a clear day,

unlittered 

by catastrophe.

uncluttered 

by the weight

of fresh disasters.

Clinging to the lifeless past

only buries me deeper

in the muck

of wishing,

story-telling

imagining what is gone

or cannot be.

These are the scenes that haunt me

as I wait for the clouds to part

and reveal the sun.

This was written for The Sunday Whirl.

55 - Un-wisdom Teeth

They read the instructions
in the DNA,
then decided
to toss them away.

"We're rebels, iconoclasts,
we do as we please.
Grow vertically?
Don't be a tease."

They grew horizontally
(thought they were clever)
but found themselves
in a different endeavor.
Painful extraction
is what fate bequeathed,
for that is what happens
to un-wisdom teeth.

I'm almost 100% after my foot injury, and now this. When it rains, it pours, right?

Have you got a story that can be told in exactly 55 words? Let the G-Man know!

55 - Acoma

He heard they built it high to keep it safe, but eventually everything falls to invaders and technology. Today he feels welcome in his t-shirt and goofy hat until he overhears a native quip, "If we don't like you, we'll toss you over."

Watch your back. Don't haggle over pottery. The past is not forgotten.

Can you tell a story in exactly 55 words?  No need to toss anyone off a cliff - post your tale on the G-Man's site!