43 Comments
User's avatar
Justin Deming's avatar

By Candlelight, fiction

Marla Robinson is the richest woman in the world.

She lives in a small cabin near the edge of the forest. Living sometimes evolves into survival—endless toil—in the harsher months. Rest is her reward.

Like tonight: critters scurry, collecting food. Marla reads by candlelight, sometimes pausing to listen.

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Ah, the critters...they do like to make themselves known, in the quiet of the night. Love this, Justin. She is rich, indeed!

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Thank you so much for reading, Sharon!

Expand full comment
Scott MacLeod's avatar

Rich indeed, love that thrown in there, almost hidden

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

I appreciate you Scott, thank you! 🙏

Expand full comment
Sharron Bassano's avatar

"Living sometimes evolves into survival." I can attest to that. Lovely, Justin. Books are our solace.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Thank you so much, Sharron.

Expand full comment
Scott MacLeod's avatar

Never on Sunday/Fiction

Tully was a carpenter, seemingly giving him a natural affinity to the faith. But he remained a union man first, which colored his negotiations on all theological topics, including work.

“Your ratios are off, Father. Right from Genesis. Six days on, one day off. What is this, an oil rig?”

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Ha! Brilliantly executed, Scott!

Expand full comment
Scott MacLeod's avatar

Thank you, with two prompt words it’s a real challenge to keep the speed limit!

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Completely agree!

Expand full comment
Richbee's avatar

(Daylight Saving Time, poem)

Morning becomes Electra

Light blinks, birds sing songs.

Backyard meditation

Back rests in Adirondack chair.

Eyes closed under green umbrella

Yellow mushrooms rise tickle toes.

Rest their suitcase

Redbud tree triangular forms

One atop another

Pointing to sky

Paintbrush wet

Toiled in soil

Scattered blue forget-me-nots.

Scene serene.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Serene indeed! Lovely work, Richard.

Expand full comment
S y l v i A 🌞 K a l i n A's avatar

I love the sensory experience and the gentle meditative flow. 🌞

Expand full comment
The Radical Individualist's avatar

Where beer gets its flavor/poem

Rest?

Rest from what?

A man can’t truly rest

Until he’s earned it.

A beer never tasted

So good as it does

After I’ve cleaned the garage,

Repaired the roof,

Or

Planted the garden.

Rest has no meaning

Until it is preceded

By the efforts that

Give beer its flavor.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Truth! Cheers to you. 🍻

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Miller time....ahhhhhh

Expand full comment
Sharron Bassano's avatar

Hear! Hear!

Expand full comment
Sue Cauhape's avatar

Rest and Toil

Brenda lifted her feet on the footstool and settled back for a break before tackling the next chore. This system she'd devised was working well. Do a chore, rest, do a chore, rest. After a week, all chores are done and it's time to start the process all over again.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Sounds about right! The chores don’t ever seem to go away, do they? Thanks so much for sharing, Sue.

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Perfect system, Sue!! I use it...only I rest a little more than I work.

Expand full comment
Sue Cauhape's avatar

🤣 That's the general plan anyway. Eventually I'll work it so that it's all rest and no toil.

Expand full comment
Sharron Bassano's avatar

SUNDAY MORNING, MAINE, free verse

The clock is stopped today!

Time's set free from care and toil.

I am blessed with honey-sweet repose.

On a drowsy sea I doze, as content

as a sun-swooned cat who dreams

of flightless birds and rodents fat.

Sea-clouds scrape across the sky.

Above the pine-ragged shore —

a heron’s cry!

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Sounds like a wonderful place to be, Sharron. Beautifully written!

Expand full comment
Sharron Bassano's avatar

Thanks for bringing back the 50s. I love to take part. I love reading everyone’s work.

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Beautiful imagery, Sharron. Your words set a soft scene, and rock me like a sleepy baby...lovely!

Expand full comment
Sharron Bassano's avatar

Thank you.

Expand full comment
Kim Smyth's avatar

Home Sweet Home, creative non-fiction

We didn't really want to do it, but we had no choice. After a five-month trip out, back aching, we came ‘home’ to Kevin’s house and started the long process of unloading what we needed from the bus. That job is done, we could rest.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

It’s always a relief to complete anything of that magnitude!

Expand full comment
Kim Smyth's avatar

You have no idea. Especially when I live in pain. But God was good and I was feeling decent those couple of days we did it.

Expand full comment
Chele's avatar

Bone Bed, fiction.

Standing on a ridge overlooking an ancient riverbed, sweat dripping in his eyes, Captain Paleo called out to his teenage summer dig crew: “104 degrees. Time to hit the shade tent!”

“But we just found a raptor tooth!” Connor protested.

“It’ll be here afterwards. So will you. No fresh carcasses!”

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

What a great title and story, Chele. Digging in that heat is serious toil. It’s nice to see you by the fire! 😀

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Miracle, CNF

A miracle is growing, deep within my belly...one minute, a part of my body, the next minute, a part of the world. She wails, wet, shivering. As they place her on my stomach, we cry. "She's all

girl!" She is healthy. I am in heaven. Our baby! We cry.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

This is so sweet, Sharon. You’ve captured the best moment of any parent’s life. Lovely work!

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Thank you, Justin! I was fortunate enough to give birth to both a healthy girl, and boy. The highlights of our lives, indeed! 💕

Expand full comment
Jill CampbellMason's avatar

AIN'T MUCH LEFT, fiction

Now's the time to count your blessiings. Before the thunderin' and lightnin' burn up the night sky.

Never did know sky could be burnt like that.

Never did know a'swirlin' and a'churnin' sky could reek so much mess.

Specially jest past midnight.

Not me. Not my home.

Ain't much left.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

I like this a lot, Jill. It has such a distinct voice coupled with a haunting atmosphere…what a chilling piece! Also, let’s hope it doesn’t come to this.

Thank you for sharing with us!

Expand full comment
Jill CampbellMason's avatar

I messed up with one word: The sky could BREAK ( not reek)--just shows you how lax I am with proofing! But this is close to true for us in Michigan that night!

And thank you for the great comment.

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

Whirling wind and chill...fire in the sky. Wow, Jill! What a picture!! And I can hear the words, and see the shaking of her head. Nicely written.

Expand full comment
Jill CampbellMason's avatar

Thanks so much Sharon.

50 words are fun to put together. When it’s almost not fiction especially!

Expand full comment
Sharon Hudson's avatar

It’s a fun exercise, Jill! Thank you for reading my piece. I’m going to rename it memoir, as it was definitely a true life experience. 💕

Expand full comment
andrea tackach's avatar

I think this one speaks to all of us. You get through the tough times, you take a breath and you go on. The part where you say the critters are collecting food indicates that they are preparing for their future, planning and getting on with life. Marla pauses to take it all in, and then continues on. I read this one a few times and could feel the peace Marla has found as she gets lost in her book.

Expand full comment
Justin Deming's avatar

Aww, thanks, Andrea. I think that’s what I was trying to get at, the idea of how Marla has found peace. I always appreciate your insight and commentary!

Expand full comment