Essence – Trifecta Week 95

Below is my offering for Trifecta’s week 95 challenge word, which is ‘rainbow’. As you will see from the Trifecta blog post, the challenge is to write between 33 and 333 words of fiction, non-fiction, poetry or prose, based on the 3rd definition from the Merriam Webster’s Online Dictionary. This week the 3rd definition of ‘rainbow’ is:

[from the impossibility of reaching the rainbow, at whose foot a pot of gold is said to be buried] : an illusory goal or hope

I hope you enjoy my offering – please check here for the other entries!

*****

– Essence –

“What do you want from life?”

The man replied, almost before the question had finished reverberating around the empty room.

“I just want to be happy! That’s all!”

Silence settled, coating the walls, the floor and the man himself with an almost palpable disapproval.

“Hello? Did you hear me? I said -”

“I heard.”

“So?”

“Are you absolutely certain?”

“Look, I thought you were omnipotent, omniscient, all that crap. So, just sort it out, won’t you? The rest of my life is waiting!”

The Voice sighed. Every time…

“If that is what you wish – and I repeat that you said ‘I just want to be happy’ – then it can be arranged. But if your only experience is happiness, you will be forever denied the richness of life. Do you understand me?”

The man held up his hand, as if to stop The Voice in its tracks. The man’s ears were deaf to all explanations. His mind had been made up long ago.

“I know what I want. Deliver it.”

The final words sealed his fate. The door opened and the man ran from the room, eager to meet his destiny.

The Voice remained silent. There was nothing to say. Removing all causes of negativity from the man’s life would render him happy, but not for long. Once he arrived home to a house with no wife and children to welcome him, a phone with no parents or friends to receive his call… well, his choice had been made.

The Voice knew. Each thing that brings us happiness also brings us pain. Equally, remove all sources of pain and our happiness soon evaporates.

Such is the way of the world.

Such a shame that once the man had made his decision, there was no turning back. He had embarked on a fool’s errand.

The Voice wondered if he himself would ever stop searching for the wise man, his own personal rainbow.

Perhaps The Heart would know.

*****

Trifecta

Possessed – Five Sentence Fiction

It’s time for my latest offering to Lillie McFerrin’s Five Sentence Fiction, a weekly prompt where there is no word limit, just a limit on the number of sentences. Plus, although she provides a word prompt, it is just for direction only – you don’t have to include the word itself in your contribution.

This week, the prompt is  – FLOWERS.

Do let me know what you think of my offering below – and whilst you’re at it, why not take a look at everyone else’s offerings (I’m sure they’ll be fabulous), and even give it a go yourself…

*****

– Possessed –

I stride down the corridors looking neither left nor right; in a lucid moment she has asked for me and I glory in this, holding the knowledge close like a treasured possession.

I suppress a secret smile as I gaze at her, my fingers pressed against the window to her room; my plan has worked, although to render her this helpless I must have overestimated her weight.

The thought pleases me – I like them… delicate.

She is sleeping; her dark lashes heighten the pallor of her cheeks and this thrills me beyond all imagination – I am undone.

Entering her room, I place the two blood red blooms, intertwined like lovers, on the empty chair; she will see them on waking, and understand.

Lillie McFerrin Writes


Jazz Man & Views – dVerse Jazz Poetry

– Jazz Man and Views –

brother believe in your silver-spangled skill-set
stand on the shore, survey the scene
let your guitar sing, reverberate those rhythms
play it again boy, play it with ease

brother believe in your power and your glory
step all aboard, anchors set free
dive into those oceans, manipulate that music
play it all night boy, play with the breeze

brother believe, bring back your tall tales
return to the harbour, head held high
hold fast to the memories, they’ll last you a lifetime
play with your youth boy, play and believe.

*****

This is in honour of my young brother Doug, who sets off today for Barcelona and beyond, playing his guitar and delighting cruise passengers aplenty.  He’s a jazz muso, so this fits perfectly. Dead proud of you little bro, dead proud.

Thank you, dVerse for the timely inspiration. Enjoy many, many more jazz-inspired poems here.