Stuck at Prom

            College loomed.

She was determined to attend, and had done everything she could to make that happen. Money was tight, and she’d given up a lot. But she just couldn’t give up her senior prom. And she wouldn’t.

“But we can’t afford a dress, honey,” her dad said.

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ve got it covered.”

2012 Grand Prize Winners
Duck Brand "Stuck at Prom" Scholarship Contest

These kids each won a $5,000 scholarship for their tux and prom dress, which are made entirely of duck tape. They spent 127 hours and used 18 rolls of duck tape.

***

Written for Friday Flash 55, hosted by G-Man at Mr. KnowItAll.

Father Knew Best

She’d hated school from the first day her mother delivered her into the hands of the teachers.

“Give it a chance,” her father advised. “School will ensure your future.”

The day the planes came, she’d been on a school- sponsored trip to the country.  

Turned out papa-san was right. School had ensured she had a future.

(Photo: Kimimasa Mayama—EPA, Time-Lightbox)

***

 Written for Friday Flash 55, 

hosted by the inimitable Mr. KnowItAll.

The Reincarnation of Leonard Birdstein

Photo by Ludovic Péron 

Source: WikiMedia Commons

He’d always believed he’d lived another life before this one. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t remember what it was.

He was pretty sure it had something to do with music, though. How else to explain how moved he was every time he heard the opening notes of West Side Story?

***

Written for Friday Flash 55 hosted by Mr. KnowItAll. Welcome back, G-Man!

Friday Flash 55: New Improved Model

(Image from here)

She’d always wanted to be a mother. Several of her friends had already been blessed with babies, all of them adorable. She was jealous at first, until she heard about sleepless nights and poopy diapers.

The she found the solution. Her baby Lauren was everything she could want: cute, cuddly, clean, and totally fake.

Perfect!

***

Ripped from the headlines for G-Man's Friday Flash 55. 

Lifelike "Reborn Baby Dolls."  It's a new craze, ap-parent-ly. Read about it here, then go check out the prices on eBay. Yikes! But, hey, they're still cheaper than the real thing.

Nighttime Caller

(Phote by Vera Kratochvil at PublicDomainPictures.net)

Three times last night, I thought

I heard your ring, though the phone

was distant and silent. Each time, as

I sought to answer, the ringing ceased.

But in the dread still-dark of dawn,

I answered your call in my dream,

and heard your voice, broken. And in that

moment, the monster that lurked, lunged.

 

***

Written for Friday Flash 55. Got something to say in exactly 55 words? Go tell Mr. KnowItAll.

Boost Your "Curb Appeal"

Going green? Good plan. But, geez, no need to be boring about it. Let me help.You’ll discover a popularity like you've never known before. Complete strangers will wave to you on the street. Pause, and you’ll be surrounded by admirers.
 

Aw. can’t handle quite so much awesomeness? Then check out my less flamboyant brothers.

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Showing off here for Friday Flash Fiction, hosted by a car guy who works for my Big Daddy, G-Man.

The American Dream

Somehow, he never expected life to be so hard.  He really wanted to get the family out of the city and into the fresh country air, but he just couldn’t afford it.  Making a living is so darned tough these days. What’s a guy to do?

Then a friend told him about the deconstruction industry. 

(picture from chain e-mail, source unknown)

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Written for Friday Flash 55, hosted by G-Man here.

Terpsichore's Goodbye

 Image from WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

 

She never realized she was just another puppet in Zeus’ play, dancing when he pulled the strings. 

One day, her heart was too heavy to dance.  But she believed Zeus was her friend and thought he would understand. 

Silly girl. The puppeteer cut her strings, and she crumpled.  When she hit the floor, she knew.

***

Discovering she meant nothing made her sad, but soon she moved on to mad.  And the more she fumed, the stronger she got. 

Anon, a lightness filled her.  She discovered she didn’t need the manipulator’s strings at all.

She tore them from her limbs and danced away, flicking a wave at him as she went.   

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Written for the Tenth Daughter of Memory and Friday Flash 55.

Ma and Pa Plan Saturday's Outing

(My apologies to all my redneck friends.  You know I love you more'n my luggage.  But who could resist?)

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“Aw come on, Ma… It’ll be fun. You’ll see.”

“Them goins-on is just unseemly. I ain’t getting’ out in no field with a bunch of Yankees, all acting like damn fools.”

“But goll-ee, seed spittin’... That’s my best thing. I could take the gold.”

"Seed spittin’? Well, hay-ull, whyn’t you say so? Let’s go, Pa.”

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Writ up for Friday Flash 55 in the hopes that it'll perk up ol' G-Man, who been feelin' puny this week. Hope you're feeling better, G.

Just Desserts?

As Marsha answered the doorbell, that song from West Side Story ran through her mind, “Something's coming, come on in…”

Life with John had been horrible, but she was finally rid of him. Now, Marsha had the feeling that something really exciting was coming. 

The cop at the door said, “Marsha Smith?  You’re under arrest.”

 

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This was written for Mr. Knowitall's Friday Flash 55.  It's a continuation of a story posted last week, Rump Roast, Well Done.

1912 - Anthem of the Promised Land

“Only in America

Dreaming in red, white and blue

Only in America

Where we dream as big as we want to

We all get a chance

Everybody gets to dance

Only in America”

Except maybe…

The un-"equal," the unemployed,

The homeless, the under-fed,

And anyone whose face is

Black, brown, yellow or red.

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This is my entry for Friday Flash 55, hosted by the inimitable Mr. Knowitall,

The Top of the Bottom Line

How can you live without this?

Hey, Gadgetman!

I’ve got your number.

All you need is $6,400

And a licensed plumber.

It’s all automated;

You won’t have to strain.

Bring me your business.

You’ll be entertained.

Give a button a push.

You’re ready to go.

I’ll lift the lid, warm up your tush.

And when the job’s done, I’ll even flush.

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Submitted to G-Man's Friday Flash 55. (tee hee)

The Critic

So what say you, sir, of a muse

who speaks only when someone listens? 

Are her words then suspect,

making you wonder if she says them

just for someone else to hear? 

Is she naught but an actress who

performs only while an audience watches,

hands at the ready to clap? 

Oh, I hope not.

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Written for Friday Flash 55, hosted here by G-Man.

Poseidon Shrugged

It was just before three on Friday afternoon.

People were doing what people do.

Adults worked and children played.

Babies and old folks had a little snooze.

All living their lives in an ordinary way.

It was just another ordinary day,

Until Poseidon shrugged, deep in his watery domain.

Then nothing was ordinary ever again.

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This was written for Friday Flash 55, hosted here by G-Man.

Succinct Verbosity in 55 Words

I used to be able to express myself in few words,

Back before I began trying to “write.”

I got all caught up in voice, tense and tone,

And succinctness faded from sight.

What once I could say in 55 words

Now takes 500 or more, and

My path to “the point"

Is littered with…

********************************

If you can say it in 55 words, go tell G-Man.

Friday Flash 55: The Inklings

C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and others met at the pub,

Lifted a pint or two and discussed what to write.

They handed out drafts of their work to their peers

And talked about edits while having a bite.

Lewis and Tolkien went on to great fame,

And now all of us know them by name.

************************************

The Eagle and Child Pub (known to local insiders as the "Bird and Baby") is in Oxford, England.  It was home to regular meetings of a group of writers who called themselves The Inklings.

And the rest is history.

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This is my offering for G-Man's Friday Flash 55. For more little morsels, pay him a visit.

Friday Flash 55: Simony

Divorce is evil,

But you needn’t despair.

If you made a mistake,

The priest can repair.

You have four kids?

Ah, there’s still a way.

You can still get an annulment

If the price you will pay.

More than one Kennedy did it,

But, beware, it’s not free.

Annulment can be bought.

It’s called simony.

**********************************

I learned a new word today.

I was raised Catholic, and was taught that remarriage after divorce was adultery, because the Church didn’t recognize divorce.  Over the years, I’ve wondered how people could get their marriages annulled after years of being married, especially when they had kids.

Recently, I read of what has been called “the American Catholic Church’s annulment industry.”  There’s even a “how-to” book.

Now I find out there’s a word for it.  Today's “word of the day” is “simony.” 

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This is my offering for Friday Flash 55. If you've got something to say in exactly 55 words, go see The Man (G-Man, that is).