When I was young, I believed that my dreams would come true eventually if I just believed hard enough. I believed that when I wished on a star that fairies or angels would work to make my wishes come true.
I believed that if I worked hard, I would be accepted into the Magical World of Shiny Happy People that lay beyond the Wall of Despair.
Then my body failed me.
My son and I moved away from the city to a town far from anywhere.
My Big Bright Dreams are dead and gone, but I believed that perhaps a few people would pay a few dollars to read my little stories.
My money is gone.
I had one last chance
to turn defeat to triumph
I failed our last stand
there is nothing behind the wall
except a space where the wind whistles
144 words
Prompts used:
D’Verse Poets: Write a piece of prose incorporating the given verse.
https://dversepoets.com/2020/11/09/of-houses-walls-and-whistling-winds/
The verse is:
“there is nothing behind the wall
except a space where the wind whistles”
from “Drawings By Children” by Lisel Mueller
What I wrote is a non-standard Haibun. For those who don’t know, a Haibun is a piece of prose followed by a Haiku. Mine is non-standard because I placed the two lines above at the end of the Haibun. I originally had them at the beginning of the piece, but I thought they worked better following the Senryu.
If this form goes utterly against the prompt, the hosts of the hop can feel free to remove my link. I won’t take it personally. I’m too damn tired.
What I wrote is not fiction. It is the Reader’s Digest Condensed Soup version of an entirely autobiographical situation. I would not recommend eating too much of this soup. It will give you heartburn and a bellyache.
The November PAD Chapbook Challenge prompt for today was to write an “our blank” poem. The title of the Haibun is “Our Last Stand,” and those words also appear in the Senryu portion following the prose.
https://www.writersdigest.com/write-better-poetry/2020-november-pad-chapbook-challenge-day-9
The word of the day is Triumph, which also appears in the Senryu. I have to say that I feel anything but triumphant in this moment. In fact, I feel like I’m going to hurl.
https://wordofthedaychallenge.wordpress.com/2020/11/09/triumph/
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Sadly I think that many, many more people know/experience your reality that you realise. And more than will admit to its truth.
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