I Hear a Symphony

Today’s Friday Flash Fiction post is my take on the photo prompt provided by Madison Woods. Visit her website    http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/  and find links to other Friday Flash Fiction stories from authors around the globe.

I Hear a Symphony

He extended a cupped hand as I exited the train.

Did he expect a tip?

It was the first time I’d ever been approached by a clean-cut, well dressed man asking for a hand-out?

But who was I to judge? Lots of people are out of work. Even the street musicians are barely getting by.

It was an awkward moment for both of us. The sadness in his eyes reaffirmed my suspicions.

Lowering his eyes, he mumbled something about paying the fiddler.

I slipped a ten into his palm and squeezed his hand.

“Here you go, Maestro. Long live classical.”

 

Superhero

Today’s post is inspired by the weekly photo prompt—provided this week by Susie Lindau. Be sure and visit her web site  http://susielindau.com/ to enjoy her 100 word Flash Friday story. Read the comments and follow the links to other stories ranging from excellent to sublime.

The Adventures of Lard Boy

The main concourse appeared three stories above where he now stood. Droplets of sweat crawled behind his mask and stung his eyes.

Time was running out.

Moments before, his arch enemy, Skinny Craig, had texted a photo of Donut, Lard Boy’s sidekick, bound and dangling above a boiling cauldron of decaffeinated coffee—devoid of cream and sugar.

He strained to catch his breath beneath a sweat-soaked cape.

Where was the elevator?

Visions of poor Donut, bobbing in scalding coffee seared his mind.

He would have to take the stairs.

Ravenous pangs gnawed at his stomach. “Better have a snack first.”

 

Nuts about You

Today’s Friday Flash Fiction post is a tribute to series of cartoon skits known as “Fractured Fairy Tales” and one of my favorite broadcasters, Paul Harvey. I seriously exceeded the 100 word limit, but this story was just dying to be told.

Photo courtesy of Madison Woods   http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/

Nuts about You

Dale was known for his creative ideas. What others saw as common and ordinary, he viewed with possibilities and potential.

He plucked the sprouting acorn from his path and rolled it around in both hands. The tender shoot curved like a beckoning finger, triggering an explosion of ideas.

Ice cream. White oak ice cream—what a wonderful idea!

Aware that his marketing skills were woefully lacking, Dale enlisted his best friend to help push the new flavor. It failed miserably.

Bankruptcy soon followed and they were forced to sell the business to a couple of young entrepreneurs named Ben and . . . somebody.

Undeterred by failure, they opened a dance studio for aspiring young men.

Perhaps you’ve heard of them—Chip & Dales?

And now you know . . . the rest of the story.

Today’s post is a poem I wrote several years ago. It seemed to fit well with the photo prompt, provided by Madison Woods for our weekly 100 word #Flash Friday fun. Be sure and visit her blog  http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/ each Friday to enjoy her story and find links in the comments to other stories ranging from excellent to sublime.

THE INVITATION

-a modern parable-

Outside the wind gently whispers

Darkness falls across the frozen snow

A lonely redbird is softly singing

Fluffing his feathers against the cold

“Come down, come down,” a voice is calling

“You need not be alone.

Take my hand and warm your body.

Touch my heart and feel at home.”

Cautiously, he drew closer

Stopping just beyond her door

She knelt and reached out to him

But the tiny bird had flown

He didn’t know that he had hurt her

She was only trying to be kind

But how was the bird to realize

That the little girl was blind

Guest blogger Rachel Crofton is back. Yesterday, she read Madison Woods’ blog http://madisonwoods.wordpress.com/ and started badgering me to let her post a commentary. Rachel is not a woman of few words, so we had to break it  into two or three pieces.   Enjoy ~ Russell  

Modern Inconveniences – part 1

That loud, off-key, screeching noise you sometimes hear, is me singing the praises of modern science and technology. I’m extremely grateful for all the wonderful appliances, gadgetry, and software aps that have been developed to make my life easier and more comfortable.

They even have artificial intelligence now, which I am told is no match natural born stupidity. It may be in its infancy, but you can be assured scientists will keep working on it until they perfect a version that can write Russell’s blog for him. After all, how much intelligence could that take?

But everything comes with a price—and not just money. What are some of the things we have sacrificed to enjoy the benefits of a “new and better way?” Why are we obsessed with speed? Does faster always mean better?

In today’s society, people are forever in a mad dash from spot to another. If we can shave a few seconds off here and there, then we can cram in more activities, making our lives fuller, thus generating greater happiness, right?

Those of us who have celebrated more than one anniversary of our 39th birthday can remember full-service gas stations. This concept was based on the businessowner’s perception that the customer was “king.” When a car pulled up to the pumps, an attendant would come running out, ask you how much gas you wanted, check under the hood, wash the windshield, put air in the tires, and change the baby’s diaper. The driver left, feeling secure in a safe, well maintained vehicle with a dry baby and a fist full of Green Stamps.

Today’s drivers pull into a convenience store, slam on the brakes, set the stop watch on their iPhone, slide a credit card at the pump, fill the tank, hop back in the car, peel out of the parking lot and check the timer. Anything under four minutes is considered good. Three and a half or less and you’re a superstar.

Upon returning to the highway, our hero becomes stuck in traffic only to move forward one car length at a time. Rather ironic, don’t you think?