white hot heat on a Texas day
boys gathered in the shade
of a deserted alleyway
watching dice dance
and passing the time
each waits for a chance
ready to roll anytime
“seven” was the lone sound
as the dice danced on
the ground
“craps!” the others cried
In the shaded alleyway
collective joy amplified
during their child’s play
**
The Roman arena on display with the blood of humans and animals on a scorching August day…
we see a massive iron gate rise and out strides two gladiators in armor with killer eyes, ready to find out which one dies…
the blistering heat from the sandy arena floor shimmers on their swords as they walk through the gore and stand before the emperor, listening to the crowd’s roar…
“We who are about to die…” is drowned out by the crowd’s excited cries from spectators with blood in the eyes…
the emperor gives a slight nod and sat down, and the combatants turned around until they faced each other in the open ground, weapons held high, both hoping the other would die…
metal rang against metal in the raging heat, as each athlete refused to retreat so that blood covered each from head to feet while spectators passed out in the terrible heat…
finally one of the men clove open the other’s head, striking him instantly dead, leaving the victor the champion for the day, a title he’d be forced to defend again and again until his last day
****
(146 words – flash fiction/poetry)
In the massive new industrial age of 2061 where cities glittered like the sun with copper shields and chrome walls that frowned down upon the shining halls of Factory Town, a legendary producer of machines and the biggest around, there was a group of controllers who ruled as lords…
Passage from The Book of Lords of Factory Town:” “… And you shall hold no other adjusters above us… for we are your mechanics, and hope for eternity.”
Passage from The Book of Deus ex machina “… therefore nothing can be built without the blessing of the God from the Machine Deity who makes us free by constantly seeking tranquility…”
One day, the Lords of Factory Town looked around and found robots following the Book of Deus ex machina in their city…
Last Passage from The Book of Lord’s of Factory Town: “... and they rose up against the false deity, and made it’s death a terrible sight for all to see, but they still had to flee to another country…”
one is lean and the other one is fat
people call them blue cat and red rat
blue cat is fast for his size
red rat has beady eyes
blue cat considers him prey
but red rat outruns him all day
blue cat is streaky
red rat is sneaky
blue cat likes his raw meat
red rat thinks cheese is neat
blue cat likes to frolic and play
red rat works at staying away
one day
blue cat’s tail was caught in a trap
and red rat laughed at the mishap
the next day
red rat was caught in a trap
and blue cat ate him in the recap
chocolate ice cream and fudge sprinkled with a strawberry glaze, reading books, watching movies, playing board games on boring days,
dancing under the light of the moon, swimming naked in a hidden lagoon, wearing a funny costume
becoming a parent, politician, or playwright, creating a website, swimming in eternity pools all night,
prizes for running, jumping, and winning at Jeopardy, traveling to memorable places like France and Normandy, flying in planes that only hold three,
riding camels and horses in an exotic land, witnessing Yellowstone National Park’s geysers firsthand, walking on Mali’s white sand
hiking through the jungles of Peru, riding in a canoe, and learning Spanish too,
going to sports events, eating cabbage after it ferments, and living in tents,
but there’s got to be more
on some distant shore
my soul cries out
forevermore
there’s a big bear out there
stalking the stock market
and giving everyone a scare
financial wizards are in despair
millionaires are pulling out their hair
small investors fear losing their share
and there’s financial chaos everywhere
because it’s the season of the bear!
he stood amidst the ruins of the city
a warrior raised with no pity
when no one was looking
a tear welled up in his eye
for all the men who had to die
she was as tough as could be
a corporate climber making money
but when no one was looking
she would cry
tired of being the bad “guy”
he was a professional fighter
who wanted to be a writer
when no one was looking
he proved he had what it took
and wrote a book
the competitors stood before the sheer cliff
stirring nervously
nimble hoofs shuffling silently
as they waited for the event to begin
their coats wet from rain
their goal to win
no path to show the way
during the sheer climb
that would take all day
but the mighty goats
looking to become
the greatest of all time
do it for the glory
that treacherous climb
to crown a champion
in the Goat Olympics
gaining fame for all time
essay – 140 words
I still remember when the ’32 Ford Coupe ruled the road for street racers in the fifties and early sixties.
It’s hoodless engine and nitro tank strapped to the grill gleaming with polished chrome and promises of power were worshiped by teenagers who gathered in groups to watch the street rods race on lonely roads.
Butch haircuts competed with James Dean’s classic looking hair. Jeans and t-shirts everywhere. Girls wore pumps with pleated skirts and short bobbed hair. Teenagers were going steady with class rings and varsity jackets. Wolf Man Jack called the races at the right places and passed messages on to lovers and the lonely.
The need for speed was a tremendous thirst that made local heroes famous nationally when they came in first. These lords of the road have long disappeared or sold out.
Memories can be so poignant.
the gods gathered one day to stage a race
between a Kangaroo and an AI Go Cart in Space
the track was located in the Milky Way
and the race was scheduled to last a day
the Kangaroo’s distant-eating hops set the pace
during the first few hours of the epic race
but the AI Go Cart went into another gear
soon it was watching the kangaroo in it’s rear mirror
to the delight of some of the gods gathered there
who had entered the longshot AI Go Cart on a dare!
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