Sunday, December 20, 2015

Lines crease his forehead

                                                                                               Attribution: Rjcastillo
Image Great old Santa (here)

Sunday Whirl's 12 given words:
lines crease fear flood scheme extreme
vicious stream sweet lure fact  spread

Lines crease his forehead
Bringing the shadows darker
Just as rays of the sunset slowly dims
Fear grips and worries flood his head
He cannot fathom the scheme of things
as darkness progresses with darkening light
Extreme provocation becomes vicious
As in a nocturnal environment
As tears stream down his face sweet memories
of yesteryears, the lure of the old
neighborhood tugs at his conscience
It is a fact his mind is in disarray

He has not been home for some decades
But being Santa fills the void.
He is grateful divine hand chose him
to spread the light

(99 words)

For  Charli Mills's Carrot Ranch's Flash Fiction Challenge:
In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about “spreading the light"
Mary's at PU's Poetry Pantry #283
Brenda's Sunday Whirl #230
Posted by at

26 comments:

  1. AnonymousDecember 20, 2015 at 3:30 AM

    A very interesting twist...nicely done.

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  2. Gillena CoxDecember 20, 2015 at 5:02 AM

    well not that's thought provoking!

    ((Sunday Smiles)) to you Hank

    much love...

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  3. Jae RoseDecember 20, 2015 at 5:26 AM

    I think there is great depth here Hank - we can put on an act...present a fcae..but it often doesn't reflect what is happening inside..

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  4. Alex J. CavanaughDecember 20, 2015 at 5:36 AM

    And hopefully his role is enough to fill that void.

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  5. Sanaa RizviDecember 20, 2015 at 5:48 AM

    This is so moving! Excellent write :)

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  6. Sumana RoyDecember 20, 2015 at 6:16 AM

    chosen ones have to tread uneven paths...sigh...

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  7. Pat HattDecember 20, 2015 at 6:34 AM

    Sometimes being chosen can sure make life difficult

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  8. TruedessaDecember 20, 2015 at 7:18 AM

    It sounds like Santa travels a difficult road...at least he is able to spread light...

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  9. scotthastiepoetDecember 20, 2015 at 10:00 AM

    Interesting idea here - really liked the closing idea of not having been home for decades... That was touching and in a seasonal way too... Thank you... with Best Wishes Scott

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  10. Donna@LivingFromHappinessDecember 20, 2015 at 10:03 AM

    Oh I envision Santa gets a bit lonely but oh the rewards of spreading that light!

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  11. brudbergDecember 20, 2015 at 10:54 AM

    I hope that poor Santa could get a little bit of rest... maybe spreading the light would be easier with some modern technology...

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  12. Matthew HenningsenDecember 20, 2015 at 12:13 PM

    I love it when an object is reexamined in a brand new light. It's refreshing. I don't think I'll look at Santa quite the same!

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  13. ZQDecember 20, 2015 at 2:20 PM

    Pretty darn clever piece here, Hank... :-)
    Enjoy the Season with your well earned respect.
    ZQ

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  14. MaryDecember 20, 2015 at 3:31 PM

    Ah, spreading the light is what it is all about at this time of year!
    Peace to you, Hank, at this season of the year.

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  15. Sherry Blue SkyDecember 20, 2015 at 5:40 PM

    This is an intriguing perspective, that Santa is nostalgic behind his Christmas cheer - but gives cheer to others anyway, which likely brings him some comfort and happiness. Very cool.

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  16. Old EggDecember 21, 2015 at 2:15 AM

    Who knows what drives us on? Any job is good so let's hope it will tide him over until next year.

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  17. JulesDecember 21, 2015 at 5:08 AM

    So happy to see you at the Ranch Hank!
    I really enjoyed this tale. So many who are lonely can volunteer and often find respite in the delight of giving of themselves to get healed. And one can also volunteer when they have much joy to share or knowledge or services. Our family has served our community for years as volunteer firefighters. In the US 70 to 80% of all firefighters are volunteers. It is only in the big cities where firefighters draw a pay check.

    I wrote for this prompt here:

    https://julesinflashyfiction.wordpress.com/2015/12/18/endurance-for-carrot-ranch-12-17-f/

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  18. Brother OllieDecember 21, 2015 at 5:20 AM

    Merry Christmas sir. Santa has quite the gig eh?

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  19. nashvillecats2December 22, 2015 at 2:17 AM

    Wonderful ending to a great poem.
    Yvonne.

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  20. brenda wDecember 22, 2015 at 6:27 AM

    I love Santa Claus. Nice work on this piece, Hank. Bravo!

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  21. AmberDecember 22, 2015 at 7:10 AM

    Beautiful closing lines and very well-written!

    mindlovemisery

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  22. Mama PajamaDecember 22, 2015 at 9:47 PM

    interesting...I get the feeling the subject is using his 'being Santa' as a disguise, in some sense - a way to return to a place of longing, yet not be recognized as his true self?

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  23. Blue GrumpsterDecember 23, 2015 at 2:11 AM

    Being Santa fills the void... Great line, Hank.

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  24. SusanDecember 25, 2015 at 6:02 AM

    You remind me of Rilke saying to the young poet "Do not think that he who comforts you has lived without pain"--or words to that effect.

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  25. CharliMillsDecember 28, 2015 at 7:16 PM

    "Being Santa fills the void..." that's such a beautiful expression of spreading the light even when we feel the need for it ourselves. Thank you for joining the Carrot Ranch challenge! May I post your story on the Carrot Ranch Facebook page and in the compilation for the prompt?

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