Senryu Walking lost in thought Not knowing where I’m going Searching for answers Copyright © 2023 Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved
Daily Haiku – Wednesday July 19, 2023
Tag: Walking
Daily Haiku – Fri. Jun 5, 2020
Senryu Walking lonely streets Thinking of you always Wondering what’s next Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing ©
A Walk in the Woods – Flash Fiction
Walk in the Woods
Walking slowly through the woods, Jessica was lost in her thoughts. It had been an emotionally driven weekend and she desperately wanted to shake off the remnants of the past two days.
She stopped suddenly when far away an interrupted cry jerked her out of her reverie. She wondered what it could be. Perhaps someone was hurt or an animal maybe.
Hearing it again she moved quickly towards the sound. She had come off the trail and was venturing into the deep forest. The sound was closer now, and as she pulled back some wayward bushes, she saw it.
There in front of her was a dog tied to a tree. It was clearly distressed
‘Oh, you poor doggie, who did this to you?’ Jessica said tenderly
‘Get away from the bitch. Now!’ he said as he pointed the 12-gauge shotgun at her.
Christine Bolton – Poetry for Healing ©
144 words
Bjorn is hosting at D'Verse Poets this Monday and has
challenged us to write some flash fiction - no more than
144 words. It also has to include this line from
"When far away an interrupted cry"
from Acquainted with the Night by Robert Frost
Word Prompt
Lost
Image by composita from Pixabay
Eyes Wide Open
Eyes Wide Open – Week 2
Here are a few photos taken with my iPhone while out running. I’m making a concerted effort to capture pictures of things I would normally not stop and take in. There is inspiration everywhere in beautiful nature. My intention is to post some photos at the end of each week.
A big thanks again to Cyranny’s Cove and her After Eight Moments for the inspiration to begin this project. She has some great photos so be sure to check them out.
I would love to just sit on one of these very
low hung branches in the shade
What a great oak tree to have in your front yard!
I saw this Blue Heron just paddling in the pond
A beautiful sunset over the Bay
Enjoy your day and keep your eyes wide open!
Christine
Deviate
Trucking along the road
Disregarding life’s load
Taking advantage of the free ride
Letting someone else be the guide
Never to deviate from the course
Using another as the centrifugal force
Having lost all sense of being
You are now merely sightseeing
A shadow of your former self
Resembling an object on a mantle shelf
Used and abused with no voice
You have forgotten that you have a choice
Pave your own way out of that hell
All stigma attached you must dispel
You have the strength to be reborn
Heal the parts of you that are worn
Find yourself once more
Start walking to that door
On the other side is hope
A new life is not beyond your scope
Christine Bolton
Nature’s Gift
The cooling breeze was welcome
An antidote to the sweltering day
Giving way for an enjoyable walk
Along the front of the bay
Pelicans sitting on the pilings
Watching the fish brought from the boats
Patiently waiting for scraps
To guzzle down their throats
Rounding the marina
Observing the luxury on display
A family posing for pictures
On their own special day
Dogs being walked
Children playing on the grass
Couples picnicking on blankets
Champagne drunk from cut glass
Kayaks traversing the water
Paddle boarders staying upright
Sails blocking the low sun
As day prepares for night
Seagulls emphatically cawing
Only they know at whom
Food has probably been espied
A plan of action one assumes
Some dolphins frolic off the shore
Arcing in the water
Flipping the fish they play with
As I continue my saunter
Energy from the water
Is calming to the mind
A day full ups and downs
The stresses left behind
As the sun drops on the horizon
I give thanks for the therapy
A healing balm
Nature provides for free
Christine Bolton
A Shark’s Tooth Tale
The sun was dropping low in the sky as Lisa took her evening walk along the beach. Since she moved to Venice, Florida just two months earlier, this had become her ritual after her long day in the ER at the local hospital. As a nurse her days could be quite stressful and this activity calmed her frazzled brain.
Venice, believe it or not, is known as the Sharks’ Tooth Capital of the World and in her short time there she had already found several on her evening beach walks. Mostly they were tiny teeth, and for those not familiar with them, they could easily be mistaken for little flat black pebbles. But she had seen several larger ones discovered by other beach goers who patiently comb the sand with the special, long handled sieves she had seen for sale in the many souvenir shops close to the beach. The largest tooth she had seen reminded her of an Indian arrowhead she had observed as a child in The Natural History Museum in New York. It was black and triangular and she hated to think of the size of the shark that had once owned it.
On her walk this particular evening she saw the usual crowd gathering on the beach with their Tervis Tumblers of varying cocktails and beers in hand, waiting to toast the sun as it set. This was a nightly event quite common on the west coast of Florida. If you’re lucky you might even see the elusive “Green Flash” as soon as the sun disappears on the horizon. She had yet to witness it but was assured by the reveling beach goers of its existence. Maybe the alcohol had something to do with it she thought with a smile.
As she continued along the shore she noticed a young family setting up a celebration at one of the picnic tables, complete with a birthday cake and candles. Someone was going to be 5! A little further on she saw a small group gathered at the water’s edge peering at something. She wandered over to see what had them so interested. A tall young man was holding something in his hand and the others were staring at it and shooting questions at him. He lifted it high to stop the children pulling at it. Lisa noticed something black and as she got closer she saw the biggest shark’s tooth imaginable. It was as wide as the man’s palm and really quite astonishing.
Someone jokingly said “I hope the tooth fairy has enough money on her tonight. She may have to write you a check!”
Lisa asked the man if she could hold it and he refused. She was a little taken aback as she was hardly going to steal it from him.
“I can’t let you touch it, this is gonna be worth a lot to someone.” he said sharply as he dropped it quickly into some strange contraption on his belt.
Lisa studied him closely. He looked like he had been sleeping on the beach for a month. He had straggly hair and a leathery skin that you would attribute to the outdoor life of a homeless person.
He looked back at her and said, “You can have it for $20”
She was silent for a moment thinking that this guy really needed the money if he’d been sleeping on the beach. He’s probably hungry too. She heard one of the adults in the small crowd say “I’ll give you 10 bucks for it”.
Lisa quickly put her hand in the pocket of her shorts and pulled out the $20 bill she always had there when she walked, just in case of an emergency. She handed it to him and he pulled out the shark’s tooth dropping it in her open hand and then he took off running down the beach.
As the small crowd looked at her with anticipation, she touched the tooth with her other hand and realized immediately it was a plastic souvenir. She could even make out the words, Made in China. It was a hoax.
As the nearby sundowners began to cheer and raise their glasses, Lisa looked up, just in time to see The Green Flash
Christine Bolton
In response to the Three Things Challenge June 18: Shark, Birthday Cake, Tooth Fairy
Word of the Day Challenge: Hoax
One Daily Prompt: Contraption
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