Apr 2, 2016 Friday Fictioneers
Word Count: 100 words of text, exactly
Genre: Grimly-Realistic fiction
Chance
©April 2nd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
Aparna stood, transfixed. Beside her stood Ajay, her husband. Together, they gazed out on the city.
The city was everything she had imagined. The morning sky was clear and blue. The streets teemed with life. Somewhere within, however, she felt a tremor, a tectonic shift.
Shivering, Aparna said, “I’d like to go down, now.”
“Why?” said Ajay, who didn’t like changing plans midway.
“Please,” she said, her hand tightening on his.
He knew her too well to argue. They made their way to the elevator.
Just as they reached the street, the building collapsed.
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Not entirely satisfied with my last story, I tried again. Thanks to our Fairy Blog-Mother, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting Friday Fictioneers with patience and grace every week, and to Marie Gail Stratford for the photo-prompt this week.
Tags: #Original 100-word Flash Fiction based on a photo-prompt, #RealisticFiction
Apr 2, 2016 NaPoWriMo
My Family – A Non-Portrait
©April 2nd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
I do not really like to paint
My family’s pictures, thus to taint
With wordy portraits all that’s vast
And complex, which I hope will last.
Suffice to say that we are three
And thus, we form a Trinity
Of an earthly kind, it’s true
Of husband, child, and me; a glue
Of loving holds us all, so strong
With books and singing all day long
And walks in woods with dog in tow
With love for life and earth, we glow.
And for them both, this much I say.
I’m deeply grateful, every day.
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The (always optional, not compulsory) prompt for today’s NaPoWriMo poem was: Writing a poetic family portrait.
Tags: #FamilyPortrait, #Original Poem
Apr 2, 2016 Original Poetry, The Daily Post
In response to The Daily Post’s Daily Prompt for March 30th, 2016: Voice
Your Voice
©April 2nd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
It is your voice that spells out
Home and shelter, and love,
And quiet certainty.
A conduit of beauty and song,
A channel of kindness, your voice
Allows things to flow.
I shall carry your voice
Like a cup of clear water
In the desert, when the desert comes,
Or a glowing flame in the night,
When darkness descends.
I shall hold it near my ear,
To hear better
Cup it near my eyes,
To see better
Pour it into a palm, and
Drink deep of its assurance.
I have need of it.
Thank you.
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Tags: #Daily Prompt, #Original Poetry by Vijaya Sundaram, #TheDailyPost
Apr 2, 2016 Friday Fictioneers, Original Short Story
Word Count: 100 words of text, exactly
Genre: Mythological fiction
Resurgam, OR, Babylon Revisited
©April 2nd, 2016
By Vijaya Sundaram
“This one’s mine,” said Tammuz.
“You can’t take over this one, Tums,” said Ishtar. “You’re too gloomy. That city is MINE. I’ll call it the City of Love.”
Marduk, on her left, laughed at her with his sky-blue eyes, and spoke in many tongues:
“You may be beautiful and powerful, darling Ishtar, but that city was ALWAYS mine. See that shadow tower rising up? That was built for me in Babylon. Confusion reigns here; the sky’s the limit.
I, Marduk, the sky-god, rise again – and Babylon rises with me.”
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Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields, whom I have dubbed our Fairy Blog-Mother for her devotion to Friday Fictioneers, an online pow-wow which she hosts counter-intuitively on Wednesdays, just to befuddle those of us who like time-tables and such. All of us are addicted to writing flash fiction, and to her kind and generous feedback. This week’s photo-prompt is by Marie Gail Stratford. Thank you, Marie!
Tags: #Babylonian gods, #Babylonian mythology, #Urban landscapes, yl