She stumbled through life, nomadic in her search for meaning. Somehow alone when surrounded by others. Even more alone with the one identified by many, as her true love. She finally fled the good life in New York City, to homestead in Montana. Cleared the land, blisters budding on calloused hands. Days passed into nights and nights into days. She savored their rhythm, beginning to understand who she was. Only then did she put pen to paper . . .
. . . Please know, we never could be, even when we were. My voice was too matched to yours. I am not who you heard or saw. I never was. Do not search for me. When far away, an interrupted cry reminds you of that last night, please know that cry, from wherever it comes, is my spirit thanking you, for letting go.
Word Count: 144. Written for dVerse, the virtual pub for poets. Today Bjorn hosts, and begins, a new category of writing for dVerse: Prosery. Prosery is similar to Flash Fiction, but with a dVerse spin! Writers must write a piece of fiction with 144 words or less, that includes a particular line of poetry, provided by the dVerse host. For the inaugural Prosery prompt, Bjorn asks us to include the line “When far away an interruped cry” taken from the poem acquainted with the night by Robert Frost.
lillian the home poet 
Oh I love how you wrote this.. a tender farewell… where the writer couldn’t be tethered, the line you have used so well, dividing it with that comma… excellent.
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Thanks, Bjorn. I always know I’ve “hit it” if I get a positive response from you 🙂 LOVE the addition of Prosery to dVerse!
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That last line made my chest ache. I love budding blisters too. Wonderful imagery throughout.
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Thank you, Carol. So glad you enjoyed!
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I love the way you evoke the feeling of loneliness, Lill, the hard work conveyed through the phrase ‘blisters budding on calloused hands’, and the sadness of the message.
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Thanks, Kim. I do love flash fiction! A fun prompt to work with. Glad you liked this one.
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Ah, this is beautiful. I love the perspective that the one many identified as the true love is actually something preventing growth.
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That does happen, right? I’ve always thought that the challenge of any relationship is staying true to oneself at the same time one is becoming a part of two.
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I like the way you split this up, Lillian, with part of it as a letter to the one left behind.
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Thanks! I always enjoy writing flash fiction! So glad dVerse is starting to include prosery!
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You are welcome and ditto 🙂
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Really lovely. Beautiful work.
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Thank you, Nathan. Your comment is truly appreciated!
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Lillian, this is a wonderful story. Isn’t it strange how you can feel alone with people surrounding you?
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Oh yes…..feeling alone in a crowd of people….or with one other person. Alone doesn’t have to be only one.
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Perfect Flash Fiction; lots of stuff between the lines, letting us pine for more; hyet you gave us just enough. This\ premise works all the way back to “Six Word Stories”. Once you hook the reader, their imagination fills in the gaps.
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Ah ha! Was it Hemingway who wrote the original 6 word short story about the baby shoe?
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Wow, what a heartfelt story. Exceptional story in just 144 words!
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Thank you, Vivian. So very glad you enjoyed this one. I do love writing flash fiction.
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🙂
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Nice ending with a resolution.
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Thanks, Frank!
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Awesome! I love the way you tell the story…
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Thanks, Adda. I’ve always loved flash fiction….fun to add it to our dVerse prompts!
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The lonliness rven among many workes well in countinung the story to letter form. Nice
Happy Monday
Much❤✏❤love
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A beautiful story that reads like the best of prose-poetry. Marvelous!
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Nice use of the assigned line and I like how the last part is penned in a letter! Well done and full of emotion.
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Sometimes the loss is the gain! Love your story of a strong woman taking charge of her life!
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Wonderfulmwrite Lillian, very moving.
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I agree with Frank. This is prose poetry. Very tender.
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Great post 🙂
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Love the ending Lillian which speaks of a deep appreciation for life, starting over and letting go.
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Nice placement of the key line. It fits so well with the mood of your story.
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Yes, you built a whole world around the line, beautifully done!
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Bonds can strangle as well as embrace. (K)
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sometimes we need to be let go…and sometimes we need to be taken in…it is that balance that is the most difficult to find when we find ourselves…bkm
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I love the structure of this. The action followed by the letter. The hope, the strength, and the tenderness all rolled into 144 words. Simply beautiful.
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Beautiful writing!
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A bitter -sweet farewell..i love how it..
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Beautifully told story!
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Such a beautiful use of the prompt to express such a sad goodbye~♥
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