Saturday, November 30, 2013

FSF Challenge - Human



Lillie McFerrin Writes
This week's writing challenge from
Five Sentence Fiction
Lillie McFerrin Writes ) is based upon the prompt:

 Human


Shameless
plug
section!
 
The horror anthology,
includes my poem, The Ballad of Drunken Jack.
Available on Amazon for Kindle or in paperback.


Putting some real-life experiences to work here on FSF... 




A Sign Of The Times



Image "Homeless Man" courtesy of Mantas Ruzveltas at www.freedigitalphotos.net


     One after another, they passed by, briefcase in hand, on their way to work in the Emerald City of corporate and government offices that covered blocks of the city center, never giving so much as a glance to what surrounded them along their journey. Bernie knew those people, if not personally, at least in spirit , for he was once one of them, on his way up the ladder to bigger and better things. He held a sign that said, "Please help," but was about toss it in the trash for all the good it did when one man, seemingly no different than a hundred others who had passed, stopped in front of him. Their eyes met as he pulled a couple of dollar bills from his pocket and put them in his cup. There were no words spoken between them, and none were needed, for they both understood so much more than they wanted to know. 



Image "Homeless Man" courtesy of Mantas Ruzveltas FreeDigitalPhotos.net


© 2012-2013 K. R. Smith All rights reserved

6 comments:

  1. I just love how you put these short stories together.

    I'm hoping that this homeless man had the same gesture towards someone else when he was busy climbing that ladder too or maybe he was one of the ones who carried on walking past not having a moment to view their surroundings.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks! I have to believe there is more to the story than just a few dollars in a cup, or else they wouldn't have connected the way they did.

      BTW. I really like your blog name!

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  2. This little action made the difference.

    I was for more time I want to remember one of those climbing up the ladder to bigger and better things. I was fortunate enough to have found that Bernie was in the better side of the bargain. The other man was pushed out of himself by that imponderable forces that drive men's souls, but he will go back to his insensible cloud, and this wonderful moment will pass leaving no traces.

    Your text is wonderful, it gives us the hope we need to keep going despite appearances. I really enjoyed it.

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    Replies
    1. As always, thanks for reading and commenting!

      True, moving "up" for the sake of moving up is a waste. I'd like to think they've both learned something!

      Delete

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