September 2020 – Leigha Robbins

On Time

Photo by thevibrantmachine on Pexels.com

“You need to get into the other lane and turn left up here,” she told the driver. He kept going straight. “Where are you going? You missed the turn.”

The driver took a deep breathe and started to say, “There is less tr…”

“Now we are going to be late if you are taking this long route. You shouldn’t have deviated from the directions I gave you.”

The driver inwardly rolled his eyes and just said, “Yes, ma’am. But I will have you there in plenty of time.”

“You better or there will be no tip for you young man!”

(100 words)

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – deviate

Suddenly Alone

She had her head down

Slowly shuffling along the sidewalk

She had no idea where she was going

Only that she had to get away

Away from the memories that haunt her

She briefly looked up at the street

You could see the doleful look in her eyes

She crossed the street in the same slow shuffle

And sat at the bench on the sidewalk

With a deep sigh she fought back tears

She was beyond consoling over his death

He had been her world for fifteen years

Now in a reckless moment he was gone

She felt she would forever mourn

She sat there for hours

Alone

Until the chill of the night made her shiver

Or was it him

Showing he would always be

With her

Written for Fandango’s One Word Challenge (FOWC) – doleful

Mumbles … Inexorable

In-ex-o-ab-le

Adjective – unable to stop or prevent

This is so my life right now. All the way from my place in the world, the nation and right here at home I am unable to stop this merry-go-round life.

Of course, I have concerns about Covid. I have asthma so I “qualify” as one of those high-risk people (hurray for me). My boyfriend is a front-line worker as a cashier, so he has lots of contact with the public, while also being a high-risk winner with both diabetes and high blood pressure (go team!). The state of Iowa has been called a hot spot with new cases ranging from the 600 to 1000 area each day. One of the biggest concerns I have is my daughter and her fiancé have a January wedding planned… where will the numbers be then? Will they be able to have a big wedding? These questions ring out every night when I watch the news and see outbreaks everywhere.

Things have not been good nationally for quite some time. I am not one to talk a lot about politics but where the country is right now is downright scary. We are so divided and unable to have any sense of calm expressed by our current leader. With the replacement of Ruth Bader Ginsburg being shoved down our throats I fear for the future. And elections always frustrate me. Just ONCE I would like to see a candidate step up on a platform of their own beliefs and qualifications instead of running down what their opponent did or didn’t do so far. So, I get to the point where I mute the TV ads and try to find the real facts somewhere.

Closer to home the doctor has prescribed a change in my medications that is causing a great deal of fatigue. She added one med, took one out and increased the dose of an “as needed” one to a twice a day occurrence. I take my night-time meds and you can almost bet that twelve hours later I will either still be asleep or will be fighting a great deal of fogginess and a lingering medicated haze. And now that I have been on this regiment for a month anyway my doctor offers this advice, “your body will adjust to it eventually and it will work.” Which translates in my head to “You’re on your own sister, just live with it.”

While I don’t think I have ever used the word inexorable in my daily life, I sure do feel its presence.

(A note before I leave… the medication switch is a big reason I have fallen back in my reading and writing for prompts. I WILL someday be caught up again. And I will read all you have written I just may not have time to leave a lot of comments. Thanks for your understanding!)

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – inexorable

Spare Some Change

Centuries of abuse

Leave our planet in peril

I wish I could do more to save it

My car stays in the driveway a lot

And we recycle what we can

Tomorrow must be saved with today’s actions

Everyone must work to stop climate change

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – climate

Between Wrong and Right

What happened to our friendship?

When did we become separated?

We used to be there for each other

And always up for chance to get together.

It has been a year since I heard from you.

I sent an email asking how you were

But I never got a response.

I have reread that email time and again,

Thinking I may have said or done something

Wrong.

If only you would give me a chance,

A moment to sit down and talk,

We could reconcile this friendship.

It has lasted about 18 years,

Through both tears and laughter.

I hate to see it blown away

Like a pile of leaves on a fall day.

I care about you.

You care about me

Right?

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – reconcile

Inward I Fear

Introspective… a look inside myself

It should be good to reflect

On what I am all about

But instead my depression

Leaves me feeling negative

And finding all my faults

The demons all come out

Taunting me to find

One shred of someone decent

Others would like to know

But often I come up empty

And I still sit alone

Believing I’m not worth it

Not worth anything at all

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – introspective

Summer Storm

The sky had turned a greenish grey

Rain poured down sideways

Driven by the howling winds

As the lightening flashed all around

Thunder added to the incessant din

The summer storm was full force

As the hail began to bounce on the pavement

Trees cracked as branches fell

Sparks flew as power lines snapped

And my fear began to rise

I paced

I held a flashlight

I turned up the radio for news

Then just when I thought I would explode in fear

I realized the hail had stopped

The rain was lighter

The winds had diministed

And the thunder distant

The storm was over

And I stepped outside

To look for the rainbow

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – incessant and din

Only One

We met last summer

On a quiet sunny day

You were walking at the park

You didn’t have too much to say

We had friends who introduced us

You were shy and only smiled

But even still I could tell

You beat the others by a mile

We started seeing each other

We’d meet both nighttime and the day

Our love was quickly growing

There wasn’t anything in our way

Then I decided to ask the question

If you’d be with me for all time

You smiled and simply said ok

That you forever would be mine

The only one I want

The only one I need

The only one I love

You’d better believe

The only one I touch

The only one I see

The only one I crave

Take it from me

We wed in the summer

On a quiet sunny day

The ceremony at the park

It’s when I heard you say

You thanked the friends who introduced us

Said you were happy and you smiled

Looked me in the eyes and said

I beat the others by a mile

The only one I want

The only one I need

The only one I love

You’d better believe

The only one I touch

The only one I see

The only one I crave

Take it from me

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – only

Never Another

Friends tell me

I will find another

Family worries

I spend too much time alone

They all say

There is life to be lived

But I feel so alone

No one understood me like you

You were my best friend

My one love one you

There is no way

I can ever replace you in my heart

So they will just drone on

And I will pretend to listen

But never will I love again

Like I loved you

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – replace

Mumbles … Television

The prompt I am writing for is a week old… OMG, how did I get so far behind!? Please forgive me. This new medicine routine I am on is really kicking my but. Plus I have added pool therapy twice a week I need to make time for. If I could just have a couple of good days I think I could get caught up, but naps keep sneaking up on me and my boyfriend is on a leave of absence for a month and so I am spending more time with him which means less writing time. Speaking of writing… let’s talk television.

I grew up in the era of a tv in every room. Ok it wasn’t to that excess, but the living room had one, a small portable in the kitchen, (why I don’t know but,) a small one in the bathroom and then of course one in the bedroom. Although growing up my sister and I shared one and it was never on at bedtime.

By the late 70’s the television became a toy too… the Atari 2600 game system and space invaders and pac man hit our house. My dad even designed holders for the joysticks so you could have a more arcade like experience… and it was easier to get a high score.

The 80’s came with cable television and many more choices. Then I grew up and work and family life took a lot of my tv viewing away. There just wasn’t time for it. We more often would use the set for VHS and DVD viewing.

Now the news is just depressing. There aren’t many good shows on anymore. I sit here today taking advantage, as I often do, of the music channels my cable company offers. Listening to a little adult alternative today while I write. And the music leaves me less distracted for reading prompts too, which is what I should go do to try to catch up some more. Do you have a favorite television show or channel?

Written for Fandango’s One-Word Challenge (FOWC) – television

	Sadje on Take Aim
	leigha66 on Take Aim
	Sadje on Take Aim
	Sadje on Mumbles … Fanatic
	leigha66 on Mumbles … Fanatic