Today’s 33-word Flash Fiction prompt word is > GUTTER
Hope you liked it.
_____________________________________________________________
You are all invited to come up with your own 33-word flash-fiction, using the prompt GUTTER.
Guidelines:
1. Your contribution can be prose or verse.
2. It can have less than 33 words but please do not exceed 33 words.
3. Please include the word ‘gutter’ in the body of your contribution.
You are welcome to contribute more than one version, if you wish. As usual, please post your contribution(s) in the “Comments” below. Contributions close on 12 April.
I shall collate and publish your contributions in a Flash-Fiction Gallery on 16 April with full credit and links to your blogs.
_____________________________________________________________
New here? You might want to click the following related links:
Blog Tips Page – how this started.
Thank you for taking part in the Gallery and here is wishing you a great day.
************************
Tomorrow
A Haiku
************
Hi Eric – I kind of like the challenge of getting it exactly 33 words. But how do you feel about hyphenated words, i.e., red-faced or rose-scented? Do they count as one or two words? I’m hoping they count as one, but if you disagree, let me know and I’ll work on it. I came up with these two contributions. Peace to you. Melissa
Mother was an expert diver. Praised from sky to forest and field, her freefalls fed nations. Red-faced, I find the nearest gutter and slide from rooftops to narrow grassy strips between concrete slabs.
Of the nineteen ways evil spirits travel, the most covert moves involve water. Through a gutter, paved yards, under cars, they disappear, diluted inside outfalls. Later they manifest on skin like old tattoos.
Hello Melissa,
So nice to see you back 🙂
I view hypenated words as one word.
Thank you for these two contributions. Lovely,
Eric
snow kids are melting
laughing, splashing
in gutter creeks—
two wear rubber boots
three sport wet sneakers
their popsicle stick floats
become speed boats
racing to the
sweet sewer
finish line
cascade
cheer
You’ve submitted two which are similar – which one would you prefer to be displayed?
Drip! Drop!
Drip! Drop!
As the tiny droplets of rain
Fell and filling in the slanting gutter
The gutter at the corner of the rooftop
To prevent raindrops from
Staying on the rooftop.
How is it, Eric? 😉
Your usual cutie style 🙂
Is it? 🙂
I don’t know my style.
First time, I just know my style from you.
Thank you, Eric, to let me know my style.
Because I have been wondering what’s my style 🙂
Well, it is only my opinion Yoshiko, and hardly qualifies as “expert opinion” – I know very little about poetry.
It’s alright 🙂
Thank you, Eric 🙂
spring kids have sprung
laughing, splashing
in curb rivers
two in rubber boots
three in wet sneakers
their popsicle stick floats
become speed boats
racing for the
gutter
finish line
cascade
cheer
Thank you for this.
Sorry, had trouble downloading. I like #2 so please remove this one.
No worries 🙂
Thank you for the confirmation and have a good one,
Eric
all outstanding!!
Thank you Willow – yes, they are 🙂
Down in the gutter
I lost my thoughts.
I lost a few dreams there , too.
Down in the gutter
Rats ride on broken bottles
and capture my thoughts
Hello Joyce,
Welcome aboard with this contribution.
All good wishes,
Eric
The stupid boy bowls another
Gutter-ball, his fifth in a row
I, his stupid father
Regret so much-o
Wait, strike that thought…
It’s a dead rubber
This life’s 1000 leagues from
Destitution alley.
Hello Lorem,
Nice bowling alley spin.
Thank you for joining,
Eric
Thank you, for the opportunity. Just thought I’d throw a little curve ball into the mix.
Okay, one more…
Dearest self esteem,
Don’t wallow in the gutter.
Yours truly, Just Jen
Hello Jen,
Would you like to expand on this as with 33 words, there is some potential here —
Or, I can include this in a Random Gallery in the future.
Your call, Eric 🙂
P/s I should have made it clearer in my guidelines. When I said can be less than 33 words, I had in mind pieces that came up to 29/30 and no need to fret about another 3/4 words.
How about 25 words? Tack on this reply haiku.
Dearest Jen Just Jen,
Note taken. Leaving right now.
Forgive me, S. E.
I’m sorry Jen,
Not exactly what I had in mind for the gallery. I should have made clearer my guidelines. My apologies.
You’ve already contributed a nice piece and let’s go with that. Thank you for your understanding.
Peace, Eric
I totally understand. I was thinking of combining the two haikus into a couplet, but then realized I was counting syllables instead of words. I’ll stick to exact 33 next time. Cheers! Jen
Thank you for reposting David – very much appreciate this,
Eric
P/s Like that “signature” image too 🙂
I like your idea of drinking sorrow. A very good image. I decided to do a lighter take on it:
Red leaves choke the gutters, rushing headlong on rainwater to the storm sewer. Ants jump on recklessly and surf, leaping off just before destruction. Nature’s daredevils, right under the feet of oblivious passersby.
Good one David – as usual, you come up with unique POVs.
High five,
Eric
Thank you very much – much appreciate this reposting on your blog. You’re in Italy? That’s nice.
Cheers, Eric 🙂
The Gutter
Rain poured and lightning flashed,
The gutter filled with leaves and trash,
Flotsam and jetsam!
Thank you for your contribution. May I make a suggestion. As it comes in at 15 words and with 18 more words to limit, there is much potential to be wringed. How about adding on:
________________________
Clogged and jammed
Overflowing the alley
Just another upstanding
Neighbourhood
Hidden from main street money
________________________
Perhaps you have better ideas.
Peace, Eric
Interesting, I’d thought of it more as a Haiku…
How’s this:
The Gutter
Rain poured and lightning flashed,
The gutter filled with leaves and trash,
Flotsam and jetsam,
Floating out of the city
Nature’s own way of showing her pity
For her wayward children’s dishevelment.
Thanks – done 🙂
Oh…and thanks! That was fun!
You’re very welcome 🙂
My first attempt at 33 word flash fiction.
Spent shell casings littered the gutter, each marked with what looked like miniature yellow sandwich boards. But, the bold numbers in double digits didn’t advertise a good deal. Only a deal gone bad.
Welcome aboard and thank you for your contribution, ‘Jen’ or is it ‘Just’ – help me out here.
I was reading your blog earlier and ticked to receive your updates.
This is a good first attempt – as you probably gathered, nothing to it 🙂
Cheers, Eric
Thanks! I’m always up for a challenge and 33 word flash fiction is a great. I look forward to doing more.
The Jen Just Jen comes from folks wanting to call me Jennifer, Jenny, Jane, Jim, Jay or any other J name aside from Jen. So my basic response would be, ‘It’s Jen, just Jen.’
LOL, okay just got it Jen 🙂
Wow not only you came up with one of the most interesting and thickest topic..you wrote a lovely. Piece too….
Ok here is mine-
“Ratty I don’t give a rats ass who is in the gutter, said Purr stretching on the couch. “what interests me is what and how went down and what and how came out.”
Hello Soma dear,
I was on-line when your contribution came through. And what a laugh – so in keeping with your Blogsville persona 🙂
Luv and hugz,
Eric
Leaving my thoughts of yesterday clear
I am on the green, the tenth hole, with my putter
Trash talking cashiers I will not dare to hear.
Of the Wal-Mart incident and the gutter.
Very contemporary – good one.
Greg is it?
Good one! My old roommate used to repeat the Oscar Wilde quote, “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking up at the stars.”
Quite similar to “I am so low down, heck, every step I take will only bring me a step higher” – I probably heard something similar somewhere.
You’ve dealt with one of the major problems in the world today. Binge drinking from youth up and the sorry life of those who are unable to escape as they grow more mature.
Yes, addiction is terrible. It is prevalent here in Singapore too – and media actually stokes the life style with some of their features.
Exotic
Scaly of skin and long of tail.
A strange and exotic creature for sale.
Home it goes to covet and show.
Then the creature starts to grow
And to the gutter it goes.
Hello Jessica 🙂
So very lovely to see you return with another contribution.
And what a message you wrapped in this one – a story worth telling. Many people buy pets for frivolous reasons and discard them when the novelty wears out – or the ‘pet’ simply gets to be too much to handle. Such irresponsibility!
— Eric —
Thank you :). And I quite agree, if you’re going to buy an exotic pet, and I don’t recommend it for the vast majority of people, make sure you’re quite willing to make that kind of commitment. Dogs are exceptionally easy to care for and people struggle with that. Exotics are much, much harder.
One day I was doing mighty works. The next I was in the gutter.
One day I was in the gutter. The next I was doing mighty works.
Proud, humbled, lifted up.
Ah, welcome back.
What an inspirational piece – thank you for joining, Eric
definitely good to be back
She noticed the candle would soon gutter as she knelt before it. Tomorrow she would need to remember to replace it before she felt her soul catch fire from its burning wick.
Hello Mia,
and what a wow! You came through in about half an hour after I posted this prompt. Stupendous!
Love this, Eric