What Pegman Saw – An Angel Unawares

“What Pegman saw” is a weekly challenge based on Google Streetview. You can read the rules here. You can find today’s location on this page,  from where you can also get the Inlinkz code. This week’s location is Rhode Island.

An Angel Unawares

“God’s world is beautiful, isn’t it?”

The word ‘God’ would normally make Ralph shy away, but there was something reassuring about the man on the bench next to him. He was at peace and his eyes held the echo of a smile.

“I was thinking,” explained Ralph.

“You study here at Brown University? They’re great thinkers.” He chuckled, then added, “No, really, they are. Eight Nobel prizes and counting, I believe.” He stretched. “Listen to those birds!”

“I have to make up my mind. My girl has another two years study here, and I’ve been offered a Gates scholarship to study in Cambridge.”

“Hmhm?”

“That’s a fast track to leadership.”

“Ah!”

“Well, it brings a lot of prestige! But I guess you wouldn’t know about that.”

“Who would you lead? Where would you lead them?”

The man stood.

“I’ll leave you to it,” he said. “Just remember – your choices matter.”

 

Friday Fictioneers – Creating an Angel

Every week, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (thank you, Rochelle!) hosts a flash fiction challenge, to write a complete story, based on a photoprompt, with a beginning, middle and end, in 100 words or less. Post it on your blog, and include the Photoprompt and Inlinkz on your page. Link your story URL. Then the fun starts as you read other peoples’ stories and comment on them!

PHOTO PROMPT © ROGER BULTOT

Creating an Angel

In her day, giggles had been famous. Now she was ‘merely’ a legend.

Midnight had passed. She packed her tools. Paint – gold, white, amber, olive, black and her trademark Cayman blue. Propellant. Stencils.

Carefully, listening, feeling, she clambered onto the railway. Forty minutes before the train.

Using each stencil in turn, she unerringly sprayed colour beside colour. The tang of solvent stung her nostrils. She imagined the radiant angel taking shape, though her age-blinded eyes couldn’t see it.

She added her tag.

The rails hissed.

There was a rumble.

Timing it to perfection, giggles stepped in front of the train.

Inlinkz – Click here to join in!

Poem – I shall set beauty

This morning I read a beautiful poem by someone I know who suffers from cancer. I was overwhelmed by her courage, and the wonderful images she had conjured up. It inspired me to write the poem below. (Just in case any reader is concerned that I am the subject of the poem – I am not, thank goodness.)

I shall set beauty

Against this thing,

This gnawing thing,

Against this greedy, gnawing thing

That steals my body, steals my ease,

This greedy, gnawing, agonising thing

That steals my light,

I shall set beauty.

 

The beauty of an owl’s flight

In the dark night,

The beauty of a gull that glides

Above the endless tides,

The golden beauty, pure and bright,

Of an angel shining with gentle light,

These will defend me in my fight.

 

And yet the beast grows strong,

It feasts, a glutton,

It swallows all I savour,

It swells, burgeons,

Spawns

As I grow frail

And slowly crumble.

 

What help is beauty as the end draws near?

Even the gold of angel’s wings cannot stop fear,

The gull soars free while I lie helpless here.

 

And yet…

It is enough…