I was a reservist in Iraq, where everything inside and out of our barbed wire compound was sand colored, including the hazy air. One morning there was an unfamiliar excited buzz in the conversations. The words flower and yellow were prevalent. I listened for details. During the day I made it to the south side of the compound, where outside the fence, sprouting out of a pile of leftover razor sharp wire was a sorry excuse for vegetation. The weed wasn’t even green, but it had the most beautiful yellow flower on top. Hope growing out of the dust.
(Based on a memoir written by Army Sgt. John Steele, a member of the Rochester, NY, Veteran’s Writing Group.)
In response to Charli Mills July 12, 2018, prompt from Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a broken fence. You can mend it, leave it, or explain its place in a story. Go where the prompt leads.
07/14/2018 at 13:36
Maybe this should be called ‘Flash Historical Fiction.’ Makes one think, doesn’t it?
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07/14/2018 at 15:18
You are correct. Thanks for stopping by.
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07/14/2018 at 20:56
A stark reminder of the environment of war zones, well done Susan.
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07/14/2018 at 22:28
Thank you Michael.
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07/18/2018 at 19:25
Such a shock to see something colorful, beautiful and ephemeral in such a harsh place. You captured this memory well.
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07/18/2018 at 19:31
Thanks Charli. I’ll be using this as an example for Wrangling Words with my Vets group on August 4th.
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07/18/2018 at 22:38
Excellent!
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