Flash Fiction 55

She awoke suddenly to glowing white beckoning her from afar.

She heard whispering.
"Wake up."

Clumsily she got out of bed and sleepily wiped her eyes. Gazing out her window, just above the horizon, was the moon suspended with shadows fleeting and floating in its light.

"Hum a tune. Let's dance."

"Tra, la, la..."

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America's Symbol of Strength and Freedom

Friday June 19, 2009; Fort McDowell Indian Reservation, Arizona, USA

I had so much hope when Barack Obama won the presidency. To me it was as if he was a symbol of our country deciding to clean house and get its priorities in order. Since becoming president he has vowed 3 trillion dollars to fund education. He promised no teacher layoffs. The money supposedly has been distributed to the states. Where is it? My son was laid off from his NYC teaching job. Teaching jobs are frozen in NYC. Let me get this straight - The NYC Fellow program which was designed to take people with college degrees and help them become teachers, as a second chance career to teach urban students, is going to do what now? Train people for a third career to work on a taco line? Our children are our only chance for a strong and free future. I'm confused. Maybe it's me who is disillusioned. Maybe eagles aren't a symbol of anything really. Maybe birds are just stupid.

The Thing With Feathers

"Hope" is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without words
And never stops - at all

And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little Bird
That kept so many warm

I've heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest Sea
Yet, never, in Extremity,
It asked a crumb - of me.

Emily Dickinson

When I read this poem Emily wrote about hope, I believe she is admonishing the person who would abash the hopeful with their feelings of negativity and anger. I think she is saying that negativity and anger destroys hope in ourselves and causes pain for those around us. Hope should be like a bird that flies freely yet perches on your windowsill to deliver the gift of song. It should be allowed to calm and console.

There are those who seemingly disagree:

Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torments of man.
~Friedrich Neitzsche

He who has never hoped can never despair.
~Geroge Bernard Shaw

Where do you stand on the subject of hope. Do you agree with Emily, or do you agree with Neitzsche? If it were an easy question to answer, I wouldn't be asking. I'm undecided.

Happy Cactus Monday

Flash Fiction Friday

She dialed 9-1-1 having enough time to scream, "My ex-husband is going to kill me," before he yanked the cord from the phone jack and wrapped it around her neck. She tried to hold the baby but instinct forced her to let go to save her own neck, as she fought to save her life.

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I'm not trying to be disturbing for no good reason. This is probably a new and troubling thought to a lot of you. But then again, there are many silent sufferers among us. I want to nudge you enough to get you to visit a significant blog that I feel is making a difference in people's lives. It is called "Violence UnSilenced" and it's providing a place where people who have survived sexual and/or physical abuse can go to share their stories. It's also a safe place where people who are suffering can go to get help. It's been nominated for "Most Inspiring Blog" and, frankly, I want it to win. You can vote once per day.

Check it out and if you think it's deserving, you can vote for it by following these instructions:

• The category page is at: http://www.socialluxelounge.com/blogluxe/
• Select the "Most Inspiring Blog" category
• Find Violence UnSilenced in the list
• Click the "Vote" button
• Fill in a name and email address
• Click the SECOND "Vote" button to register your vote.

And, while we are on this disturbing subject, there's something I'm curious about...

Let's have a philosophical discussion about survival instincts versus maternal/paternal instincts. Do I have it wrong in my Flash Fiction 55? Is it the other way around; Are maternal/paternal instincts stronger than survival instincts?