We rush through
a tinderbox world
with an armload of matches
as the wind picks up
Skies darken
lightning flashes
but no rain falls
Ignorance and Want
follow us
track us
trace our steps
drawing ever closer
Then high above
the vultures begin to circle
and all our bad victories
catch in our throats
These 55 words are woefully late for Joy’s FF55 at Verse Escape.
In Other Words 
No such thing as late, Mary, if it’s between Friday and Sunday. 😉 We are very flexible, especially when the writing is this good. I love the phrase ‘bad victories,’ and I don’t know if you were directly referencing it, but your Ignorance and Want reminded me of the two starving pauper children that are shown to Scrooge in Dickens’ Christmas Carol. How they are always with us. Your opening is spot on as well–thanks so much for playing, Mary and for making even the last day of the weekend kick ass.
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Thank you, Joy. I’m glad you caught Ignorance and Want. I was indeed thinking of Dickens. In fact that’s where I got my title from, as they were under the robe of the ghost of Christmas Present. I hope you weekend was kick ass. What is it about exactly 55 words?
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The last two lines are a poem and story all by the themselves. The concept of “bad victories” will leave me thinking for a while…
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Oh, Magaly, the phrase, “bad victories” is what got me started.
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I completely understand why. 🙂
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Powerful!
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Thank you Aileen!
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