littlesparrow

Sometimes the truth hurts so bad it threatens to bleed...but it must be spoken.

unseemly in Sci-Fi

21 reads

If you should find this, know that I’m not bitter.

-To a friend; to a foe.

Mavia in Poetry & Free Verse

65 reads

Motherland.

To meet the supreme being,

Would completely change my being

If I met this being I’d ask loads of questions about my motherland Africa

Like why are we so rich yet so poor?

So blessed yet so cursed?

So bright yet so dull?

So knowledgeable yet so stupid?

My motherland suffers each day,

Drought, war, floods and disease,

Turn to the north in Egypt and you’ll find political unrest,

Turn to the south in south Africa and you’ll find xenophobia,

Turn to the west in Nigeria and you’ll find a militia group kidnapping school kids on a regular,

Go further north to Tunisia & Morocco and you’ll find most of us trying to escape our blessed land,

Turn to the east you’ll find political violence in Kenya and a dictator in Uganda,

Turn to central Africa in democratic republic of Congo and you’ll find a dictator who has wrecked havoc upon the citizens,

Sudan and south Sudan have never experienced peace in ages.

Africa is marred by corruption, war, famine, disease and poverty. In as much as we ask for help.

Allthe above is just a tip of the iceberg. Corruption remains our biggest cancer. It eats us up slowly. The divide amongst the rich and poor is so vast that its astonishing. Poor infrastructure namely hospitals, roads and school are almost non existent. But still there exists an elite few who are rich and suffer none of these problems.

I feel for my people. Each and every African out there is family to me. I feel pity that we don’t express empathy to people in distress. Cartels are busy stealing and using relief food to make a profit for themselves. I can’t imagine what would make someone stoop so low.

Our vast resources are being depleted as we try to compete with the developed world. Forest cover is disappearing leading to poor rainfall, dry rivers and death of our cherished wild animals. I wonder what we’ll do.

All hope isn’t lost though. I have a dream that Africa will unify to conquer all the problems we face as a continent putting aside all tribal and nationalistic biases.

If you are reading this and you had a plan to come to Africa please do come. Our continent boasts a richness of life that will leave your soul feeling content and connected with your inner self and mother nature.

Thank you for reading viva Africa.

#Africa #Motherland #VivaAfrica

Challenge

It's all about the timing

Write about meeting the perfect person of your dreams...but at the worst possible time.

A Collection of Poems

Chapter 111 of 127

justaperson

it’s al about

it's all about the timing,

from saying a word to giving a kiss,

it's about where and when you do it,

everything must be right,

from when you start talking,

to when you stop,

it is crucial,

down to the last second,

as you throw the ball or pull the trigger,

it cannot be fought,

it cannot argued about,

it's all about the timing

Challenge

Challenge of the Week LXX: Write a historical fiction short story, exploring a counterfactual, something that might have happened but didn't (e.g. "What happened after the U.S. lost the Revolutionary War?"). Winner(s), if any, will be featured on our spotlight, newsletter, and social media, and shared with our publishing contacts (that include Trident Media Group and Simon & Schuster).

Winners determined by the Prose team based on writing skill and creative edge.

Cover image for post Yesterday's Front Page, by dustygrein

dustygrein in Fiction

433 reads

Yesterday’s Front Page

Dateline, Washinton D.C.

In a historic moment, President Lennon and First Lady Yoko, along with Secretary of State M.L. King, met with former President Kennedy and his new wife Marilyn.

The meeting, which took place in Kennedy’s compound, was reportedly to lay the foundation for the President’s new “World Peace Initiative”. Unverified rumors of marijuana legalization reform are in the air, as is music on the compound’s loudspeakers. Reporters have not been allowed inside but the songs from the Beatle’s most recent album, “Abby Hoffman’s Wonderland”, can be heard almost a mile away, and Domino’s trucks have been seen making regular deliveries.

In other news:

* The senator from Cuba has launched legislation to add the state’s symbol to the US flag instead of another star. Opponents say that the Hammer and Sickle would clash with the rainbow stripes pattern adopted just two years ago.

* Upstart technology company Microsoft has folded, citing their inability to compete with Atari/Commodore for market share.

* Stock for the business giant Edsel has split yet again, as its new hybrid model becomes the most popular selling electric car in both the US and China.

* The Cleveland Browns football dynasty continues as they claim their 12th Superbowl.

* Pre-release orders of best-selling novelist Dusty Grein's newest blockbuster have hit 5 million, and his company Rhetaskew Publishing has just bought another new printing firm to help complete the runs of this, his 100th book.

---------

#fiction #amwriting #althistory #prosechallenge

khorsegirl

65 reads

Finding Home

The boy had nothing. No purpose. No knowledge. So, he dedicated his time to finding the source of the voice he had heard. It was all he had. It was all he could do. So, he gave it his full, undivided attention. He wasn't sure what he would do when he found the voice. It depended on what it was. Or who it was, rather. He had trouble imagining another human being in this lonely, desolate place.

As much as he tried to push them to the back of his mind, he couldn't seem to stop contemplating the answers to his ever-growing number of questions. Who was he? How did he get there? Was there someone out there looking for him? Did he have people who cared about him? Would he ever make it back home? Where was home?

He hoped that the voice would help to clear up some of his questions. The boy slipped and fell on the cold, hard rocks which jarred him from his thoughts. Once again paying attention, he fully took in his surroundings for the first time. It was a dreary place. Not one that anyone would ever travel to on purpose. He wondered if the voice was in the same predicament as he. And he was about to find out.

The moaning was growing louder by the second. The boy found himself in front of the large opening to a cave. He didn't know how he had missed it before, but there it was. Feeling a sudden sense of excitement at what seemed to the boy as the beginning of an adventure, he carefully made his first steps inside. He realized that because he remembered nothing of his life, he could be whoever he wanted. He decided he wanted to be brave.

The farther he went into the cave, the more the darkness seemed to be trying to consume him. But he was close. He was sure of it. Then, suddenly, there was a burst of light coming from the far end of the cave. The boy jumped out of its way, pressing his sore back against the wall of the cave. Fire. His curiosity growing, the boy ventured farther still into the cave. He wouldn't allow himself to turn back now.

He heard footsteps moving quickly toward him and pressed his back against the wall again. He wasn't sure he wanted to be seen. The figure came into sight. He was a small man covered from head to toe with shiny metal. For some reason, the boy knew just what he was. A knight.

"Dragon! Dragon!" the knight cried, even though he was unaware there was anyone to hear his cries.

And once he passed, the boy went on. He had never seen a dragon up close as far as he could remember, and the possibility gave him the courage to go on. At last, the boy reached the end of the tunnel. He felt like he had been walking for hours although he had no way of knowing.

The room was filled with treasure. The boy thought of how lucky he was to have one of his first memories consist of something so beautiful. But there was one thing wrong with the picture before him. There was no dragon. Ever since the boy had seen the knight, he had been extra careful about being as quiet as was possible. The effort all seemed to be for nothing now.

He took in all the treasure that he had decided were now his. The boy began pacing around the room, examining pieces that interested him as he went. Then, something in the middle of the room caught his eye. Something that he had overlooked before although he wasn't sure how. There was a body. An old man's body. The boy walked cautiously toward the old man who was face down on the ground. When the boy went to move the man onto his back, he realized the man was still alive.

The man made a loud, horrible moaning noise. The boy had finally found the source of the noise. He had forgotten all about it when he saw the treasure. The man was obviously dying, and the boy couldn't do anything.

After much coughing and many ragged breaths, the old man spoke his last words, and they were directed at the boy. "Finally, someone has come. My time with you will be short, but I know you will be okay. You have been chosen to become the next dragon to protect this place. Good luck," the man said.

And just like that, he was gone.

The boy, confused cried out for the man to not go. He was even more confused now than he had been before. He came into the cave looking for answers, not more questions. He didn't have time to think about this, however, because just moments after the old man died, the boy felt a strange tingling sensation in his hands. He glanced down at them and realized that they were both forming scales and growing at incredible speed. Before long, the boy was a dragon, and everything made sense. He realized that it didn't matter where he had come from. All that mattered was where he was now. He was sure that he was home.