“The Prophecy,” A Flash Fiction/Senryu

  By

I’m combining my Weekly Tanka Tuesday Poetry Challenge, using synonyms for “love and time, with the Carrot Ranch Literary Community August 16, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about a comet. I used the words “continuum” for time, and “benevolence,” for love.

comet-877918_640

The comet streaked across the sky dragging a fiery tail against the inky blackness. Dennitsa shivered in the gathering gloom. Her dreams of late had been infiltrated by the ancestors revealing the prophecy this celestial nomad heralded. Time was running out.

The old ways of healing-magic were in danger. Today, the Byzantine priests had instituted a plan to hunt down and kill the fairy witches, thus performing a cleansing upon the land.

Ripples of magic exploded from the woman’s form silhouetted against the night sky.

Her spirit calls out—

the continuum answers,

benevolence found.

The solution came from above.

***

© 2018 Colleen M. Chesebro

Images: Creative Commons Pixabay.com

Take your timeHugs for stopping by! <3

Follow Me on Social Media...
close

Hello! 👋 Welcome to Word Craft Poetry.
It’s nice to meet you.

Sign up to receive notifications of the #TankaTuesday Poetry Challenges, examples of syllabic poetry, news about my poetry books, and more content in your inbox every day.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

About Colleen Chesebro: WordCraftPoetry

Colleen M. Chesebro is a Michigan Poet who loves crafting syllabic poetry, flash fiction, and creative fiction and nonfiction. Colleen sponsors a weekly syllabic poetry challenge, called #TankaTuesday, on wordcraftpoetry.com where participants learn how to write traditional and current forms of syllabic poetry. A published author, Colleen is also an editor of “Word Weaving, a Word Craft Journal of Syllabic Verse, also found on wordcraftpoetry.com. Colleen’s mission is to bring the craft of writing syllabic poetry to anyone who thinks they can’t be a poet. Recently, she created the Double Ennead, a 99-syllable poetry form for the Carrot Ranch literary community at carrotranch.com. Colleen’s poetry has appeared in various anthologies and journals including “Hedgerow-a journal of small poems,” and “Poetry Treasures1 & 2” a collection of poetry from the poet/author guests of Robbie Cheadle on the “Treasuring Poetry” blog series on “Writing to be Read." Colleen published “Word Craft: Prose & Poetry, The Art of Crafting Syllabic Poetry,” which illustrates how to write various syllabic poetry forms used in her Tanka Tuesday challenges; and a collection of poetry, flash fiction, and short stories called, “Fairies, Myths & Magic: A Summer Celebration,” dedicated to the Summer Solstice. She contributed a short story called “The Changeling,” in the “Ghostly Rites Anthology 2020,” published by Plaisted Publishing House. Find Colleen at Word Craft: Prose & Poetry at wordcraftpoetry.com.
Tagged  , , , , , , , , , .
Bookmark the permalink.

36 Comments

  1. Ritu
    17 Aug 2018 at 11:43 am

    Love it sis 💖

    Reply
  2. Annette Rochelle Aben
    17 Aug 2018 at 1:17 pm

    Every time I read one of your flash fictions, I always see them becoming novels or novellas… <3

    Reply
  5. merrildsmith
    18 Aug 2018 at 6:02 am

    I like the ripples of magic coming off of her. (The continuum makes me think of Star Trek. 🙂 )
    I like your Colleen Cat Clock.

    Reply
  6. celinelingg
    18 Aug 2018 at 11:11 am

    Hugs for sharing this with us!❤

    Reply
  7. robbiesinspiration
    19 Aug 2018 at 4:31 am

    This is excellent, Colleen.

    Reply
  8. D. Wallace Peach
    19 Aug 2018 at 2:12 pm

    I love the mystery and prophesy in this one, Colleen. A bit of danger in there too before the benevolence. Happy Writing!

    Reply

  9. Pingback: Colleen’s #Tanka Tuesday #Poetry Challenge Recap “Love & Time,” No. 97, #SynonymsOnly | Colleen Chesebro ~ The Fairy Whisperer

  10. Miriam Hurdle
    20 Aug 2018 at 12:26 am

    Wow, Colleen. It doesn’t take you long to send the magical ripples off to the galaxy! Lovely!

    Reply
  12. anuragbakhshi
    20 Aug 2018 at 6:30 am

    I hate those Byzantine priests, good that the witches found a celestial solution 🙂

    Reply
  13. Charli Mills
    22 Aug 2018 at 4:29 pm

    Colleen, you weave great magic to combine both tanka and flash. Comets and constellations get us to look in the direction of where answers come from.

    Reply

  14. Pingback: Comet « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  15. Charli Mills
    26 Aug 2018 at 8:32 pm

    That’s when I appreciate constraints for their power as tools! Glad that works for you!

    Reply
  16. noelleg44
    27 Aug 2018 at 7:40 am

    Great job- loved it!

    Reply

Leave a Reply to anuragbakhshi Cancel reply