The seed of a poem lay dormant in my heart.
by Valsa George, from “Winged Words“
Trauma rattles like bingo balls in a metal cage, trapped, praying for caller’s graced hand to reach in and release them in correct alignment.
It’s almost six. Players shuffle in. Most sit horseshoed with their charms and intone luck mantras. Me, I sit with the seed of a poem, lay dormant in my heart, waiting for a win. It’s time for a win.
The parlor fills with cigarette smoke. Tables are cluttered with three-strips, ink daubers, and sugared, caffeinated drinks. Popcorn is free, and its “butter” coats everything, including our hope-lurched bellies.
Jim’s calling tonight. He and I have done a little rolling around. I catch his eye, willing him to pluck them right. He smiles, takes a deep draw on his unfiltered Camel, rests it in the amber glass ashtray cradle, then pulls:
“B-12, B-12…,”
I lose all night. Jim walks me home.
[144 words]
Michelle Beauchamp (Mish) is today’s host of dVerse Prosery. Mish says:
This is your opportunity to write a short piece of prose (not prose poetry, not a poem) that incorporates [the above] given line of poetry. You may break up the line with punctuation or capitalization, add words to the beginning or end of it, but you cannot insert words within the given line itself. Prosery can be flash fiction, non fiction or creative non fiction. It usually reads like a story with a beginning, middle and ending. 144 words is the maximum length for this challenge, not including the title.
Tao Talk 
a great piece of prose Lisa! Well done on it!:-)
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Carol Anne, thanks much 🙂
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LOVE this story! “Popcorn is free, and its “butter” coats everything, including our hope-lurched bellies.” This line made me smile. And Jim seems like a nice guy 🙂
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Lillian, glad you enjoyed the story. Thanks very much for your wonderful comment.
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You really captured the bingo atmosphere, Lisa, using all the senses, I love the play on words in ‘horseshoed with their charms and intone luck mantras’ and the way you’ve slipped in the prompt line. The ending is bitter-sweet.
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Kim, I like the way you read my story, much appreciated ❤
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Wow, this is good. You packed in a story and a half here. I love the vivid descriptions especially that smirk on his face.
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Glad you enjoyed the story, Mish. Thank you.
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You didn’t win, but that walk was a complemintary prize😊
Much💖love
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Thanks much, Gillena ❤
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you really drew me into the setting, but now I feel like I ate too much popcorn reading! 😆🍿 Great writing!
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LOL. You know what the most fun was? Going out to YouTube and watching the antics people play on the poor bingo players.
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I’m sure! 😆
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This one really cracked me up:
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I don’t know why I laughed, but I did! 😅 Those angry faces!
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🙂
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Interesting metaphor.
I especially liked the first paragraph.
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Thanks much, Tzvi 🙂
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This was just so great Lisa.. loved it! ❣️
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Thanks a lot, Cindy. Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
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I so did! 💞
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Very evocative story Li.
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Thanks much, Sadje!
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Your most welcome
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A very creative story, Lisa. I liked the players sitting horseshoed and lucky charmed! At least you had someone to walk you home!
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Thanks, Dwight. I drew from experiences way back, as a young woman, when my uncle convinced me to go to bingo with him. Who is to say Jim isn’t the lucky prize 😉
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Ha ha… I caught that insinuation!
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🙂
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Hi Lisa… Happy (______________) — fill in the blank with whatever you are celebrating this time of year. Nice writing my friend… 👍🏼🙂✌🏼🫶🏼
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It would have to be Happy WarmSunDay. Thank you, Dear Rob ❤
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This is just fantastically perfect, Li – the story, the characterisation, the hint of the past – I don’t know how you managed to pack it all into 144 words. Really skilful. I love it.
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Sarah so pleased it pleases you, thanks 🙂
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Fabulous piece of short fiction. Opens up a myriad of potential threads. Well done.
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Thanks much, Paul 🙂
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You write this vernacular so well. This is one of your best, I think. I especially like the ending.
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Happy you enjoyed the writing, Jane, thank you ❤
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You’re welcome xxx
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I’m afraid I don’t believe in gambling, though I wouldn’t mind winning the lottery! 🙂
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I’m in a lotto club ($2/week) and that’s as far as my gambling goes.
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That sounds like a reasonable risk, though it also can add up over the long term. Hope you win a little something at least every now and then to least get back some of the bucks you bet! 🙂
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Not really 😦 We do win a few bucks here and there but never enough to cover what’s been put in. But! All it takes is one big win…
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Great descriptions, Lisa. You really set the scene and atmosphere–that popcorn!– and I love the ending.
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Thanks much, Merril, glad you enjoyed the story.
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You’re welcome, Lisa!
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