This flash/poem (if there is such a thing) is dedicated to my friend Charli, who in her grief for the recent loss of her best friend asked us to write a 99 word Flash Fiction about a breathless moment, to write about life.
View from Tower Bridge, London, of the River Thames with The Shard to the left
and the Post Office Tower in the far distance.
Early evening, June 2015
(c) Sherri Matthews
Breathe
“There is no other,” he lied.
My eyes blaze. A question.
“Do I know this to be true?”
There it is, the answer in the swiftness of his downward glance before he attempts to speak.
But I turn from his feigned sorrow to gaze upon the sun-seared final remnants of another lost day.
Mindless grief tumbles like the dark waters below into wrecked acceptance, and I want to scream of his betrayal, to announce it with a herald far above the rumbling skies.
Instead, I walk into the troubled night knowing that in the morning, I shall breathe again.
A View From My Summerhouse 
Well penned, Sherri 🙂
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Thank you very much Sue, I appreciate it 🙂
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😊
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Flash/poem. I like that. Excellent flash. I love that she will breathe again once it’s morning. That she needs that time to walk headfirst into the troubled darkness before she can truly take a “well” breath. This line is stunning: “sun-seared final remnants of another lost day”. Beautiful.
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Thank you so much Sarah. I felt it was more poem than anything else, since I wrote this in the first person – which is how I tend to use expression in a poem – but I’m glad you read it as a piece of fiction, a story told about ‘her’ betrayal and how she walked into her new morning on the other side. Another dawn, another day to breathe 🙂
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Beautiful, Sherri. Well done!
I know you were dying to tell him to “Shut your cake hole.” 🙂 xo
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Thank you so much Jill! Haha..yes, well, nothing like an explosion of ‘Shut your cake hole’ when the need arises 😉 xo
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Such a wonderful way with words you have Sherri. This one gave me shivers as I read it to the end.
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Oh Heather, thank you so much for your moving comment…
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I like the last line, … I shall breathe again.:) Well done, Sherri!
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Thank you so much Amy 🙂
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Very nice writing, Sherri. The accompanying photo is lovely as well.
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Hi Elisa, thank you so much, lovely to see you 🙂
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Well done, Sherri. Especially the line “…in the morning I shall breathe again.” To get through the dark nights, it’s a wonderful reminder. I’m sorry for your friend’s loss.
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Yes, knowing of those times when we have no choice but to face trouble, walk into it with all the courage we can muster and even though we see only darkness at first, we come through the other side to meet the light of our new morning. Thank you so much for your lovely comment Marylin.
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That was brilliant Sherri, and fitted so well to the image 🙂
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Thank you so much Edwina 🙂
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I love this, Sherri, and your beautiful photo too. I just read Charli’s post and the comments. How very sad to lose a dear friend, but how wonderful to be there for her, until the very last breath. xx
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Oh how kind of you Sylvia, thank you so much. Yes, Charli has been through a terribly sad time. I hope she will walk ever closer into her morning as each new day dawns xx
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That photograph is as stunning as the images conjured up by your words – Talent overload Ms Matthews!! xoxo
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Oh goodness, I don’t know what to say Pauline, other than thank you so much… xoxo
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Oh, Sherri, I’ve been there too. You describe the dark place perfectly.
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I am so sorry to know this Melinda. And I am so glad that you are now bathed in the light of your new morning 🙂 Thank you so much for your lovely comment…
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“Bathed in the light of your new morning.” That is so beautifully expressive. Thanks, Sherri
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Bless you Melinda 🙂
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Great piece of writing, Sherri! My hackles rose… and fell! Wonderfully moody photo completes it. 🙂
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Thank you so much Jo…and glad your hackles fell at the end! The photo (taken on the day that we met Damian Lewis last month) inspired me! I was so glad to be able to stop and capture the skyline as we walked across Tower Bridge just as the day grew to a close. Love London 🙂
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Sherri such a beautiful piece. Sorry about your friend. Stunning image by the way.
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Thank you so much Kath…
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Wow, this is a powerful piece, Sherri. Well written for such a short thing! And your photo of London is gorgeous. You know I’m not one for cities, but the light contrast and the Thames glistening… Beautiful.
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This is what was on my heart and so I felt it was more poem than flash fiction, which is a first with a word limit, but the photo inspired! Thank you so much Jenny Jen Jen…have a lovely weekend and I’ll be in touch asap 🙂
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Yes! Good one. Loved the photo too. Was there on Monday, amongst the hoards 😀
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Ahh…yes, those famous hoards! This was taken the evening before we ‘met’ Damian Lewis! Thanks so much Jenny 🙂
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This short poem captures so much and says it so well. I feel for your friend. It’s a sad thing to lose a treasured friend.
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Thank you so much Marlene, and for your kind wishes for Charli…bless you.
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London is looking lovely in the dusk and your wonderfully restrained poem has reminded me of a recent song I heard called “I’m Not The Only One” by Sam Smith.
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I must listen to that song, thank you so much. I am humbled and moved by your lovely words…
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I’m sorry about your friend, but you have constructed a very nice poem with lots of emotional pull. It’s wonderful.
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Thank you so much Renee, this means a great deal to me…
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I’m breathless with tears, that last line is hope eternal. Each day at the hospital when I thought I couldn’t do another night, morning arrived. Thank you for this! Thank you for your encouraging words and big, warm heart! ❤
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Bless you Charli ❤
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Oh, Sherri, the darkness of discovery and betrayal. She knew, but she wished it were not true. Now that she knows she can move on, and breathe again the freshness of a new tomorrow. So beautifully and poetically told.
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Thank you so much Norah for sharing with me what this poem meant to you, this means so much to me…
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Brilliant flash, Sherri. Well crafted and as the others have said, poetic indeed. Such a sad story about betrayal and being stabbed in the back…yet also one about letting go and moving on as tomorrow comes. I think we’ve all been there at some point. Very sorry to hear about your friend and I hope things pick up for her soon, and very nice of you to write her something. I’m sure she appreciates it a lot. You are so kind for doing that 🙂 ❤
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Thank you so much Mabel, I am touched by your comment and in your sharing of how this poem spoke to you. This means a great deal to me. Thank you too for your kind wishes for Charli. She sets the weekly flash fiction challenges which I so enjoy, but this week the tone was different and the photo inspired. Always a pleasure to hear from you… 🙂 ❤
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No worries, Sherri. You do have a way with fiction and narrative writing style – so much emotion in so little words. Looking forward to reading more from you soon. Take care and I hope your writing and book is coming along ❤
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Thank you so much Mabel, the end of the first draft is in sight! You take care too, and catch up again soon 🙂 ❤
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Such beautiful words Sherri, and such a wonderful photo as well. Both your poetry and photography are excellent and I’d admire you for writing a piece of flash poetry which tells such a story. Did I say I had a tear in my eye after reading your wonderful piece of poetry?
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Oh Hugh, I am deeply touched by your lovely words, thank you so much. I’m sorry you had a tear, I hope for the right reasons. Poetry is a deeper form of expression and the photo inspired me to go with the flow. Writing is full of surprises isn’t it?
Changing the subject, and in case I don’t get over to you today (am on the run today, a wedding to attend later and last week was chokka, so once again behind) to let you know that Claire said she will be in on Monday. After that, she will have to check the rota which isn’t up yet to see which days she will definitely be there and will of course let me know! I can’t wait for you to meet her! See you soon Hugh and meanwhile, have a lovely weekend 🙂 xx
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Hi Sherri, yes, the tear was for good reasons. Although I don’t read much poetry, I certainly agree with what you say about it.
I am back in Hove now but ,unfortunately, won’t be able to make it on Monday. I’m in Hove until 11th August, so if we could squeeze in the cup cake shop visit before then, that would be great. However, if Claire is not available to see me before then, then it’s no problem at all. We’ll be back in Hove around August 26th, so I can always do the visit once the schools have gone back 🙂
I look forward to meeting you next Saturday at the Bloggers Bash. 🙂 It’s gearing up to be a splendid day.
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Hi again Hugh, and that’s no problem at all. I’ll see what days off Claire has before August 11th as soon as she gets her rota and we can go from there! But if not then, there is plenty of time later on in the early autumn. Those lemon curd cupcakes will be there waiting for you when you’re ready, any time of the year 🙂 You are busy with your many travels, how lovely!
I’m glad your tear was for good reasons, and I am even more thankful to you for reading my poetry, even though it’s just something I write now and then when the mood takes me but I would never describe myself as a true poet.
I look forward to seeing you too Hugh, so excited!! I’ll be over to your blog if not later this evening, then tomorrow in the morning to catch up 🙂
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I have never heard of flash fiction before – this is beautiful. I think I will give it a try.
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Hello Mary-Anne, thank you so much for your lovely comment. I love writing flash fiction. Charli runs the challenge over at Carrot Ranch every week, 99 words, deadline in by Tuesday at 4pm PST. I am a memoir, creative non-fiction and poetry writer. It is through writing flash that I have gained confidence to explore the world of fiction. It is a wonderful exercise in tight writing. Do give it a try, I look forward to reading your work 🙂
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That’s very powerful Sherri, I love the ‘sun-seared remnants’ and I also love the strength at the end coming from acceptance and the ability to breathe again.
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Thank you so much Andrea, I always feel so encouraged when you find something you particularly enjoy reading, means a lot to me that 🙂
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I am so sorry about Charli’s loss. How painful it must be for her to lose her best friend. 😦 Beautiful poem written by you with healing words. xoxo
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Thank you so much dear Maria… xoxo
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Beautifully written
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Thank you so much Marie…
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Ohh, scary good! You really know how to grab your audience and once again leaves me longing for more!! And yes after grief we do breathe again but we are never the same. My condolences to Charli. xoxoxo ❤
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Thank you so much dear friend for your kind words both for the story and for Charli. And yes, so very true… ❤ xoxoxo
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My condolences as well to your friend, Charlie. I think losing a best friend can be the hardest. You did a lovely job with that story. A woman’s intuition will always tell her the truth even when being lied to. You wrote that like you know that. Hugs to you my friend.
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Thank you so much Marlene, for your kind words for Charli and also for my story. Really appreciate it. I find when writing poems like this (if it can be called a poem, hence my made up version of a flash/poem!) I can get away with making up a story but using an undercurrent of truth. You are so right about women’s intuition. And sadly, betrayal takes many forms. Hugs back to you my friend, have a lovely day 🙂
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