(WP) Writing Prompt: Someone who is pretending to be something or someone

He was so tired of his past. Tired of the explanations, tired of remembering it, all of it was just a burden. Literally carrying the memories around in his mind, it was like a five hundred pound gorilla, not in the room, but squeezed right between his ears. He had dyed his hair and cut it short. He shaved his face clean too. He was wearing contact lenses that made his brown eyes blue. He got up in the dark hours of every morning so he could spend two hours sponging pancake make-up all over his arms to cover the tattoos that were all over them. He had to leave so quickly last time that there was no time for laser removal treatments. And since he only got the damn things to fit in better at the last place, they could not complain. Even as he waited the few minutes for the stage make-up to dry, he checked the mirror for any trace of the old him. The old surgery scars that had changed his brow and nose shapes were almost completely faded. Which was a good thing because he paid that foreign doctor triple what he deserved. You always hear horror stories about surgeries south of the border. Christ, more bad memories! He checked his arms one more time to make sure the make-up was totally dry and that the tattoos were completely covered. As he walked over to his closet, he hoped that maybe this would be the place. In time maybe he could relax and even find peace here. He might even find some time to get these tattoos removed. But he tried not to think thoughts like that because they just weren’t the reality. He stared into the long mirror to see the whole package. He tucked the starched black shirt into the waistband of his pants. There was a light knock on his door. “Be right there”, he replied. The accent still sounded fake to him but it seemed good enough that no one around here questioned it. Maybe this was the place. The door opened a crack and from the dark hallway beyond a woman’s voice said, “The kids are ready for Sunday school breakfast with you, Father.” “I am coming now Sister, thank you.”

Eureka!!!

I have figured out how to share little snippets of my writing and creativity in this blog. I realized that I have books and books full of writing prompts. A writing prompt can be a picture, an object, a sentence or a question, almost anything really, that is used as a spark to jump-start creative writing. You are usually given the prompt, whatever it is, and then you write freely for a certain amount of time. Then in a workshop or class you would share what you wrote and where that prompt took you. It always amazes me how the same prompt can take authors in such different directions. So I will try to pick one prompt daily out of my books and write a little bit on it. I will put the prompt in the title of the post. Feel free to use them to spark your own creativity. I am really starting to like this blogging thing.

Poetic attempt: Old Flame

I remember these feelings, you are like a bright flame.

I try not to stare but your flickering is spell-binding.

The heat I feel when we are close makes me blush everywhere.

I want to reach out my hand and be consumed,

But I know the chances of being badly burned.

Maybe scarred forever again.

I remember these feelings, you are my old flame.

Wondering how I look to your flame?

Am I just as hypnotic or just kindling to burn through?

I’m still blogging

I have been quiet for a bit because of a little pneumonia but fear not I have still been writing. Late night, probably fever deluded, good old pen to paper writing. But I am wondering how to post my stories on here. As I am far from a good poet, my writing is mostly stories, almost always starts for novels. I wouldn’t for a second dream of subjecting people who read my blog to sitting and staring at a computer screen while they read endlessly. My only option seems to be leaving snippets here. But then how do I choose and how do I stop myself from wanting to add just one more thing. These are the worries of a sick blogger, but not to worry because with antibiotics and time I will find a solution I am sure.