Just Breathe A writing prompt

the words for today's writing prompt come from Sunday's whirligig.

It's a good way to stretch one's creativity, to let yourself imagine how to turn 12 words into a complete story. Sometimes I want to see how short a story can be to feel complete and compelling.

It's fun to read what others do with the words. Quilters do challenges to see what they can make with certain fabrics, it's all the same process. It gets you outside yourself a little.

Today's words are :

ripens, turns, walk, spine, horse, measure, cancer, belts, silver, belongs, empty, pleasure

My story is...

The late summer sun was busy ripening the last of the apples, the colors reminded him of Christmas.

That blush of red against green leaves was comforting.

 He turned the horse's head to walk between two trees, reached out and grabbed an apple as he passed. What pleasure there is in normal daily activity if one takes a moment to note it.

 He had to measure the fence to be repaired today. It was just another task for the farm, and one he didn't mind doing today. It was mindless yet satisfying to do.


The silver color of his stirrups flashed in the morning sun.
This was like meditation he thought.

If he concentrated on just this moment, the way the breeze felt, the way the air smelled, the feeling of his beloved horse's spine supporting them both, he believed he might be able to empty his mind of worries for a moment.

They might have to tighten their belts for a few months, in order to help pay for his Dad's cancer treatments, but that was okay. The doctor said it was treatable, which was a modern miracle. His Dad still had a lot of living to do, and there was much to learn from him yet.


His horse took careful steps along the path which opened up to the sunrise. They were like one being this morning. He stopped thinking and just breathed.

Linking to:
http://sundayswhirligig.blogspot.com/