tanager | Entries tagged with finished

Face-to-Face

You and I
stood face-to-face
for hours.

You admired the intricate
crinkle of my smile, the sagging
bags below my eyes—lifelike.
I admired your chocolate
irises and the shape of the wind
your hair traced—a pretty picture.

We envied each other
our hollow chests and placid
heads—that you yearned for
nothing.

You felt no pull to move
where you cannot. You, I knew,
could not feel the lack
of your own shape…

and we struck back at the world
that mocked us with statues
to coolly regard our want.

Hello
Warnings: Language

it's so lonely without you

If you were here I would
use you. So I don't blame you, but

if you're not here you're not
anywhere. I want a win-win, even if

I win more. I made you something
you're not, and that was lose-lose even if

you lost more. But elsewhere you have
nothing to lose.

( But I am sorry. )

Faith

I never trusted
your lies, but I trusted
that you meant to do right.

Thank you.
You taught me not to trust
that there is right.

Sky

Look at the sky—
that simple blue is the moon,
Jupiter, nebulae, Polaris, black holes,
the edge of the universe 46 billion light years away
—better yet: imagine it.
Can your head, 6 inches wide,
contain it?

Can the sky, laughing
at 0.07 cubic meters among 3.5×10⁸⁰ cubic meters
and at 79 years among 13.8 billion years,
contain your mind?

Presence

If you could die ten years earlier
and contribute to civilization
such that history immortalizes you,
or live ten extra years
and have your name forgotten,
which would you choose?

Peak

How can you see a tower
and not wonder
what it would be to stand
above all you've known

and fly
or fall?

Notes: Inspired by the prompt "tower" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Beginning of the End

The end is the beginning.
They call it a circle
wrongly—every moment was not
end and beginning,
only now. The last to come was first to go
and the first to come

is gone.
I want to admire bypassed
shards of glass on the beach,
jagged broken parts smoothed into beauty
as the waves lap gently over.
Instead I admire
Turritopsis nutricula, though it's hard

to be admiring now
I know what fear means
and I can't breathe.

Is the end the beginning?

Notes: Inspired by the prompt "death" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Need

I hate that you know
what I need to hear, because
it makes me need you.

Notes: For the prompt "messenger" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Right

I hope these words are the right ones.
They took me hours to write.

That Song

the song's been stuck in you
for days—when you're happy
it's there
even though it's not happy
when you're glum
it's there
even though it's not glum

ups and downs
whispers and cries
lyrics that really aren't
so meaningful

( background music to your life )

Notes: For the prompt "beauty" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Mirror

Mirror-glass splinters
cut the floor.
No one in the room
anymore, but the ghost
of someone here before.

Dust alone stirs,
claiming even the webs,
pushed by winds through
the glassless window
or something else.

There are no spiders
and no blood here, but
hair strands and skin flakes,
unseen. Nothing's left

of what happened before,
but the ghost broke the mirror
to not see itself anymore.

Notes: Inspired by the prompt "question(s)" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Following is how
you build your home

Timeline Building

a great timeline is at the heart
of making Twitter work.
By building a timeline that reflects you
and your interests, you'll see

how quickly Twitter becomes
an invaluable part of
your life.

Notes: This is a found poem. The words are originally from a Twitter email notification that I received, much like this one.

A Pet Rock

You can look at the rock
and call it a pet,

even though it does nothing.
God does not have to live up to prayers.

He does not have to
solve world hunger, war, poverty.

He just has to sit there
and you are content.

Notes: This found poem was published at Verbatim Poetry. Rachel Johnson originally wrote the words in God, The Pet Rock.

Title: Two Weeks
Warnings: Language, mention of sex
Word Count: 100

“Brian’s cheating on you,” her best friend blurts after fidgeting all lunch, trying to drop the bombshell gently.

Oh.

Monica blinks, suppressing a one-shouldered shrug, as Kelly rushes in with disaster relief. “You deserve so much better than that asshole…” She hadn’t known, but she’s not surprised. Brian hasn’t been with her.

Yesterday, she gave them two more weeks, tops. They never fight. Warmth and laughter faded into coexistence, occasional banter, mutually convenient lies.

She was supposed to have a ‘romantic’ dinner with Brian tonight. She will.

She might as well make the most of two weeks of enjoyable sex.

Notes: Inspired by the prompts Crane White #17 (We'll fill our mouths with cinnamon) and Bittersweet #7 (the way things were) at

rainbowfic, "smoke and mirrors" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card, "Nothing" at

fiction_drabbles, this at

daily_prompt, and this image at

stayintheroom.

Title: Check.
Word Count: 100

“But that’s impossible—Your Majesty!”

“So men claim when they lack incentive,” the king refuted. He considered the chessboard, arranged mostly in starting position and in black checkmate. “I have faith in your ability, and I have given you incentive.”

“Please, Your Majesty―”

“I understand.” The king’s tone warmed, but not his eyes. “You want to live. We want Iridia. May we both have what we desire in one year… and Tandor will honor your service with a duchy. You may leave.”

Tandor’s chess master obeyed. Maybe sloshed, he would believe that he could steal a country from a goddess.

Notes: Inspired by the prompts Crane White #6 (America can't say no) and Bittersweet #4 (fond farewell) at

rainbowfic, "discipline" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card, "Puzzle" at

fiction_drabbles, and "It's been a no good, very bad day." at

daily_prompt.

Title: Angel's Demons
Warnings: Violence, implied past child abuse
Word Count: 100

When Lily gets angry, she gets angry.

Everyone knows that Lily is an angel; in her floating, light-colored dresses, she even looks like one. She always says 'please' and 'thank you', she happily gives away the bigger share, and her words brighten anyone as surely and sincerely as her smile.

No one knows that she was expelled twice, the first time for bruising a boy's face and shoving his favorite teddy in his mouth.

Lily represses her demon's stirrings, sick and terrified. But the demon has power—and though she can't remember why, she always feels like she needs it.

Notes: Inspired by the prompts Crane White #15 (A wicked wind will blow your ribbons from your curls) and Bittersweet #2 (memories) at

rainbowfic, "desperate" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card, "Impulsive" at

fiction_drabbles, this at

daily_prompt, and "mirrored" at

dailyprompt.
Portraits: Lily (made)

Title: Exhale
Word Count: 100
Notes: For the prompt "Invitation" at

fiction_drabbles.

“Trust me.”

Seventeen years later, he could still hear…now and again…her mouth at his ear, exhaling the words in a crisp whisper.

He had not.

His eyes flicked to hers. Nothing like understanding passed between them, but he dipped his chin in assent before backing away to be swallowed by the crowd. He found himself straining to catch a last glimpse—of a mole-brown twist of hair, of the ivory buttons on her black sleeve—he told himself that it was as the elk watched the wolf, always, but that was not entirely right.

In any case, she was gone.

Pause

the conversation breaks
for a second
too long and awkward
because we think it so—suddenly

we see each other's eyes.

as painted faces crumble
with the wall our words build,
we scramble to speak.

Notes: For the prompt "diplomacy" and the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

Title: Smile
Warnings: Graphic violence, strong language
Word Count: 407
Notes: Please heed the warnings. This doesn't really have a plot or purpose, other than to capture an impression. Written for the theme "incite" on this bingo card.

“Smile.”

“If I have one goddamned thing left to say, smile. Smile when they smash your nose and crack your head against the wall and shove you down to pound you into the dirt, even if you can’t stay on your feet, smile. When they’re looking down on you to see you looking up at the maggots they are, when they want to drink the tears rolling down your cheeks, don’t look the hell up.

( Smile. They'll beat you )

Title: More
Word Count: 100
Notes: For the prompt "Crisis" at

fiction_drabbles.

He unlocked his front door with thoughts awhirl. The latest victim’s sister had found a store receipt that…

Natalie sat in a chair, waiting, with two bags packed. Blinking, he blurted, “What’s this about?”

She rose deliberately, eyes iced with respect. “John.” A euphemistic slur. “You’re doing important work. I hope you get him. I just can’t be here anymore.”

He raised his hands, placating, pricked with irritation as his deliberations scattered. “Honey, wait. Let’s talk―”

“Now you want to talk?” Bitterness, veiled as she gathered her bags. “Let’s be real.”

“You hate him more than you ever loved me.”

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Tanya

October 2013

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Page Summary

Face-to-Face
Hello
Faith
Sky
Presence
Peak
Beginning of the End
Need
Right
That Song
Mirror
Follow
A Pet Rock
Two Weeks
Check.
Angel's Demons
Exhale
Pause
Smile
More

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Page generated May. 22nd, 2025 09:55 am

yet what they seek could be found

in one single rose, or in a little water

Entries tagged with finished

Face-to-Face

Hello

Faith

Sky

Presence

Peak

Beginning of the End

Need

Right

That Song

Mirror

Follow

A Pet Rock

Two Weeks

Check.

Angel's Demons

Exhale

Pause

Smile

More