Let's Get This Started

I'm going to start working my way through the book that my friend gave me, titled "642 Things to Write About", starting from the very beginning. (If I don't keep an order, I'll never remember what ones I've done) Some will be poems, some will be prose. Don't expect a whole story, unless it's very short.

What Can Happen In A Second

An idea.

The blink of an eye or two

A frown turned into a smile,

or vice versa.

The flash of a lens

and the snap of a photo.

The choice between yes or no.

The inhaled breath after a long wait.

The thump of a heart,

an electrical shock.

A scream.

But it’s not the second that counts

but the before and the after.

An idea to take life or create it.

When the eyes open again,

or remain shut forever.

When the tear-stained face of a child lights up,

or the hopefully look of a parent is crushed.

When the photo is placed in an album

or in a record.

When the yes is a yes

and the no doesn’t matter.

When the wait is for a loved one

or simply one of desperation.

When the heart beats for the first time

or for the last.

When the shock saves a life

or takes it.

When the scream is of joy

Or cut off after a second.