The Drabble

22/12/2022

By Heather Sager She had a friend, but she was too depressed or anxiousto see him. She was too twisted up, so she let years of friendshipslide into the gutter. He was her favorite, and she couldn’t reach him. In fact,she thought he hated her, didn’t care about her,though that was not true. Not true at all....

By Heather Sager She had a friend, but she was too depressed or anxiousto see him. She was too twisted up, so she let years of friendshipslide into the gutter. He was her favorite, and she couldn’t…

19/12/2022

By stevieslaw Why not writeabout it, she said with that grin.It was the last friendly dayof the season and we saton a weathered log overlookingthe creek that wouldfreeze by midweek— about the timeher Greyhound would run herback to the city. I come heresometimes for inspiration,though I’m more likely to find…...

By stevieslaw Why not writeabout it, she said with that grin.It was the last friendly dayof the season and we saton a weathered log overlookingthe creek that wouldfreeze by midweek— about the timeh…

17/12/2022

By Thomas O'Connell I’m not sure why, it’s not like I knew him well. When I started dreaming, he was there – sitting across from me at some mall food-court. “What are you doing here,” I asked. “I came to see you.” “Why?” “We’ll figure that out together.” Then he pushed his chair back from the table and left. “Wait,” I called....

By Thomas O’Connell I’m not sure why, it’s not like I knew him well. When I started dreaming, he was there – sitting across from me at some mall food-court. “What are you doing here,” I asked…

13/12/2022

To those curious: Yes, The Drabble has been down for a few days. This a temporary hiatus, we should return to posting daily drabbles once the technical issues have been resolved. Thanks for your patience.

05/12/2022

By J. Iner Souster I can hardly think of a better way to say goodbye.To the sun and the moon, the water and the clouds,I've always wanted to live on a planet where the sky was blue. I can hardly think of a better way to say goodbye.The light of a star. The smell of a blooming fruit tree....

By J. Iner Souster I can hardly think of a better way to say goodbye.To the sun and the moon, the water and the clouds,I’ve always wanted to live on a planet where the sky was blue.I can hard…

04/12/2022

By L. J. Caporuss I cross my arms.Well do you like me?What?Do you like me?Of course I like you.Well I don’t know.He smiles. What do you mean?I mean. I don’t know.You do know.Well. You never say anything.I’m always saying things.About how you feel.I say how I feel.No answer....

By L. J. Caporuss I cross my arms.Well do you like me?What?Do you like me?Of course I like you.Well I don’t know.He smiles. What do you mean?I mean. I don’t know.You do know.Well. You never say any…

30/11/2022

By Ren ElisaBeth A thing sits inside me. It is large and takes up space and when it is there, there is absolutely no room for anything else. Even though I feel the edges of it pressing against my insides and pieces of it get wedged in my throat, the thing itself is hollow. It is simply empty and barren and in that respect we are painfully the same....

By Ren ElisaBeth A thing sits inside me. It is large and takes up space and when it is there, there is absolutely no room for anything else. Even though I feel the edges of it pressing against my i…

29/11/2022

By John Leo Malone We arrived late. That may have been the reason. Or maybe our reputation preceded us. Either way we ended up in Siberia, Room 313, next to the storage area where the cleaning ladies gather at nine in the morning. Adele, the desk clerk, tried to be genial but hit the wrong note. Eventually, we got our keys and lugged our baggage down the corridor, the shadows hulking and ominous....

By John Leo Malone We arrived late. That may have been the reason. Or maybe our reputation preceded us.Either way we ended up in Siberia, Room 313, next to the storage area where the cleaning ladie…

28/11/2022

By Ken Poyner He imagines the flashes of light a signal: a woman with a lantern, her hand in front of it, saying, “Come here, I need assistance,” or “Stay away, this place has dangers.” Quibble has yet to work out if the flashes are Morse code, and, if they are, which are dots, which are dashes. Natalie over his shoulder sights the light, scanning the landscape around it....

By Ken Poyner He imagines the flashes of light a signal: a woman with a lantern, her hand in front of it, saying, “Come here, I need assistance,” or “Stay away, this place has dangers.” Quibble has…

26/11/2022

By Dianne Moritz So you sold your first book. You are thrilled and eagerly spread the news to family and friends. I’ll plan a book party, you think, then quickly send off press releases to the local media. The evening of the event you decorate a table at the bookstore, set out wine, cheese, crackers, and fresh sushi. You wait nervously until a few people trickle in, exactly five....

By Dianne Moritz So you sold your first book. You are thrilled and eagerly spread the news to family and friends. I’ll plan a book party, you think, then quickly send off press releases to the loca…

25/11/2022

By Matt Mordecai I am lucid. This spiral staircase that soars into the clear azure sky? Real enough. Mine will be the most rapid ascent! The most glorious! My pride betrays me. A storm expands from nowhere, gyrates and swoops to envelop me. Winds lash out. Below, the stairs vanish into Stygian chaos, and the land once dreamed evaporates from my memory....

By Matt Mordecai I am lucid. This spiral staircase that soars into the clear azure sky? Real enough.Mine will be the most rapid ascent! The most glorious!My pride betrays me. A storm expands from n…

23/11/2022

By Andrew Atkinson “Hello. Not seen you since that party down Trafalgar Street where I got really drunk and went home with that Mike from the foundry. Good to see you. Have you seen our Barry? He’s home for the hols and was asking about you. Told him you’d split with Wayne. I’ve got a new job at Jenny’s on the High Street....

By Andrew Atkinson “Hello. Not seen you since that party down Trafalgar Street where I got really drunk and went home with that Mike from the foundry. Good to see you. Have you seen our Barry? He’s…

22/11/2022

By Jim Latham Mom always told me not to pick my scabs. I never listened: faint, predictable pain was almost pleasure, was far better than feeling nothing. I miss the coppery taste and gummy mouthfeel of scab chunks peeled from my knees and elbows, miss watching my blood ooze from carefully preserved wounds, mix with summer sweat, and wind down my limbs in quick red rivers....

By Jim Latham Mom always told me not to pick my scabs. I never listened: faint, predictable pain was almost pleasure, was far better than feeling nothing.I miss the coppery taste and gummy mouthfee…

21/11/2022

By Lois Perch Villemaire A bee was looking in my windowwings moving at incredible speedcoming so close to the glasshanging in the air. It moved away and returnedseveral times, watching me staring back.Suddenly I realizedit wasn’t about me at all.The bee was looking at itselfperhaps thinking it’s reflectionwas another bee. That’s the way it is with people who act…...

By Lois Perch Villemaire A bee was looking in my windowwings moving at incredible speedcoming so close to the glasshanging in the air.It moved away and returnedseveral times, watching me staring ba…

20/11/2022

By Jeff Folschinsky Death is imminent, was all the email stated. Nothing in the subject line, and just a series of nonsensical characters that made up the return email address. Janelle looked around the office to see any signs of a snickering co-worker. As in bad taste as it was, she wouldn’t put it past someone to think this was funny....

By Jeff Folschinsky Death is imminent, was all the email stated. Nothing in the subject line, and just a series of nonsensical characters that made up the return email address. Janelle looked aroun…

19/11/2022

By P.M. Souza It’s a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays—a seven-year-old girl was taught by the Church. Then one day it happened. She ate a piece of meat. In the dark of the night, the girl knew, unless she confessed this terrible deed, and ask forgiveness, she was going to hell. Thrown into a pit of fire. Burn for eternity....

By P.M. Souza It’s a mortal sin to eat meat on Fridays—a seven-year-old girl was taught by the Church. Then one day it happened. She ate a piece of meat.In the dark of the night, the girl knew, unl…

18/11/2022

By Mia With family gathered, she recounted her most colorful memory threads, using them to painstakingly stitch the assorted swatches of the very fabric of her life into the precious heirloom. She bled with each prick of her conscience. Sweat beaded on her forehead, tears streamed down her cheeks. All loose ends tied up, she smiled, deeming pearls of wisdom not trampled by pigs worthy of passing on to future generations....

By Mia With family gathered, she recounted her most colorful memory threads, using them to painstakingly stitch the assorted swatches of the very fabric of her life into the precious heirloom. She …

17/11/2022

By Kim Hart Pushing pins into vintage fabricyou rememberbefore,and hear her laughterecho down the stairs.You sew a tiny dressof floral cotton,pink peonies andyellow daisies.A request,"Please MummyDelilah needs somethingpretty for my party."So you thread a needleand stitch,Misty-eyed at memoriesof mud pies and makeup.You lift…...

By Kim Hart Pushing pins into vintage fabricyou rememberbefore,and hear her laughterecho down the stairs.You sew a tiny dressof floral cotton,pink peonies andyellow daisies.A request,”Please …

15/11/2022

By Avril Tan Young, spry, happy,A miracle of life is born.Unbeknownst to the harshness of the world,Ignorant to the cruel and vicious. Rebellious, immature, stressed,Welcome to the precursor of adulthood.Troubled by their looks,Fixated on the materialistic, instead of idyllic. Tired, worn, drained,The corporate rat race is on.Tormented by the thought of dismissal,...

By Avril Tan Young, spry, happy,A miracle of life is born.Unbeknownst to the harshness of the world,Ignorant to the cruel and vicious.Rebellious, immature, stressed,Welcome to the precursor of adul…

12/11/2022

By Karen Southall Watts Both walked with a rocking gait born of carrying too much weight and illness. As they washed and hung a wardrobe of generous and forgiving polyester clothes and flowery bed linens, we chatted. They told me about their approaching anniversary. Fifty-two years. They made light about cost of living, fixed incomes, and fear of falling. The dryers weren’t hot enough....

By Karen Southall Watts Both walked with a rocking gait born of carrying too much weight and illness. As they washed and hung a wardrobe of generous and forgiving polyester clothes and flowery bed …

11/11/2022

By Avril Tan People thought we would last forever,To their credit, they got it partially correct.Even months after the desertion,I’m still exactly where you left me. The pages of the calendar continue to turn,Yet, I still harp over what could have been.The time I spend grieving,Is well past the times we’ve shared. I want to escape from this wretched hole,...

By Avril Tan People thought we would last forever,To their credit, they got it partially correct.Even months after the desertion,I’m still exactly where you left me.The pages of the calendar contin…

10/11/2022

By CJ The Tall Poet Wandering around the planetTrying to find my wayIt may take me a while to understand butEverything will be okayIn the end Wanting atonement or closureDoesn’t matter to meAs long as I regain my composureAnd gain an understanding of what I lackThen everything will be okay Self-doubt consumed me but I’m still here…...

By CJ The Tall Poet Wandering around the planetTrying to find my wayIt may take me a while to understand butEverything will be okayIn the endWanting atonement or closureDoesn’t matter to meAs long …

09/11/2022

By Asha Rajan Shattered dreams at our feet, like confetti on our wedding day. We sign divorce papers on each other’s backs. The pen scratches your signature into my skin and I remember our younger selves, lying naked and happy, the feel of your finger tracing your initials the same way. Memories do that don’t they? They edit out the arguments and silences and forced confessions....

By Asha Rajan Shattered dreams at our feet, like confetti on our wedding day. We sign divorce papers on each other’s backs. The pen scratches your signature into my skin and I remember our younger …

07/11/2022

By galianoalison There’s still dishes to scrub, floors to sweep, and laundry to wash, but at least I’m not hungry anymore. Hansel just eats and cries while I do all the work. Some things don’t change. And who’s to say we wouldn’t be there still, if the witch hadn’t gotten impatient, and thought to make a meal out of me? Nothing builds muscle like housework, and all it took was a quick shove and she’s the one roasting in the oven....

By galianoalison There’s still dishes to scrub, floors to sweep, and laundry to wash, but at least I’m not hungry anymore. Hansel just eats and cries while I do all the work. Some things don’t chan…

06/11/2022

By Lisa H. Owens I could almost feel the rain on my skin. Big bloopy raindrops soaking my dusty hair and quenching a constant deep dark thirst. I stopped the car, turning off the windshield wipers to press parched lips to the droplets as they collected on the glass. It was a tease akin to a desert oasis. Water, so close yet so far away....

By Lisa H. Owens I could almost feel the rain on my skin. Big bloopy raindrops soaking my dusty hair and quenching a constant deep dark thirst. I stopped the car, turning off the windshield wipers …

05/11/2022

By Lynn White “To sleep, perchance to dream”, he said.And I’m hoping for the sweet dreams implied,ready to welcome them to my bedlike the tree welcomes its leaves.But I cannot choose them,cannot control them,cannot prevent themturning to nightmaresthat wake mescreaming and sweatingnight after night.And I cannot choosethe time when the long sleepshall comeand take me to my final bedholding the flowers tightin my boney hand. ––––––––––"I write to let the words escape." – the poet

By Lynn White “To sleep, perchance to dream”, he said.And I’m hoping for the sweet dreams implied,ready to welcome them to my bedlike the tree welcomes its leaves.But I cannot choose them,cannot co…

04/11/2022

By Gip Plaster The problem with Ben’s beard is that the hairs at the bottom grow up toward the rest, forming an uneven ridge across his neck when they get long. He can’t shave a decent neckline because the ridge peaks too high on the left side. He’d have to shave too much. Sometimes he trims his beard short to conceal, but he prefers it long....

By Gip Plaster The problem with Ben’s beard is that the hairs at the bottom grow up toward the rest, forming an uneven ridge across his neck when they get long. He can’t shave a decent neckline bec…

03/11/2022

By Denys Novikov Some words shape your life. Some completely ruin its perfection. But silence is the worst. Regrets are calling me on the phone. A classic heartbreak situation. Words fill everything related to humans: pages, lines and hearts. Feelings carefully sorted into chapters and record albums keep me away from loneliness tonight. Dylan’s "Blood on the Tracks" reminds me of what I'm powered by....

By Denys Novikov Some words shape your life. Some completely ruin its perfection. But silence is the worst. Regrets are calling me on the phone. A classic heartbreak situation. Words fill everythin…

01/11/2022

By Dr. Vaishnavi Pusapati Most come with their workbooks filled in ahead, courtesy of after-school tuitions and parents trying to get them ahead of class. They need me less and less than I had imagined. I learned to read their horrible scribblings like they were scriptures. Shelly asked to visit the nurse. She had high fever. I gave her a hall pass knowing that since my school days, the nurse only gives ice and paracetamol....

By Dr. Vaishnavi Pusapati Most come with their workbooks filled in ahead, courtesy of after-school tuitions and parents trying to get them ahead of class. They need me less and less than I had imag…

31/10/2022

By Scott Hallarn They accept the offer. The real estate agent congratulates the couple and says they can sign the papers tomorrow morning. Thirty-four years in the house with the leaded windows and wraparound veranda, the house they thought they’d never sell. They raised their kids and babysat their grandson here. Backyard barbecues, holiday gatherings, neighborhood socials—they were always held here....

By Scott Hallarn They accept the offer. The real estate agent congratulates the couple and says they can sign the papers tomorrow morning. Thirty-four years in the house with the leaded windows and…

30/10/2022

By Lynn White There is a rumour going aroundas rumours doin this community.It is saidthat a celebration is being plannedby humans.Specificallyby those humans who feed and pet us.It is being saidthat we will be invitedto join them,that we will be a part,an important partof the celebration.So now we are waiting…...

By Lynn White There is a rumour going aroundas rumours doin this community.It is saidthat a celebration is being plannedby humans.Specificallyby those humans who feed and pet us.It is being saidtha…

29/10/2022

By David Henson She goes downfor the last time.The children rushinto the surf,drag her to shore,take turnsat her mouth.When her husband notices,he rushes overfearingshe’ll have no breathleft for him. –––––––––––"I write for the enjoyment and to be creative." – the poet

By David Henson She goes downfor the last time.The children rushinto the surf,drag her to shore,take turnsat her mouth.When her husband notices,he rushes overfearingshe’ll have no breathleft for hi…

28/10/2022

By T.L. Tomljanovic My little brother Jack is muttering “white rabbit” under his breath per my advice, but he keeps choking on the smoke. I regret bringing him. Weekends mean friends, fires, and getting baked in the woods. I’m making out with my boyfriend to a cacophony of laughter and a Spotify playlist when I realize Jack is gone. My boyfriend gets another beer, and I slip off into the bush....

By T.L. Tomljanovic My little brother Jack is muttering “white rabbit” under his breath per my advice, but he keeps choking on the smoke. I regret bringing him. Weekends mean friends, fires, and ge…