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101 Word Short Stories

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First, the Moon

May 21, 2022 26 Comments

By Susan Morehouse

There are windows in the room, curtainless with wavy glass tucked beneath the sloped ceilings, and cracks between the wide boards that let the moon shine in rivulets across the floor. You lean, naked as a fish, against the wall, doing a handstand to cure hiccups. A leaf sticks to the bottom of your waving foot. I pluck it off and you laugh so hard, the hiccups fall right out of you. We put them, along with the leaf, into the stream of moonlight where they become giant koi, playful as puppies, swimming around the bed, leaping to lick our faces.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Michael Slagle says

    May 21, 2022 at 11:36 am

    Beautifully written, magical, and uplifting!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 23, 2022 at 10:42 am

      Thank you, Michael!

      Reply
    • katherine Soniat says

      August 16, 2022 at 1:30 pm

      So immediate, spare, and beautifully cast!! Just like that old Moon….. Bonnie

      Reply
  2. Chieh says

    May 22, 2022 at 8:30 am

    Love it! The image is really romantic and childlike.

    Reply
  3. Susan says

    May 23, 2022 at 10:44 am

    I’m so glad you love it, Chieh! I’m enjoying your comments on other pieces, too. 🙂

    Reply
  4. Judith van Praag says

    May 23, 2022 at 2:03 pm

    Your imagery brought a smile of wonder to my face, like Dali’s.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 23, 2022 at 2:31 pm

      Judith, thank you!

      Reply
  5. Lisa Rizzo says

    May 23, 2022 at 2:03 pm

    Susan,
    This was just beautiful. Lovely language.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 23, 2022 at 2:31 pm

      Thank you, Lisa. I had fun writing it.

      Reply
  6. Vicky Westacott says

    May 23, 2022 at 4:31 pm

    Beautiful shape-shifting images! Magical!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 23, 2022 at 6:26 pm

      Aww. Hi Vicky. Thank you. It actually felt playful to write (unlike a novel, e.g.)

      Reply
  7. Jeremy says

    May 23, 2022 at 6:47 pm

    Really like it. Also like the 1-3-1 structure – don’t know if intended (assume yes), but the progression and depiction is very entertaining. Great job – thank you!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 23, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      Jeremy, thank you. I love your insight about the structure. I’m always thinking about prose rhythm and sound beats and I can see you do, as well. I’m so glad you liked it.

      Reply
  8. Cherryl Crouch says

    May 24, 2022 at 8:54 am

    This is lovely, Susan. How many people have ever experienced the beauty of wavy windowpanes creating images on the floor?

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 24, 2022 at 6:58 pm

      Thank you, Cherryl –I love looking at the light in houses, and especially old houses. It IS kind of magical. xox

      Reply
  9. becky says

    May 24, 2022 at 6:10 pm

    Oh, my, Susan! The delicacy of the images and the language that enlivens those images is truly magical. Thank you! I love it.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 24, 2022 at 6:59 pm

      Yay — I was hoping for magical. 🙂 Thanks, Becky!

      Reply
  10. Felicia says

    May 25, 2022 at 8:25 am

    Glad I circled back to read this, Susan. It is definitely infused with a healthy dose of whimsy— the SPM special kind! Must admit I was left pondering who proposed the hiccup solution. Xox

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 26, 2022 at 10:02 am

      I confess: I think whimsy is always healthy. Thanks for circling back around, F. xox

      Reply
  11. Nina says

    May 25, 2022 at 9:00 am

    This was beautiful. The imagery magical and wonderous!

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 26, 2022 at 10:03 am

      Thank you, Nina.

      Reply
  12. Karen says

    May 25, 2022 at 7:35 pm

    This is lovely. I just read it aloud to my wife, and the words felt playful and right out loud. Thank you for this.

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 26, 2022 at 10:03 am

      Oh, I’m so glad you read it out loud! Thank you, Karen!

      Reply
  13. Hugh O’Neill says

    May 25, 2022 at 7:51 pm

    Wonderful

    Reply
  14. Hugh O’Neill says

    May 25, 2022 at 7:52 pm

    Wonderful

    Reply
    • Susan says

      May 26, 2022 at 10:04 am

      Thanks, Hugh. 🙂

      Reply

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