Win Cash Prizes & Get Professional Feedback @ Flash Fiction Magazine
Learn More
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

101 Words

101 Word Short Stories

  • Subscribe
  • About
  • Submissions
  • Volunteer

Park Bench Serenade

February 6, 2024 10 Comments

By L.A. Carson

His posture is hunched as he labors through the park in measured shuffles, the soloist staking claim to the bench for two.

Birds audition in the trees as his gnarled hands rosin the bow. The violin rediscovers its home, just beneath his jaw, supported by his collarbone, the same spot where her head used to rest.

His eyes close. Vibrating strings resonate within him, their quivering melancholy speaking the language of his sorrowful soul, dark timbres assuaging the ache. Notes float on gossamer clouds to their diaphanous destination where she sits smiling. Birds hush as the rivulet slips down his cheek.

Share this:

  • Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Share on Threads (Opens in new window) Threads
  • Share on Bluesky (Opens in new window) Bluesky
  • Share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • More
  • Share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Share on Telegram (Opens in new window) Telegram
  • Share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Share on Nextdoor (Opens in new window) Nextdoor
  • Share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

The Power of Imagery with Nina Schuyler

September 12 & 13 on Zoom
Enrollment closes Thursday, September 3 at 7:00 PM Pacific

If your descriptions are vivid but your stories still feel thin, this workshop is for you.

Join award-winning author Nina Schuyler to learn the difference between description, which tells a reader what things look like, and imagery, which carries plot, character, and meaning at the same time.

In just two days, you'll learn to choose images that hold emotion without naming it, pair them so each one deepens the other, and build patterns that gather meaning as the story moves.

Learn More and Enroll

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rudolph Ferrro says

    February 6, 2024 at 8:05 am

    Poetry in motion. A violin playing the heartstrings of a damsel. Beautiful story, beautiful writing. A sad song of what couldn’t be had.

    Reply
    • LA Carson says

      February 6, 2024 at 2:14 pm

      Thanks for your kind words, Rudolph

      Reply
  2. Rommy Nelson says

    February 6, 2024 at 12:40 pm

    Beautiful story, Lori!

    Reply
    • JD says

      February 6, 2024 at 2:11 pm

      Beautiful, poetic, elegant!!??

      Reply
      • LA Carson says

        February 6, 2024 at 2:16 pm

        Thank you, JD!

        Reply
    • LA Carson says

      February 6, 2024 at 2:14 pm

      Thank you, Rommy!

      Reply
  3. LA Carson says

    February 6, 2024 at 2:17 pm

    Thank you, Rommy!

    Reply
  4. Pat R. says

    February 8, 2024 at 1:35 pm

    Beautifully written! I felt like I was in the park witnessing this.

    Reply
    • LA Carson says

      February 9, 2024 at 5:26 pm

      Thanks for reading Pat, appreciate your comments!

      Reply
  5. Paul L says

    July 19, 2024 at 8:28 pm

    Well, you made an old coot finally join X, just to follow you. Well worth it. Missed your stories. This one is a gem.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search Stories

The end.