Category Archive:trifecta

It might as well have been a scarlet letter
Branded on her forehead for all to see

If it were the colonial days it would have been
And she would have borne it in grief

Scarlet letters for hussies, for
Sellers of bodies at night

Scarlet letters for the ones who took
Another’s husband – sent him home fulfilled

Scarlet letters cause shame and regret
But for only one of the guilty parties

It’s not a scarlet letter she wears
In this day and age but it burns even still

It’s in the way she lowers her head
In shame when his wife befriends her

It’s in the way she goes about alone
And gives up all her joys for him

It’s in the way she waits for calls
That don’t come often enough

She says it doesn’t matter but
She doesn’t believe it in her heart

It might as well be a scarlet letter
This love she feels for your husband

The love she carries within her womb
The love you cannot share

She thinks she will name his daughter Scarlett
and Scarlett will be loved – never ashamed
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written for Trifecta – Week 5 challenge. Write from 33 to 333 words using the THIRD definition of the word challenge. This week was SHAME – used as a verb. This piece may or may not qualify, but it is what came out as I sat to type.

If you simply MUST flirt with danger, Rod, won’t you at least wear a helmet?

It was part of Rod’s aging mother’s mantra: wear a helmet – get a job – marry that girl – don’t marry that girl – buy a house – live on my street – for land’s sake, GET A JOB!!!

Every time Rod visited his mother it was the same thing. Five minutes of joy at seeing each other again followed by hours (at least as many hours as he stayed there) of relentless nagging.

I know, Mom. Yes, Mom. For God’s sake, Mom!

Rod generally took it until he could take it no more. It sometimes only lasted an hour before he was high tailing it back out the door and kicking his bike into gear.

Today he’d hoped it would be a more pleasant visit. He had news for his mother and it would be good if she could accept it for what it was – GOOD news.

Mom, listen. Sit down here next to me. I want to tell you something. Please just listen so I can get it all out. Listen before you start in on me.

Okay, Sonny, go ahead I’m all ears.

It’s this way, Mom. I took a job on the new pipeline. I’m leaving tonight. You’re all I’ve got, Mom and I love you. I really do. But I have to get out of this hellhole, and the money is good. It’s gonna buy you a new house, or fix this one up. Whatever you want.

I’ll be in touch. I got you a computer and we can talk on it, okay?

Sonny – are you sure? I’ll miss you, but if it’s what you want to do I guess I have to let you go sometime. Okay, I’ll give you my blessing.

But one last thing, Sonny.

Rod shook his head. What, Mom?

Be careful. And don’t forget to wear your helmet.
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The Trifecta Challenge this week is Flirt – as in flirting with disaster.
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As a mother myself, I know how hard it is to love our adult kids enough to let them make their own decisions while knowing that those decisions might bring problems with them. It’s hard to bite my tongue. I love the idea of a mother being bent on keeping her son safe.

A word to the wise, the following 333 words have a few not so nice words. Read on at your own risk.
🙂 The second week challenge is BETRAY –

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Brandi looked to her right, to the left, and back right again. Nerves were flaring, but nobody in the group seemed to notice. She was really good at not letting emotions betray her when it was timely for her to be calm.

Now, surrounded by some of the biggest, burliest, BADdest bikers she had ever met, Brandi felt small – insufficient – a speck of fly dung on the smoke-stained walls.

Beau planted his boot shod feet squarely in front of her. He carefully peeled off his leather gloves slowly – finger by finger – using his front teeth. (They were all he had left – the others had been taken from him in several bar brawls.)

“Listen up, bros. My old lady thinks she can sashay her pretty little ass outta here today. She thinks she can leave me and all of you and do it without any consequences. Ain’t that right, BrandiSue?”

“Aw, Beau, you know I love you. I just need to motor down to the store and get my lady supplies. I’ll be back before you know it.” Brandi placed one hand on Beau’s chest and the other in his crotch and winked at him seductively.

He growled and pulled her face up to his. “Just see that you’re back by 2, bitch. I won’t have NO old lady of mine pulling a getaway on me. You hear?”

“I hear you, baby. I’ll be back soon.”

With a rough kiss, Beau shoved Brandi away. She did her best to walk steadily out of the club room, pulling on her own gloves as she went. Not daring to turn to see if he was following, Brandi climbed aboard her Hog and kicked it into gear.

It wasn’t until she was a mile away that she was able to breathe again. The first step in her escape plan was complete. Now she just needed to find the Fibbies’ black SUV before Beau caught on that she had turned state’s witness on him.
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NOTE: My WORD program said I was at 333 words – then I input them here and THIS program (WordPress) said I was at 337 words, so I deleted some. I hope this passes muster for word count.

There was much gaiety in the maiden’s chamber. Servant girls twirled and tittered around one small figure. The bedding was strewn with vibrant colors. Red, blue, yellow and rose robes and veils were chosen one by one to adorn the trembling young woman.

Olive oil was combed through her raven hair. “It is most nourishing my mistress,” one of the servants chattered. Pearls and feathers were woven into braids becoming a natural crown.

“You will see. The Sultan will summon you tonight, mistress. You are the most favored maiden in his entire harem. His servants have been watching you. It is they who have ordered the goat’s milk baths which soften your skin; the vials of the purest fragrances to sweeten your aroma. He is waiting for you; you have achieved his favor.”

The girl trembled again, whether from fear or from anticipation we cannot say. Yet the slightest smile turned up her lips as she gazed into the mirror placed in front of her. The maids touched her lips with red and smudged kohl around her eyes. Costly gems were dotted upon her bronze skin in appealing patterns.

The final touch was the rose veil placed over her face. More titters went up as all the servants nodded approval of their mistress.

“It is time, mistress.”

She looked up to see the chief eunuch standing at the entrance. Shakily she stood and waited to see what his eyes would tell her. He simply nodded and turned away. The servants pushed her toward him and bowed as she passed.

The path to Sultan’s tent was lighted by torch and strewn with tightly woven rugs. The slightest breeze ruffled her veils and caused goose bumps to rise on her arms beneath the gauzy sleeves.

The eunuch lifted the tent flap and stepped back as the maiden stepped over the threshold.

“Come to me child,” a deep voice rumbled. She glanced back once to the eunuch, straightened her shoulders and went to meet her Sultan.
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Written for the first Trifecta Writing Challenge. Each week a one word challenge will be posted – the third definition of that word is the meaning of the challenge word. This week the word is SUMMON and the challenge is to write between 33 and 333 words using that word in that definition.

Fun, right? Your turn.
🙂