Carly’s mother died when she was born and she was being raised by her single father.  Carly loved her red passion fruit because it tasted tart and sweet, sour and tangy and it had this strong tropical aroma which she cherished.  When Carly indulged in eating this fruit, it always put a spark joy on her tongue, and delivered her to a heavenly place, but it turned her lips bright red, and this upset her dad who knew Carly was much more than a handful.  Edward was her father and a minister, and he thought she was too young to be painting her lips red.  He wondered if the neighbors would think that his sweet young daughter was in league with the devil, as his church condemned anyone who dared to wear red lipstick.  Only Satan himself would mislead women into wearing this sinful cosmetic.  Women that used witchcraft would…

Christine is our host for the Simply 6 Minutes challenge and this is our picture:

Baby girl after eating a red passion fruit

Eyes just like her mother,
Big, brown and deep,
I thought she had been napping,
But she’d been far from asleep:
Fingers helping herself from the fruit bowl,
Teeth taking a juicy bite,
Mouth stained red, so kissable,
I grin and think I just might
Gobble her up in an instant,
Make her squeal and leave us both giggling,
Gather her into my tender embrace
As I try to stop her wriggling.
‘Mummy will be home soon,
Let’s get you all shining and clean,
Then put you back to bed to sleep,
And drift in the clouds of dream.’
She snuggles into my shoulder
As I carry her upstairs to bed,
Tuck her in and kiss her goodnight,
And she whispers,
‘I love…

Inspired by and written for Simply 6 Minutes – thank you, Christine

Form: Folded Sonnet

The art of a spy deceiving their too-curious eyes
Takes a pinch of cunning and a simple wily disguise
But in the reality, I just wanted to break free
Escaping the confines of pond life to swim in the sea
They all said I couldn’t I was just a bright orange koi
I’d stand out a mile and bigger fish I’d surely annoy
They would beat me all up and leave me alone there bleeding
But I’m a koi, a goldfish of superior breeding
I’m not a stupid fish so while I am swimming, I think
There must be a way to fake it out there in the big drink
Then pow and bam it came to me like a flashing great spark
A fish like me can only be a mahoosive great shark

Time:…

In response to Stein Writing’s
Simply 6 Minutes – Challenge: 05/23/2023

I am a goldfish, I’m orange but I’m called a goldfish, instead of an orange- fish. I suppose I’d be rounder and look more like an orange from one of those green trees up on dry land. Sometimes the big, round orange fruit things roll down the hill and into the water; we all get to have some nibbles when that happens. The best part is in the middle, so I always volunteer to go last in line.

There’s nothing golden about me though. My parents had hoped for a bigger, stronger fish I think. They are trying to force me into being something I’m not by strapping this shark fin to my back. Yes, it’s also a floaty. You see, I’m a gold, orange-fish that can not swim. Every time I try, I…

This is my entry for Christine’s Simply 6 Minutes photo challenge. Great picture!

For visually challenged readers, this is a picture of a goldfish with a shark fin strapped to his back

‘Mom, do I have to wear this? All the others are swimming without one’.
‘Yes Finlay, I’m afraid you do until you get your full watergills. It will keep you safe and larger fish will see you as a predator, not prey when we move.’
‘But Mom, they’re all laughing at me.’
‘You’ll have the last laugh believe me as they will all be gobbled up.’
‘But Mom. We’re in a goldfish bowl!’
‘And we may get moved into a tank.’
Finlay pouted and blew air bubbles to the surface.
Sometimes Moms saw too much beyond the picture.

98 words