Flamingos in the Snow
The woven silvery mist is not unlike fine silk. Fragments of coral mingle with each droplet as the delicate hand of an icy breeze reveals the subtle edges of a watery outline.
Blurry images dance to a silent orchestra. One by one feathered heads bob in and out of focus. The approaching voyeur holds his breath...
Could it be?
Blinking away the frozen tears clinging to his eyelashes, the flock of flamingos continue their dance amongst the doilies of diamond dust on this cold winter's morning.
Greeting fellow blogger pals. Today is my first entry for the WEP... What? You have not heard of the Write...Edit...Publish? Well, today's you chance to enjoy many fine works of Flash Fiction, Photographs, Art, and all that is CREATIVE. And there is still time to participate.
My very close friends, Denise Covey and Yolanda Renee' have reinvented the WEP for all of us to enjoy and PARTICIPATE. It is an amazing way to WRITE. Being in edits for almost two years with both my novels, I have not had a moment to create something new. Thankfully today is my first flash piece in many, many moons. I hope you enjoyed it.
The prompt is atmosphere. Chose a photo that you feel strongly about and tell the reader why. This above is a picture I took a few winters ago as I strolled through the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. It was in the middle of winter with below freezing tempts. Yes, even in winter I need to get out and stretch my legs. LOL.
Imagine my SHOCK to find these tropical birds foraging in the snow. I took many pictures and to this day I am inspired by them. (Please do not use this image without permission.)
So this weekend I hope you will hop around and view/read the other entries. I have read a few and can't wait to read more!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone and enjoy one of the last few summer weekends we have left!
58 comments:
Brilliant!
This took my breath away...
Captivating picture... fabulous prose!
Have a great weekend, my friend.
As always, the words you choose evoke a lush image for the reader. Glad you can participate. I like WEP and the fact that it makes me write short fiction that highlights little parts of my novels.
Great photo, great imagery you evoke as well. Snow and pink flamingoes, well I never!
Thank you, Michelle. So happy you enjoyed it!
Me, too, D. G. So glad you stopped by.
I know. It was quite the SHOCKING image when I first saw it. I had to really look twice to make sure I wasn't imagining it. It was the GRAYEST day and see that splash of color...
Odd coincidence because I showed pix of polar bears in pinky/purple fireweed today. Yours was pink on white, mine white on pink. Like the descriptive words, very good Michael.
Michael, such a pleasure to log on and see your post was live. I love, love, love the photograph. So beautiful, and your words so powerful. Simply delicious! A great addition to the WEP Spectacular Settings Challenge. Thank you, and I know you'll be back for the Halloween challenge, with chills and thrills for all of us.
Brilliant, Michael! And that would be quite a sight.
Beautiful!!!! and a gorgeous picture!!!
A delightful read no doubt, greetings!
Oh my. Oh my, oh my.
What a WONDERFUL spectacular thing to see. And I love your words too.
This blog hop has been sooo much fun.
What a wonderful post. Stunning picture and prose. Particularly love 'fragments of coral' and 'doilies of diamond dust' but every single word is a gift. Thank you.
Swoon worthy Michael. You do have a pen dipped in gold when it comes to descriptions. '...doilies of diamond dust...' Say no more.
Thanks for taking time out of your frantic existence to post for WEP. Worthy entry!
Denise :-)
Thanks, JO.
Looking forward to seeing your post.
Aww... Thanks Renee... So happy you enjoyed it!
Your writing is lovely.
Love,
Janie
Thanks, Alex!
Thank you, Cathrina... I LOVED taking that pic... it was an incredible sight.
Thank you, BLogoratti... Glad you enjoyed it.
How kind of you to say, EC... Thanks so much!
WOW... thank you, Jenny. I am very humbled by your words....
DENISE! Thank You! Yours was the comment I was most anxious about. I knew I had to live up to your expectation... So HAPPY I did't let you down...
It was totally my pleasure!
Thank you, Janie!
Hi Michael - that is lovely ... a memory to treasure - so well written and which really evokes.
I was immediately to drawn back to something I'd read this morning and hope to be able to visit an exhibition at the British Museum - 500 years of metal point ... "an anguished Virgin Mary watching her son on the cross, in which the dramatic combination of silverpoint and white heightening on a salmon-pink ground is used to striking effect."
It's an amazing character setting you've given us ... just love it - and who'd have thought of snow and flamingoes ...
Brilliant - cheers Hilary
Now that's spectacular! At first I thought you'd "manufactured" the image, but when you explained how you'd taken it at the zoo in winter, I was blown away. I loved your description as well, but really loved: "Blurry images dance to a silent orchestra."
That image is amazing, and I really like your flash piece. I would have been quite surprised to see them out in the snow too.
Ditto what Daisy said. The flamingos look almost magical in the misty snow.
Michael, its breathtaking beautiful writing. I could just visualize the frozen tears clinging to the long eyelashes. Outstanding piece of writing.
Wow. Beautifully done!!! Two years on edits? That sounds painful!
Powerful, exquisite descriptions, and absolutely amazing photo! Brilliant use of the prompt, Michael.
Two years in edits = exhausting ( as I know from personal experience :) wishing you the best and quick publication!
I just feel a little empathy for the tropical birds and animals that have to suffer through our winters here at the zoo. It must be sheer misery to be out of your element- literally all for the enjoyment of the people walking by your enclosure. :( It's a nice picture though and you wrote a wonderful description!!
Michael! WOW. Your flash made me feel like I was right there in the snow with the flamingos (which are my favorite birds, me being from Florida). The powerful images. All in so few words. Two years in edits. *sigh* I so get that. Have missed you, my friend.
Let you down!!! (((slaps face))). Your words never let me down, they lift me up, as the song says. I checked my phone at 1am in Oz and saw you'd logged on but I had a frantic message from another signee who couldn't work the linky so by the time I got her sorted I had to go back to bed! Thus the lateness of my arrival!
I'm reading through for the second/third time to choose my favourite 3 but it is IMPOSSIBLE!!
Beautiful - the picture and the flash fic. I remember you talking about those flamingos. Glad WEP could get you back to writing something NEW!!
Flamingos in the snow — what a sight that must be! Loved your description, and the photograph is brilliant. Thanks for sharing, and for stopping by over at Quiet Laughter earlier; a visit from someone who's been to Curaçao makes my day any day :)
You weave your scenes like an artist. You can tell you have a keen visual gift.
Magically told. It is a surprise to find flamingos in the snow.
I always think of flamingos and sunny Florida. Flamingos + snow is an interesting mix. Great writing! :)
Thanks Melissa.... glad you enjoyed it!
It was certainly a surprise for me, Rasma! Thanks for stopping by!
That you Elizabeth... I've trained it my whole life... since I was 3... I was one of those crazy child prodigies with art....
Thanks Guille... you do live in a lovely place!
Thank you so much, Hillary... so glad you enjoyed it. I would LOVE to visit you and go hopping around Britain to some of the AMAZING sites you visit....
Thanks, Lee.... I know it is quite an amazing image...
I took dozens of pics, but this one is my favorite...
Glad you enjoyed it Daisy... And THANKS for stopping by!
I quite agree... they are magical creatures... and quite funny looking. LOL.
Thank you Rachna... so happy you enjoyed it!
It is and WAS... Just in the middle of another round. UGH... Glad you enjoyed the piece, Stephanie.
Thank you so much, Nila..... Yes, edits can be quite LONG and drawn out. But the end result will be worth it!
They actually seemed to like it Danette... they have an INDOOR home. They just let them out for airing, No need to worry about them...
Hi, Robyn... Me, too.. So glad you stopped over and enjoyed my flash piece and pic....
Finally, Nicki... It felt so good to write something new for a change...
This is GREAT, Michael! The picture is almost otherworldly. How can anyone not love a flamingo?
Ahhh! I see we share a love of the lyrical and alliteration!! This was beautiful, the magical stark contrast of the image, and the lovely way you described it!!
The Weight of Wonder
"doilies of diamond dust" What a beautiful phrase. A beautiful excerpt Michael.
Brilliant photo and words to match! I was enthralled, right from the opening: "The woven silvery mist is not unlike fine silk."
Just popping in to say congrats on the WEPFF Honorable Mention!
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