Sky Watching
Lying in the bed of my pickup, on my back with a jacket balled up beneath my head, I took in the splendor of the stars and marveled at the beautiful arc of the Milky Way.
But what seemed like a simple enough proposition has become an unending nightmare. Drive several miles out of town, into the desert, for a night of sky watching. What could go wrong? Falling asleep with my parking lights on, for one thing.
Sun blazing and my water long gone, I lie in the bare shadow of a large rock after two days and nights of walking. I realize I am seeing clouds in what was clear sky just moments ago, but these clouds are clearly foreign, such an exotic clutter against the blue cloth of the sky.
I close my eyes and wait for rain that never comes.
This is my response to Prosery: Clouds, the prompt from Merril at dVerse ~ Poets Pub. With Prosery, the challenge is to write a piece of flash fiction with a 144-word limit. Included in the bit of prose is to be a complete line from a poem. For this prompt, the line to be included is from “Clouds,” by Constance Urdang
“But these clouds are clearly foreign, such an exotic clutter
Against the blue cloth of the sky”
– Constance Urdang
I’ve met the additional challenge of hitting the 144-word mark, exactly.
Image source: wallpaperseden.com
rivrvlogr 
Well done! Having spent time in the desert, yeah, if something goes wrong, it goes very wrong.
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Thank you. This one probably was a disaster waiting to happen.
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I like how you used the “foreign clouds, such as exotic clutter” as perhaps a mirage or wishful thinking.
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Thank you. And maybe his last thought.
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Oh wow! Great story, Ken. I really love it. I hope someone finds him in time.
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Thanks, Merril. Cloud / silver lining? 🙂
And thanks for the prompt.
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You’re very welcome, Ken.
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Wow, this is enchanting and mystifying in the way that you can see the joy in the scenery, but also the danger. Quite stirring!
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Thanks, Lucy. 🙂
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Really good. It felt real. Glad it wasn’t.
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Thank you.
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Highly evocative … the tranquility. Highly terrifying … the long, dry walk back to civilization.
(I cross my fingers death was not as near as this implies!)
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Thank you, Jazz. I don’t think he’ll be opening his eyes any time too soon. 😉
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Very nice work Ken. Your story is well written and very easy to relate to. The twist at the nd works very well. Leaving you lights on will keep you walking!
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That it will! Thanks, Dwight.
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You played the moods very well here, from relaxation to fear to desperation. Hoping he finds rescue just as suddenly as he fell into trouble. Good story.
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Thank you, Lisa.
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You are welcome, Ken.
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I can only imagine what he will see next! That last line is so ominous!
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Or not see?
Thank you. 🙂
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A peaceful scene that becomes a nightmare. Well done!
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🙂 Thank you.
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Nice one.
Thanks for dropping by to read mine
Much❤love
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Thank you, Gillena.
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The desert sky is so amazing at night… but falling asleep with your lights on, you realize that only the night is bearable…
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All it takes is one fatal mistake, and the night is ruined. Or in this case, a lifetime of nights.
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if i ever get to see the night sky from the middle of a desert. i will heed your poem and turn my lights off
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😉
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Oh my gosh Ken. I hope this was fiction 😳 Well written my friend ☺️
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Most definitely fiction. 🙂 Thank you, Christine.
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That’s good ☺️
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What a great saga! ❤️
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😀 Thank you.
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You’re welcome. ❤️
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