"Two wrongs may not make a right but a thousand wrongs make a writer.”

Friday, February 22, 2013

Better Than Jumping Off A Bridge (FF55)

Her albums are arranged
in alphabetical order facing left.
The silver is polished
with serrated edges pointing right.
Bottles in the rack are arranged
with the labels facing up.
Her life is a pattern pinned to the fabric
so as not to waste an inch,
edges cut with a pinking shears
so they won’t unravel.


It's fictional Friday and time to tell a story in 55 words. Check out the G-Man for links to more of the same, or better yet... post one of your own and let Mr. Knowitall alias G-Man know.

TGIF

24 comments:

Brian Miller said...

ah but it will....things never stay that perfect....ha...maybe that is my excuse as well...smiles.

Rastaman said...

Sounds like my second wife ... didn't work!

Loved this. I now know the history of pinking shears.

Rastaman said...

Sounds like my second wife ... didn't work!

Loved this. I now know the history of pinking shears.

Unknown said...

That is TOO much control, too much micromanaging one's own life! A little chaos keeps the world a little wobbly on the axis. OCD is a bitch.

TALON said...

Awww! To be so regimented...to need that much control...her life must feel so out of control. I'm smiling because I was using my pinking shears this week when sewing. It is good for the fabric unraveling, for sure! :)

izzy said...

I love this! and I remember someone telling me about pinking shears and not unraveling! thanks.

anthonynorth said...

Ah, the thing about perfection is that it's unattainable. Great write.

Anonymous said...

This is wonderful! You've really captured the essence of an OCD perfectionist.

Other Mary said...

Oh, beautiful last line! The agony of OCD...or CDO (which is just like OCD, except the letters are arranged in alphabetical order, the way they should be!). Seriously though, great write Yvonne.

Anonymous said...

i do find it rather shocking that anyone can be as... er... as all that - but then the title is telling, isn't it?
well done!

hedgewitch said...

Title gives this a real wallop,Yvonne. It's always struck me as a truly hard way to live, such a burden trying to control everything.

G-Man said...

Y.O. you need some TLC ASAP, to take care of that OCD.
My Granny would never let us use The Good Shears, or The Pinking Shears.
Loved your Supersticious 55
Thanks for playing, thanks for your wonderful support of other writers, thanks for trying to keep me straight, (Lost Cause) and have a Kick Ass Week-End

Alice Audrey said...

Tsk. Doesn't she know the serrated edges are supposed to face left? Really, now. ;)

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

I've known people like this!

Anonymous said...

Ha. Very charming and recognizable. The pinking shears an especially good touch, Yvonne! Thanks. k.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Brian,
Thanks for the smile!

Rastaman,
Thanks.

Brandi,
I like to just fly by the seat of my pants!

Talon,
Thanks! I haven't used pinking shears in many years but I know what they're good for.

Izzy,
Thanks. They are the essential tool for a seamstress

Anthony,
Thank you.

Razza,
Thanks!

Other Mary,
Thanks! You made me laugh.

Turtle,
Thank you. I know some people who are borderline that way.

Hedgewitch,
Glad you liked the title. I worried over it.

G-Man,
Try to keep you straight? I never would attempt it! Thanks for hosting another round for us OCD writers.

Alice,
Ha! This figure of my imagination probably changes it every other day!

Ann,
Yeah...they're out there. Thanks for commenting.

Manic,
Thanks. I think the pinking shears is what set this off.

Thanks everyone for commenting on my Flash 55 and a special thanks to G-Man for continuing to host this writerly exercise. We all know it isn't as easy as some many think.


Optimistic Existentialist said...

I prefer my life to be as un-regimented as possible :)

Yvonne Osborne said...

Opti.,
Yeah. Amen. I don't know what I'm going to do tomorrow. And neither does anyone else.

Stina said...

This person wouldn't last long with me. I'd drive them insane in no time. :D

Charmaine Clancy said...

Lovely poem, a lot of character in so few words.

J.B. Chicoine said...

Love this visual and the tension it creates: "Her life is a pattern pinned to the fabric
so as not to waste an inch,
edges cut with a pinking shears
so they won’t unravel."

Amazing what people will do to keep from 'jumping off a bridge'...

Yvonne Osborne said...

Stina,
Hi! I would drive myself insane!Thanks for commenting.

Charmaine,
Thank you so much. Happy to meet you.

J.B.,
Thanks. I'm glad you liked it.

Vanessa Victoria Kilmer said...

Cool. I like those images. Very OCD.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Nessa,
Thanks for commenting! Yes...wonder what Freud would say...