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

Friday, February 15, 2013

How To Make Mary Stay

Mary will stay
for days and days
if we pour boiling water
on her head
and strip her naked
like a dead thing with no privacy
in the cemetery of the living.

Mary comes but never stays
breezes in and bakes brie soufflé,
polishes the floor then off she goes
because Mary can never stay.



This is fifty-five words for the G-Man's Friday Flash 55. He prefers it be fiction, but it doesn't have to be, but he will rap your knuckles if you don't have exactly fifty-five. If you have a story you can tell in such a succinct fashion, you'd best let the big guy know. Enter his fold; he won't let you go.

TGIF!!


22 comments:

TALON said...

Oooh! This was delicious, Yvonne! I loved it!

izzy said...

A great one! I do love the dash in dash out scenario!

Yvonne Osborne said...

Talon,
Thanks. Glad to hear it. I hesitated over the publish button. Don't know why.

Izzy,
Thank you!

hedgewitch said...

Yvonne this is stunning--really provocative and involving. And a bit mysterious as well, to ice the brie souffle(and mix metaphors. ;_) ) The grim first stanza is just excellent and the conclusion strong in its contrast of order and the intangible.

Alice Audrey said...

So what makes Marry stay too much, then not enough?

G-Man said...

Who the Deuce is Mary?
Is she a travelling Maid?
Whom ever she may be, she is the product of your very active imagination.
Loved your French Chef 55
Thanks for playing, thanks for offering comments to other players, You are WONDERFUL Yvonne!
Have a Kick Ass Week-End

Helen said...

Mary, Mary .. quite contrary? :-)

Yvonne Osborne said...

Hedgewitch,
I love mixed metaphors and provocative mysteries so I'm happy you found some of that here. Thank you!

Alice,
Ah...but a poem can't disclose all, can it? Thanks for commenting on this, a thinly disquised disquiet in me.

G-Man,
I always love to see your handsome face here. A traveling maid? Not quite, but the suggestion made me smile. You know what they say about the family doomed by a writer in their midst. Thank you!!!

Helen,
I almost used that for my title. Thanks!

Myrna R. said...

I like the mystery in this. A tickle for the imagination. Really enjoyed it.

anthonynorth said...

Ah, the story of most in my house. Nice one.

Brian Miller said...

interesting...the first part is almost like the witch trials to me...and then the second...intriguing 55 if you really read into it a bit...smiles.

Vanessa Victoria Kilmer said...

I love the mystery that is Mary. Very intriguing.

Anthony Duce said...

I so enjoyed this ode to Mary and her ordeal.. wonderful writing☺

Jemi Fraser said...

Contrary indeed! Very nice :)

Golden Eagle said...

Thought-provoking poem!

Other Mary said...

Oh dear...please don't strip me naked and pour boiling water on my head! Or did you mean some Other Mary? lol

Yvonne Osborne said...

Mryna,
Thank you!

Anthony,
Well then, I'm glad you still liked it!:)

Brian,
Hmm witch trials? I hadn't thought of that when writing. Guess it could be.

Nessa,
Yes, Mary is a mystery. Thanks.

Anthony,
Thanks! Will you draw her?:)

Jemi,
Thanks!!

Eagle,
Thank you so much.

Other Mary,
No! You are the one and only "Other Mary"! lol



Unknown said...

This is too mysterious. I will have this in my head til I know who Mary is, even though I can never know who is Mary!!!!

Anonymous said...

Crazy! And yet some are very contrary! I've known some people like that. I agree with Hedgewitch--the first stanza especially strong, and the second - well, what's wrong with a little brie?

K.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Brandi,
Thanks! I can't tell.:)

Manic,
Thank you. I do love brie souffle...

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

Perhaps it's just as well Mary doesn't stay long, especially as it seems she never stays away long, either.

Yvonne Osborne said...

Ann,
Thanks for commenting on my contrary Mary!