The parking lot sparkles on patrol.
The pavement is littered with salt crystals
embedded in the asphalt like diamonds.
The salt will drain off into the sewers
and end up in surrounding wetlands
and ground water, like toxic deicing sludge.
We walk the parking lots looking for trouble,
stare at people with our theater eyes.
I'm happy to make it back into a Flash 55 community, thanks to The Imaginary Garden With Real Toads who picked up the mantle when our Mr. Knowitall (Galen) dropped it to reclaim his offline life. I've missed the 55's so thanks to all of you Toads!
If anyone has a piece of fiction in 55 words they'd like to share, go to the link above and proceed from there. I must confess, this piece, while fiction, is loosely based on facts.
Hope everyone is having a creative weekend.
28 comments:
Theater eyes, this made me think some action is about to break out ~ Good 55 words ~ Happy Weekend ~
Wow! This is some keen observation of things on might come to take for granted. I did not know that salt on the sidewalk could turn into a bio-hazard.
Thanks for sharing and spreading the word about FF55.
Grace,
Thank you. Ran out of words so we couldn't talk about the action....maybe next time!
Kerry,
Thanks! Yes, we use way too much road salt around here and most people don't realize where it all ends up, hurts amphibians too. I love that I have rediscovered Flash 55.
Well said, and well timed with winter approaching (at least here in the Midwest). Love your closing lines too.
ohhh... love this. i would like more than 55 here!
Our area tends to mix our salt with sand - probably more for cost than environmental impact, but I think it helps :)
Mary,
Thank you! Our thoughts are slowly turning to winter, the writing season!
Marian,
Hi! And thank you so much.
Jemi,
I think that's a great idea. At some intersections here they dump a little sand, and they use it more up north because the salt won't work below a certain temperature. More decisions here are based on cost than environmental impact. Thank you.
Enjoyed. The awareness of the damage caused still seems for most not in their radar. The theatre eyes are at least now more aware.
I agree with everyone above. Good stuff, Yvonne.
Never thought about the salt placed on the roads during bad weather to be toxic, but it would affect local waterways.
Wow! Excellent.
ZQ
Alex,
A lot more than we realize, I think. Thank you!
R.K.
Hello and thank you!
Tony,
Thank you. Security is such a show.
Wendy,
Thank you so much.
I love theater eyes!
Well done and I learned something new~
Thanks, Yvonne~
I honestly really enjoyed reading this post! Thanks for sharing.
www.modernworld4.blogspot.com
enjoyed this pen ~
You did your 'patrol' quite nicely, Yvonne. Sooo pretty a sight when we see it here but BIG trouble later for us and all who depend on the runoff for sustenance.
My mother's mom's last name was Osborne. They were from Wisconsin, Illinois, and Michigan. Too many of them to call you Cuz. Not related, my ex's middle name was Yvonne.
I too like flash writing. For the longest on my other blog for Sunday/Monday posts I wrote Flash 140 characters and spaces. On the poem blog I wrote a short series, The Xentor Tales, for Cate. Anthony North was writing (may be still) a lot of Flash stuff, even books, free, of them.
http://anthonynorth.com/ , you may have written fiction with him.
..
Ella,
Thank you.
Gina,
I'm glad. Thanks!
Jim,
Hello and thank you. There are a lot of Osbornes out there but the name Yvonne is less common. I'll have to try the flash 140 sometime. More room for elaboration. Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Grapeling,
I know that's not your real name and I feel foolish...but thank you. Means a lot.
"Theater eyes." What an image!
Hi Mama!
Thank you for hosting. Thank you for the comment. Glad you like it. Do this again!
Oh, sigh, I so miss Galen's hosting of the 55. It has not been the same since, and I haven't participated since. But good to see a familiar '55' face.
Salt and all the other yuck that old cars leak onto the roads...sigh...
Your piece is balanced well with dark and light...I enjoyed this. :)
"theater eyes" is a great description--says so much when you muse on it, like we have to adjust to the real world after being in another dimension. :)
Thanks for dropping by, Yvonne. I miss you and your snippets so much. I hope I get back in the swing again.
Mary,
Me too! And glad to see you.
Hannah,
Hello! Thank you very much.
Tricia,
I've missed your pen as well. I know a lot of bloggers have just stopped, so it's nice to see all these old faces and the new as well. That old saying is so true. Thanks again for stopping by.
Wow. I love "theater eyes!" It says so much. Great 55!
Yes. We used salt a long time ago on our home sidewalk and our plants really took a beating come spring. We had no idea. We just don't think of the cause and affect…
This one hits me right in the gut! Well written and well said.
Lola,
Thanks. That single phrase seems to have garnered a lot of attention. I used to work for TSA, and this is how I felt most of the time. All for show.
Margaret,
That is so true of many things we do throughout our daily lives. Thanks.
Liza,
Thank you very much.
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