Asleep
Asleep, she dreamt of
Blueberry bushes on a back road
Calling her name, to be plucked off to
Die as a sacrifice, to those gods who snapped
Everlasting images with a quick push of a button,
Finding meaning in pixels while they smiled for the machine,
Gods who threw loud words around like Delicious and Succulent.
Her dreamland led her to a forest, a faint whisper of blueberries saying goodbye.
In a small sky lit glen, a circle of trees protected a single Lady Slipper Orchid.
Just one. Had the others been crushed or stolen by a fairy who decorated her home with rare flowers?
Killing them just seemed wrong. She was mad at this unknown slipper thief.
Little creatures started to sneak closer to the last Lady Slipper, a salamander, a rabbit, a fawn.
Monsters, she thought. She reached out to wave her arms, to shriek, to stop them.
No luck, arms tucked firmly by her side and her mouth as dry and rough as the sandpaper she used to make her headboard last week.
Only a miracle would save this lonely pink beauty
Pressing her feet into the ground, she grew roots and spread them far.
Quickly, she pushed through the packed dirt to the flower and built a shrine of wood and tangled knots around it.
Rabbit, fawn, and salamander retreated.
She had stopped them and their advances.
Truth was, she missed the animals.
Under this canopy, it was getting lonely.
Veronica wanted to go home.
Where she was loved.
Xavier was waiting for her.
Zero chance at going back now. She had to protect this orchid.
Trying out the Abecedarian style for the Fresh Darlings Writing Prompt this week and found this photo very inspiring. All feedback welcome!
