Every month a painting is selected from a professional artist belonging to www.creativecoverage.co.uk.
Writers are invited to submit a poem upto 30 lines or a story upto 500 words (as a Word .doc file) about the painting. The deadline is four weeks from the published date, so the deadline for the May 13 prompt will be June 13 and so on.
The stories will be published on this website and the best ones will feature in a forthcoming book.
Please email submissions (with the date of the prompt in the subject bar) to tsaunderspubs@gmail.com
Writers are invited to submit a poem upto 30 lines or a story upto 500 words (as a Word .doc file) about the painting. The deadline is four weeks from the published date, so the deadline for the May 13 prompt will be June 13 and so on.
The stories will be published on this website and the best ones will feature in a forthcoming book.
Please email submissions (with the date of the prompt in the subject bar) to tsaunderspubs@gmail.com
May 13, 2022
Rough and Ready
by Lee Montgomery-Hughes
The days were sunny and bright, hedgerows swarmed with intrepid bugs and the grass was a lush green. It was so warm there was no real need for coats.
“It’s today.”
“What is?”
“They’re coming, coming here, today.”
“Who?”
“Fit young men, they come every year to make us pretty.”
“You’re too vain. It’s not like we’re going to town or anything, so there’s no need to look glamorous.”
“We might be chosen.”
“I fancy a trip out.”
“I’ve heard that it’s not all it’s cracked-up to be. Most never return.”
They shuddered, just thinking about it.
“I wonder what happens to them?” one mumbled through a mouthful of dandelion leaves.
“I heard …” munch, munch, munch, “that …” munch. “… they go to a new place.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to leave?”
There was silence, apart from the munching.
“I’m getting a complete make-over this time, ditch the old coat and have my nails done so I’m beach-fit.”
“You’ve never been to a beach?”
“I haven’t, but you never know. The way village girls talk about it, I think I’d like to.”
“Why?”
“Apparently, they do a lot of paddling and swimming.”
“So do we.” They all gazed towards the old rain-filled bathtub standing in a huge puddle and snorted, sounding more like pigs.
“Now, now ladies, remember who you are.”
“There is someone to look good for.”
They all gazed towards the handsome chap snoozing under the oak tree.
He was their kind of guy. Big, strong, and they thought it was amazing when he took them under the moonlight. Naturally they shared him, well I mean why not, he definitely had enough to go around.
“Did you hear about the new guy?” one asked, changing the subject.
“I’ve heard he’s kinky.”
“I like it rough.”
They all stared at her.
“Well, sorry but I do. Just saying.”
They shook their heads. She was young, travelled in from the city last spring.
The ladies of the green could never understand the attraction for the bright lights and the harsh ways of the neighbourhoods she grew up in. They’d heard it was an urban farm kind of a place with a reputation for trouble. She simply didn’t fit-in, but what could they do? No one had consulted them about her arrival. There they were last spring, minding their own business, well actually minding everybody else’s business but that’s another story. When she arrived, bold as you like, she jumped from the back of a pink four-by-four and sauntered up to them. No introductions or anything.
“Next you’ll be telling us you’re not into all this girlie stuff.”
“Never … but those guys are hot and the way they take control with their vibrating toy. I tell you, I’m not gonna struggle that’s for sure, they can do anything they fancy to me.”
Plucking a giant daisy, she twirled it in her mouth.
“Tart!!” they all exclaimed and sauntered off to the other end of the field, in disgust.
by Lee Montgomery-Hughes
The days were sunny and bright, hedgerows swarmed with intrepid bugs and the grass was a lush green. It was so warm there was no real need for coats.
“It’s today.”
“What is?”
“They’re coming, coming here, today.”
“Who?”
“Fit young men, they come every year to make us pretty.”
“You’re too vain. It’s not like we’re going to town or anything, so there’s no need to look glamorous.”
“We might be chosen.”
“I fancy a trip out.”
“I’ve heard that it’s not all it’s cracked-up to be. Most never return.”
They shuddered, just thinking about it.
“I wonder what happens to them?” one mumbled through a mouthful of dandelion leaves.
“I heard …” munch, munch, munch, “that …” munch. “… they go to a new place.”
“I don’t understand why anyone would want to leave?”
There was silence, apart from the munching.
“I’m getting a complete make-over this time, ditch the old coat and have my nails done so I’m beach-fit.”
“You’ve never been to a beach?”
“I haven’t, but you never know. The way village girls talk about it, I think I’d like to.”
“Why?”
“Apparently, they do a lot of paddling and swimming.”
“So do we.” They all gazed towards the old rain-filled bathtub standing in a huge puddle and snorted, sounding more like pigs.
“Now, now ladies, remember who you are.”
“There is someone to look good for.”
They all gazed towards the handsome chap snoozing under the oak tree.
He was their kind of guy. Big, strong, and they thought it was amazing when he took them under the moonlight. Naturally they shared him, well I mean why not, he definitely had enough to go around.
“Did you hear about the new guy?” one asked, changing the subject.
“I’ve heard he’s kinky.”
“I like it rough.”
They all stared at her.
“Well, sorry but I do. Just saying.”
They shook their heads. She was young, travelled in from the city last spring.
The ladies of the green could never understand the attraction for the bright lights and the harsh ways of the neighbourhoods she grew up in. They’d heard it was an urban farm kind of a place with a reputation for trouble. She simply didn’t fit-in, but what could they do? No one had consulted them about her arrival. There they were last spring, minding their own business, well actually minding everybody else’s business but that’s another story. When she arrived, bold as you like, she jumped from the back of a pink four-by-four and sauntered up to them. No introductions or anything.
“Next you’ll be telling us you’re not into all this girlie stuff.”
“Never … but those guys are hot and the way they take control with their vibrating toy. I tell you, I’m not gonna struggle that’s for sure, they can do anything they fancy to me.”
Plucking a giant daisy, she twirled it in her mouth.
“Tart!!” they all exclaimed and sauntered off to the other end of the field, in disgust.
