promptly written

Co-inky-dink I say

Me and destiny

The Prompt

Create a poem, personal essay, or creative nonfiction that discusses or is inspired by a coincidence or coincidences you have experienced in your life and the meaning you ascribed thereto.

I’ve nothing but co- incidences in my life. A series of “if not for this than thats…”

If not for the e-mail that demanded an answer to calm a desperate student, I would have left just in time to be part of the fatal car wreck. A version of this “yesterday” has happened so many times I’ve lost count.

I no longer get angry at the interruption/delay, I just sigh and acknowledge that I’m being kept out of harm’s way with the added bonus of being in service or kindness to another.

Today, I noticed a sheepish look on the deers faces. They had clearly been up to no good. I decided not to take action and drown in Medium-verse instead. After a healthy dose of poetry, prose, and utter nonsense I rose to venture forth and prep the new potato patch.

I hauled the large cardboard box out to garden gate and found what mischief my deers had made. Twenty feet of fence lay on the ground, a patch of raspberries trimmed with precision of ruminant teeth to 2 feet each. If only I’d paid attention to their smug faces, I may have saved a berry bush or two. But alas and oh well-so it goes.

I paid the price of not paying attention. I know better than to ignore. The downed fence and deer’s sheepish look was no co-inky-dink!

Understanding the pairing of seemingly coincidental things as more than simultaneous events occured to me early in life. I knew Zuzu Bailey (from the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”) was right first I ever heard a bell ringing means an angel got its wings. A delay, means I’m out of harms’ way. A disappointment, but a bullet dodged.

Was a joy to remind myself of all the times coincidence has saved me and brought joy- but I’ve fences to mend.

Thank you Marcus aka Gregory Maidman and Ravyne Hawke for the prompts!