TIME IS SHORT
The Day I Made My Escape, Nothing but Taillights!
The Never-Ending Poem started by Martin Rushton has led many poets to the path. Some, like myself, had never even written poetry. Here’s a Tanka in answer to an “escape” prompt on STL.
It began like all
the other days, nothing weird.
Not sanguine I mean,
but then, I made my escape
I walked out the door and split.
I was talking with another poet here on Medium about love, and how actions speak louder than words. I said, “I lived with a lady that after 4 years still asked me, ‘How many sugars in your coffee?’ I have always drunk my coffee black. Keep track of the little things, I said. Those are often the most telling. If you don’t remember how I take my coffee, how much do you value me as a person?”
That’s exactly how that relationship ended that morning. I had cooked her daughter a peanut butter and banana omelet with French Toast. I turned on the TV in the living room to watch the news.
When she came downstairs, she asked did I want coffee. That’s when I finally made my escape. I walked out the door and just kept going.
Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Top Writer in VR, Design, Short Story, & Creativity. Editor of Pop Off and SportsShorts100WordsOnly
You can see his portfolio here. Email [email protected]