Family Portrait

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Bessie started life as a simple milk cow, but somehow became more like a dog or the pony I never had.   It began the day Jimmy took my dare to ride her to the barn; thought she'd flick her tail, turn away.  Instead, when he climbed upon her back, she gave a slow blink and followed me like a loyal hound down the lane. After that, she shadowed us everywhere: to the porch, garden, creek.  Nudged our pockets for treats, trotted when we ran, mooed when we disappeared into the house.  Followed us to school once, ambled through a clothesline of white linen, draped herself in a ghostly costume from ear to tail.  Scared the entire schoolyard.  So, when Papa set up the new camera for a family portrait, Bessie nudged her way into the middle, claimed her rightful place within the family.

by Margaret Bednar, November 13, 2025

This is linked with Sepia Saturday (801)- Family Portrait.  This is my contineud quest to improve my short story writing.  144 words exactly.  

Bare November Days

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Not yesterday I learned to know the love of bare November days.  Before the coming of the snow, as young children, we had a ritual of building a fort, cropped field making it easy to get to the lotline of trees; a private world where we relived summer's glory, lamented homework, whispered crushs' names upon bales of straw hauled from the barn. Nature's golden chandeliers and carved pumpkins our decor.  The summer before Mary went to University, we carved our initials into the smooth bark of the beech tree.  Didn't know it would be the last time there together.  We ran home with happy hearts and big dreams.  Winter, as always, came, destroyed our sanctuary.  Yet our joy of sledding, skating, building snowmen thrilled us.  After the war took Billy, and Mary passed from cancer, I went back.   Traced our names.  Cried.  Smiled.  Remembered. 

by Margaret Bednar, November 12, 2025

This is prompted by "dVerse Poets Pub - Prosery - My November Guest". We were given the poetic lines:

Not yesterday I learned to know 

The love of bare November days 

Before the coming of the snow

We were to use this in our SHORT STORY of 144 Words.  adding punctuation was ok - but we could not take it out of order. 

The photo is one I have collected over the years - I LOVE writing to photos and art images.  

Also linked with Sepia Saturday - check out this amazing blog AND join the fun.