Hosted by Mish of d’Verse Poets, the prosery challenge is to write flash fiction/ prosery in words that do not exceed 144. The quotation to include in the prosery is from Rainer Maria Rilke’s poem First Elegy. “Beauty is nothing, but the beginning of terror,”
The Firefly
THE FIREFLY Beauty is nothing; but the beginning of terror, an impending, irrevocable terror. She hoped the mirror was lying. The light wasn’t good. She applied more cream. It changed nothing. It was expensive and wasn’t working. The truth was there in the mirror. It didn’t lie. She was older than yesterday, and it showed. Her face was altering before her eyes. It was happening again. A west wind was blowing. It was howling and terrified her. Her casement window blasted open, and it entered her room. She watched her hair turn to the colour of the wind. Ashen long hair that streaked behind her as she flew. Once upon a time, her beauty shone like a firefly dancing on a warm summer breeze. That time was past. Long gone. Now, she was that scary old hag who terrorised the neighbourhood when the west wind blew. Lesley Scoble, 2023
Thank you Mish and d’Verse Poets for the inspiration.
Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright, (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.
LesleyScoble.com 
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