3-Sentence Literary Competition Booklet (7)

The OWL
3-Sentence Literary

Competition MAY 2020

MAY 2020

The OWL

3-Sentence Literary Competition

TO RECAP:

Thank you to everyone who entered our very first short story competition wherein
you were asked to create a three-sentence story (up to 50 words). The deadline for
entries was Friday, May 15 and the response was terrific! We received 155
submissions over a period of about 2 weeks, all competing for gift certificates from
Hickory Stick Bookshop, Da Capo Restaurant and The Bakehouse. As you will see
on the following pages Covid-19 and cabin fever were major themes in the stories.
 
The entries were judged by Laura Cardello, Jackie Everly and myself. We are retired
publishing professionals living here in Litchfield and voracious readers all. The
stories were wonderful, judging was difficult, and I only wish we could have given
more prizes.
 
I hope you had as much fun with your literary endeavors as we did hosting the
contest.
 
Read on!

Best regards,

Michael Kazan

The OWL

3-Sentence Literary Competition

THE WINNERS:

FIRST PRIZE: NANCY ROMAN

He died in the Twin Towers, and was given a hero's funeral.
Her bruises had healed by then, so she made a lovely widow.
During the glorious eulogy, she stared at her ring, wondering how soon

she could sell it. 

SECOND PRIZE: AMANDA GLOVER

We stopped in unison at the crest of the hill and surveyed the broad field
before us, expanding into the distance.

My lover took my hand in his and I laid my palm on his chest.
No witness, no ceremony, but the path before us was wide open. 

THIRD PRIZE: JANICE CONNOR

In the drizzling, cold rain she shivered and itched in her homemade
satin wedding gown.

The church door reluctantly yawned open.
She took her father's hand noticing his calloused, nicotine-stained fingers and

the dry-cleaning ticket hanging from his sleeve.

The OWL

3-Sentence Literary Competition

THE CONTRIBUTORS:

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who entered in
The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition.*

Abbott, Jay………………........…......26 Gill, Charles (2).....................22, 23 O'Neill-Lally, Molly (2)................16
Abbott, Sylvia K………….......……..21 Glover, Amanda..........................18 Parilla, Rebecca..........................16
Abbott-Tillou, Jennifer……..........27 Gottfried, Nancy...........................9 Patricia...........................................2
Augustyn, Reide……………...........12 Haas, Anne..................................28 Poinelli, MaryAnn (2)..................30
Augustyn, Terry………………..........9 Helck, Debbie..............................22 Powers, Carol (2)..................11, 12
Azar, Barbara……………………........2 Hickey, Maeve.............................31 Pudlinski, Anna...........................17
Bailey, Jane M. (2)………........……33 Hines, Cameron (2)....................31 Pudlinski, Peg Ford....................21
Beauchaine, Bridget A….......…..17 Hines, Tom..................................30 Quadland, Michael (2)..................8
Bellody, Loraine…….......………….18 Hladik, Marcey (2).....................4, 5 Randall, Emily.............................26
Benet, Gabriel (2)……........……….19 Hovey, Brian..................................4 Regenbogen, Jocelyn (2)..........3, 8
Benton, Richard O…….......………..5 Hrevo, Rosemarie......................24 Ritzenholf, Karen..........................9
Birdsall, Dean…………….......……….4 Hunt, Margaret...........................15 Roman, Nancy (2).......................10
Blakely, Linda (2)………….......……23 Hurtado, Augie...........................27 Saska, Barbara (2)......................12
Blazier, Cara (2)………….......……..17 Iannotti, Jo-Ann...........................26 Savage, Jeff (2)........................9, 23
Blazier, Ken……………….......………13 K., Sheila (2)...................................6 Schildgen, Emma........................30
Boyd, Colette…………….......……...19 Karpa, Heather.............................4 Schuch, Sara...............................11
Cahill, Landon…………......………..21 Karpas, Patricia (2).....................29 Scotty B (2)............................32, 33
Charles…………………….......………...5 Kelleher, Jim................................13 Simmons, Kim...............................3
Cicchetti, Dianne………….......……..7 Kelly, Pat......................................32 Sink, Gary..............................15, 28
Clem, Fran (2)…………….......……..25 Keneshbaeva, Kamilah..............14 Sink, Julith.............................15, 28
Combs, Ann………………….......…..24 Kerrigon, Frank...........................24 Smith, Carolyn..............................8
Connor, Janice (2)…….....……….6, 7 King, Chris (2)..........................6, 11 Stewart, Clare...............................2
Courtney.....................................33 King, Lilly.....................................12 Stewart, Emma (2)........................2
Courtney, Devin (2)…...……..19, 21 Kristen (2)....................................31 Stockamore, Pamela..................18
Courtney, Vivian (2)………........…27 Lake, Don......................................3 Tavino, Peter...............................20
Czachorowski, Cathy (2)........... 20 Lally, John....................................25 Terhune, Peggy (2)...............27, 28
Denise..........................................30 Libby, Joan L................................. 7 Terzian, Matt (2).........................24
Disney, Anthea...........................23 Louis............................................32 Terzian, Olivia (2) .................28, 29
Dunne, Geri...................................9 Malo, Maura...............................22 Tornow, Sally.................................3
Ebner, Sandra (2).................20, 21 Manela, Eileen..............................9 Ungar, M. H...................................6
Elliot, Victoria (2).........................15 Mary......................................10, 13 Valuckas, Kelly (2).......................14
Emily (2).......................................26 McGaffey, Wendy.......................20 Vorisek, Shirley.............................7
Ford, Hadley................................29 McGill, Michael.............................3 White, Joanne (2)........................25
Fulkerson, John...........................11 Murkland, Austin (2)..................14 Williams, J. Fenton........................4
Fulkerson, Phoebe.....................22 Nicholson, Amy (2)...................7, 8 Wilson, Myles..............................16
Gault, Jerry................................. 22 Nolan, Ken (2).............................10 Worden, Molly............................29
Giarnese, Toni (2).......................13 Ober, Robert (2)...................16, 18 Worden, Sheree (2)....................32
Gilbert, Andrée (2)........................5 O'Brien, Joan...............................17 Zakriski, Cormac........................18   
   

*Entries listed in the order they were received.

The OWL

3-Sentence Literary Competition

THE SUBMISSIONS:

I yawned beneath the weight of a cold dreary spring day, hoping for a break in the clouds.
Scratching across paper my pencil ached in its effort to compose sentences worthy of
an audience larger than one, even one.
Do we have any cookies left?
~ Patricia

Bubbles
Bubbles make me happy.
Bubbles bring me joy.
Bubbles lift my spirit as I watch them soar up high!
~ Emma Stewart

A Birthday Party
A birthday party is a fun feat.
A birthday party is a time for a treat.
A birthday part is the best day of the week.
~ Emma Stewart

Sandwich

I like a sandwich with lettuce and mayo

.

I like a sandwich with turkey and tomato.

I like a sandwich for lunch or for dinner!

~ Clare Stewart

I hate who I am when I’m with you.
Where did I go?
Help, I am drowning!
~ Barbara Azar

~2~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

Taken from a short story in Ellery Queen Magazine (no date)
She killed him in a savage blow.
She called the police and they arrived at dinnertime.
She generously offered them the pork loin she had just finished cooking,
while they puzzled over the absence of the murder weapon.
~ Sally Tornow

I prefer sunshine to clouds, hikes in the woods to long car rides, and dogs to cats.
But I’d rather have a long ride in a car with a crazy cat on a cloudy day than being stuck in
quarantine for months.
Are we there yet?
~ Kim Simmons

His heart broke in Litchfield.
The last time at the Oliver Wolcott.
It was all about the librarian.
~ Michael McGill

She listened to the staccato clicking of cameras and watched haphazard gesticulations
at a podium.
She walked outside and saw the swan, oblivious and living peaceably in the moment.
She heard the sirens and felt the pulse and thanks of a world.
~ Jocelyn Regenbogen

MAY DAY! MAY DAY 2020!
NO OUR SHIP IS NOT SINKING BUT THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED.
PLENTY OF FUEL AND BATTERY OK; CAN YOU GIVE US A TOW?
~ Don Lake

~3~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

Good Tidings Indeed
Woke feeling groggy, sore and uninspired – but laced my shoes and prepped for the trek.
The steep path was treacherous, and the effort strained both mental and bodily resources.
Clear fresh air, panoramic natural views, and an adrenaline rush of accomplishment fueled
a joyous mountaintop rapture.
~ Dean Birdsall

It was a dark and stormy night in Dudleytown, near Widow Hoadley’s hangin’ tree,
as Asenath sharpened his broad axe, zing-zang.
The pot of creamed chipped beef hung from the chimney crane and a pitcher of
sparkling cider awaited.
A knock on the door, then neighbor Ephraim’s loud call: “Nabby?”
~ J. Fenton Williams

The beginning ends and the end begins.
Look, listen, smell, touch, FEEL, think.
BE.
~ Heather Karpa

This isn’t the apocalypse that I was told, no zombies at my door.
Everything closed, no school or parks, haircuts no more; thankfully they didn’t
close the liquor store!
One day we’ll look back and laugh, cry, recount the dead and sigh; but as humans,
we’re doomed to repeat evermore.
~ Brian Hovey

Solitary Abundance
Each morning seems so much like those gone by that I’m never quite sure of the day or date.
So now I record our dinner menu on the calendar each night and share recipes with friends
on line.
What blessings we share in the abundance of food and friendship.
~ Marcey Hladik

~4~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

Delta Pansies
One sunny day, donning mask and gloves, I went to the nursery for spring flowers.
Carrying my flat of pansies, their sweet faces saying "We'll cheer you up,"
I encountered a friend.
Exchanging muffled greetings, I realized it was the message relayed by our eyes
that spoke volumes.
~ Marcey Hladik

I struggled to get up.
A weight pushed on my chest.
I guess the living don’t want the dead to rise.
~ Richard O. Benton

Her bedroom door was locked again.
His sullen form depressed a groove in the couch,
vicious words hovering like volcano ash in the air.
The kitchen clock ticked.
~ Andrée Gilbert

I shut my toddler eyes to my bedroom of 70’s hot pink, I’m in a Spring world,
everything is happening outside, and I can hear my family in the backyard,
the scent of lilac drifts in, bees abuzz.

I wake up in early Fall as a middle aged woman, walls are painted a rental off-white
and my family is hundreds of miles away or buried.

I’m afraid to shut my eyes tonight.

~ Andrée Gilbert

I stood there...waiting.
Wondering.
And smiled as she walked down the aisle.

~ Charles

~5~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

As evening shadows lengthened, four bears ambled from the woods aiming for the bird feeders.
Three dogs, furious, raced toward them snarling. 
At an unseen barrier, their cacophony met the happy diners' calm indifference.
~ Chris King

We parked in the lots while our loved ones suffered inside hospital walls.
We donned patchworked masks, quilt, T-shirt, worn jeans, whatever was large
enough to hide our noses, our mouths. 
The lots were our last connection, our bedsides, the vigils we shared, separate,
and together, awaiting our outcomes.
~ M. H. Ungar

Falling Into Fall
Larry Leaf was afraid to Fall, even when he saw his friends happily leaping to the ground.
He liked his home atop the tree, so he held tight.
With a gust of wind, he floated down to his friends beginning his journey back to the top
of the tree.
~ Sheila K.

Take What is Given
They planted watermelon seeds, watering and watching the patch each day.
Then, in the very spot the watermelon seeds had been carefully sowed,
they found Brussels Sprouts.
They decided to eat what had grown, and be happy.
~ Sheila K.

In the drizzling, cold rain she shivered and itched in her homemade satin wedding gown.
The church door reluctantly yawned open.
She took her fathers hand noticing his calloused, nicotine stained fingers and the drycleaning
ticket hanging from his sleeve.
~ Janice Connor

~6~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

A giant, obese, panting with sweat sticking his shirt we avidly gawked, transfixed,
as he sold sets of fine English china in the heavy heat of the market.
With the skill of a circus juggler the translucent plates circled above his head.
We called him The China Man.
~ Janice Connor

The Jonquil’s Cousin
The daffodils are gently swaying in the whispering breeze.
The welcoming zephyr rustles their golden petals, and like sprightly nymphs, they swirl.
Spring has arrived in all its sweet and sun washed splendor!
~ Dianne Cicchetti

Gifts from my love always chosen for practicality consisted of screwdrivers, fire extinguishers
and ice scrapers. 
I longed for jewelry so when I spotted the rectangular box my heart jumped with joy.
He waited eagerly for my approval as I held a mouse trap.
~ Shirley Vorisek

Peace
First born has a difficult life: diagnosed with learning disabilities and schizo-effective disorder.
Parenting throughout has been challenging, exhausting and frustrating, along with feelings
of pride and hope.
Second born became his guardian recently, giving us peace and appreciation.
~ Joan L. Libby.

Well-meaning friends urged him to put her in a facility.
“She’s my sweetheart; I made her a promise.”
She died at home.
~ Amy Nicholson

~7~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

My girl was only five, but she knew about love.
Her small hand on the casket cover, she looked broken.
“Grammy won’t have a husband anymore.”
~ Amy Nicholson

She moved from Connecticut to Florida to start a new life where she worked at the hospital
twelve hours a day.
You’ll have to bring your own masks cause there’s a shortage they say. 
Her son waits at home, still and forever as this is a true story.
~ Carolyn Smith

A lone dove coos, its musical triad followed by three identical notes. 
I sit on the terrace of a Caribbean hotel, the early morning sun filtering through clacking
palm leaves which cast shadows on the glistening groomed lawn, the tile below my feet
chilled and sandy. 
I imagine from afar.
~ Jocelyn Regenbogen

She died in the accident.
Not that it mattered a whole lot.
He didn’t.
~ Michael Quadland

Jan gave himself over to the land where he’d been born.
He took in its moods, its shy creatures, its icy breath and milky blue moon.
Then one dawn he was lured away by persistent desires and imaginings
as much his as the roiling mist.
~ Michael Quadland

~8~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

Keys.
Unlocking so many doors.
And melodies..
~ Nancy Gottfried

There she stood like a Rodin statue, chiseled in stillness, looking lost and as desperate as an
empty bourbon bottle, longing for one more pour.
The white starched gloves could not hide the brutality those manicured hands were capable of.
“Mother”! My paralyzed vocal cords shouted to the familiar stranger ahead.
~ Eileen Manela

My life started in "da Bronx".
The journey has had its ups (too many to mention) and downs (character shaping).
Gazing into the sunset, I am most grateful for my life today.
~ Geri Dunne

How will the bodies in New York smell now? 
The ones that they found in abandoned rental vans outside
over-burdened funeral homes?
The smell must be other-worldly.
~ Karen Ritzenhoff

Undisturbed sleeps life, until at last the perfume of spring awakens the slumbering cold.
Cast out for another year is winter with it's worn soles and ragged cloak.
In sweeps spring like a visiting friend, wasting no time and sparing no cost,
for soon her reign will too be lost.
~ Terry Augustyn

~9~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

One Night Stand
“I’ve always had a thing for serious, shy girls,” he said, tossing his pants on the floor.
“They have what I like to call The Gratefulness Factor.” 
She refastened her bra.
~ Nancy Roman

Hero
He died in the Twin Towers, and was given a hero’s funeral. 
Her bruises had healed by then, so she made a lovely widow.
During the glorious eulogy, she stared at her ring, wondering how soon she could sell it.
~ Nancy Roman

Love’s Fault

 

Love is a diamond.
Strong, but fault-lined. 
With well placed words, it will shatter…
~ Ken Nolan

Baby Elephant Eyelashes

 

Don’t bat those eyes at me, little one; You had me at “hello”!
Do me one favor, please?
Grow no tusks; let them go…
~ Ken Nolan

 

As evening lowered toward darkness, she smiled to see the welcoming porch light
at number 33. 
She glided through a few dance steps, breathing in the sweet mist of lilacs. 
Happy tears bathed her smile as she ran up the steps to meet her mother for the
very first time!
~ Mary

~ 10 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

Circle
He was lost and weary when he spied a starling caught up in a tangle of brush.
Forgetting himself, he helped the bird free its talon from a thorny vine while he held the
anxious starling gently with his other.
As the loop came loose, he felt exhilarated, carried the bird to an open field, released it and
saw sunlight dance in the leaves of an ancient maple across the expanse as his new friend
circled back overhead.
~ John Fulkerson

At the Thai-Cambodian border, refugee advocates, sipping orange juice with salt in the
hot afternoon, sat on the hotel veranda and watched a man trundling a wheelbarrow of
durian fruit.
But, at six am, the ground shook with the feet of hundreds of running soldiers.
A jungle war, so close.
~ Carol Powers

Thanksgiving
Perhaps there was too much turkey and wine, definitely too much pie.
Pleasantly stuffed, the friends played passable tunes on Harrods party favor whistles.
Returning to Juilliard, the student nervously tried a few notes on her flute, paused and
with a smile gave thanks that her technique had escaped unscathed.
~ Chris King

On Sheldon Lane...
Two boys, a mom, and a dad are all at home and “in this together."
No one comes, no one goes, and somehow their gratitude grows.
As they acclimate to this life anew, they wonder how the experience
will affect their world view.
~ Sara Schuch

~ 11 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Leaves falling.
Snow consuming.
Flowers blooming. 
~ Reide Augustyn

When my family moved to Litchfield County in 1955, we briefly had a cottage on
an estate with a bird conservatory,a music cottage, a grape arbor, woods, and a magnificent view.
A Hungarian refugee camp was nearby; during the flood, food came by rowboat.
Where was this children’s paradise?
(This was a real place. If someone can identify the location, please let me know!)
~ Carol Powers

Wanted.
My cap, gown, soccer jersey, and prom dress.
Actually worn.
~ Lilly King

 

My mother would have died had she known they would bury her in someone else’s panties.
There were clear protocols in Kathryn’s Irish Catholic world. 
Yet in death, after eighty plus years of control, dressing her body in Sunday best she
“needed” an undergarment and a spare would do. 
~ Barbara Saska

After midnight Bozeman’s airport was closing and we were the last passengers to be picked
up from baggage claim. 
A last item was also waiting to be retrieved from the slowly circling carousel. 
One medical walker had to be missed by someone, somewhere.
~ Barbara Saska

~ 12 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Actually - while the idea of writing a three-sentence story is a sweet challenge; 
as I think about my life story, the actual writing is quite daunting.

  

My story is comprised of red ink, cross-outs, tear stains and lots of smiley faces!
Oh look, I actually did it!
~ Mary

She flees the house, its clapboards buried in layers of paint and secrets, to sit in the
multiplex and watch Leonardo di Caprio, in old-age makeup, nose into private lives.
Life is hard, she thinks, then drives away further into the darkness, the headlights
only going so far.
~ Toni Giarnese

Genetic secrets, not a secret anymore.
Now here’s some Hemingway humor…
ernest-hemingways-six-word-sequels.
~ Toni Giarnese

 

To think.
It all started with that simple act.
"Pass the mustard please."
~ Ken Blazier

I used to be at one with the sun.
Now I am a single star in an infinite galaxy.
I hope I am a sign; I hope to help someone.
~ Jim Kelleher

~ 13 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Amelia stared at the wall thinking of something to do.
She thought of a fire, cat, fish, everything you could imagine.
FINALLY, it came to her, her imagination!
~ Kamilah Keneshbaeva

She frowned while tapping her pencil against her notebook.
The assignment was due in two hours.
Her mind kept drifting as she replayed all of the words he had said to her last night.
~ Kelly Valuckas

Lazy cat soaked in sunbeams.
A hand gently stroked it's fur.
Puurr.
~ Kelly Valuckas

 

I held her and jumped.
Jumped not knowing what awaited;
trusting our love was stronger than the fires behind.
~ Austin Murkland

A relentless torrent of vindication fueled by hatred and spite and love, 
buried the small voice inside his soul.
He cried.
~ Austin Murkland

~ 14 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Morning light catching upward drifting  steam from my tea cup,
Ephemeral yet/and reassuring in the beauty of tiny events in time.
~ Victoria Elliot

On a quiet  snowbound morning,
I heard a tiny swoosh of a tulip petal dropping
Hitting the table like a muffled raindrop, pleasing me immensely.
~ Victoria Elliot

Company
“There’s the problem: you think I need counseling; I don’t.”  
The dirt road rounded a corner and disappeared down the hill while the buff Great Dane and the
black Standard Poodle, sniffing along the roadside, pretended not to understand the tones of our
voices. 
They enjoyed each other’s company.
~ Margaret Hunt

 

Leaf
Seems it was a long time ago, but may have only been a season.
I was the top, numero uno, the sun rose and set for me, I spread myself in glory with
those summer days.
Then I fell, red and dry, down and down, onto the cold damp ground.

~ Gary Sink

Psychobiography
We came.
We played.
We retired.
~ Julith Sink

~ 15 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

My dog really likes me and I have to thank her, for I am a better person because of her.
I am nicer, more attentive and caring, patient and talkative.
We do gossip quite frequently and do not always have the same views, but she knows all my
secrets.
~ Molly O'Neill-Lally

There are people that you may enjoy, good conversationalists, kind, thoughtful, helpful or
knowledgeable people.
I like funny thinkers, people who look at a good or bad situation and a funny thought just
pops out.
Unexpected fun, it is that type of person I am happy to laugh with.
~ Molly O'Neill-Lally

Once upon a time, a boy named Bobby went for a walk on the woods.
He came upon a white and pink unicorn playing basketball.
Bobby and the unicorn started a 1-on-1 game that they are still playing to this day.
~ Myles Wilson

 

The young woman patted her forehead quizzically, as if she hadn't really heard the masked man
seated opposite her.
"You must be kidding, doctor, a Covid 19 toe!"
With an anxious laugh, she got up, turned, and tore out to the street, her pain now manifest.
~ Robert Ober

She lays back, looks at the expanse of starry sky above her, and wonders where the term
“off the rails” comes from. 
The crack and hiss of the campfire offers a percussive baseline to the orchestral wildlife
around her. 
Closing her eyes, a contented sleep arrives on a silent wave
~ Rebecca Parilla

~ 16 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Bobby
Waking up to hear his voice cheers me up, leaving a smile on my face, yet annoys me, wishing I
could fall back to sleep.
As I make my way to him, I greet him with a “Hello."
What’s best about him is how he makes my day without even knowing.
~ Anna Pudlinski

Hymn for Maine
She gazed out the window at the changing light as lobstermen and women hauled their traps.
For the beauty of the earth!
The contented woman sighed as she turned her attention from the window to the fresh picked
blueberries awaiting their fate as muffins.
~ Cara Blazier

Hope
She listened to the howling wind wondering if snow had really fallen last night.
Wasn’t it already mid-May?
The disappointed woman dug into her closet’s back, searching for her gleefully
retired winter coat.
~ Cara Blazier

Sunrise serenity  
Early morning sun rising over the glistening ocean waves welcomed a new day.
Morning stillness gave rise to nature's music - water lapping against the shoreline,
seagulls singing while soaring overhead and gentle whistling of the ocean breeze.
I sought the peace and serenity of nature and rejoiced in it’s beauty.
~ Bridget A. Beauchaine

First came the plague. 
Nature rejoiced while man shuddered inside.
When the time of trial was over, the survivors emerged, dazed settlers on a new planet.
~ Joan O'Brien

~ 17 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

They say that, as time goes by,  we wither and we die.
But, as Else said to Bogie, "it's a crazy world, anything can happen."
Surely, that's the day and age we live in, yet the love we bestow on others does extend
our own lives, perhaps forever.
~ Robert Ober

It’s cold outside, my mind drifts to those brilliant, slow, summer days spent
lying in the grass by the pond dozing, turning golden in the sun.
I wait for those brilliant, slow, summer days as wind rushes down through
the valley like a freight train.
I must be patient.
~ Pamela Stockamore

My journey into summer camp promised to be an adventure.
Some days I felt like a statue, on other days I felt like a pigeon.
When I began to practice archery, I could not understand why
the arrow kept getting bigger until it hit me.
~ Cormac Zakriski 

The nurse was frantically searching the hallways of the nursing home.
She came upon handyman Roofus collapsed on the floor, laughing hysterically, and knew her
runaway must have passed by.
Roofus pointed to the corner - there was the resident terrier, grinning with the missing dentures
perfectly placed between his teeth.
~ Loraine Bellody

We stopped in unison at the crest of the hill and surveyed the broad field before us,
expanding into the distance.
My lover took my hand in his, and I laid my palm on his chest.
No witness, no ceremony, but the path before us was wide open.
~ Amanda Glover

~ 18 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Stardust spewing outward with a bang; coalescing in atomic substantiality.
Molecules thrumming with boundless energy; random matings forging elements.
Water swirling, gift from space, athirst for the breath of Life.
~ Colette Boyd

Aliens came.
Changes were made.
Margarine was abolished.
~ Devin Courtney

I went outside today.
Wow!
The End.
~ Jeff Savage

My Life Rules - Part 1
You start in diapers.
The only legitimate reason to get divorced is your partner needs it.
Only wear shoes that fit well and don't hurt you.
~ Gabriel Benet

My Life Rules - Part 2
A is A - Life is as beautiful as you make it.
Reality is the final arbiter.
You end up in diapers.
~ Gabriel Benet

~ 19 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

The Lights  
I am alone out here on this wilderness trail; there are lights coming through the darkness,
closer, ever closer. 
I hear no noise at all, only the unreal stillness. 
Now the lights stop in front of my tiny tent, but still there are no sounds, only the lights…..
~ Cathy Czachorowski

Flatline 
The beeping of my heart monitor is annoying. 
The hospital staff often assures me that I will soon recover from my accident. 
Ah, good, the beeping is slowing down, has settled into a less annoying but steady b-e-e-e-e-p…
~ Cathy Czachorowski

Pronouns
Once upon a time, I learned to use pronouns to confuse my readers and listeners. 
When I write or say “she” instead of “Georgina,” I let my victims guess who I mean, out of nearly
four billion worldly possibilities. 
I am glad they don’t outlaw pronouns.
~ Peter Tavino

Today I am   a happy dandelion dancing in the breeze.
I had always wanted to be a trumpeting daffodil.
Then I notice their family doesn't do as good a job social distancing.
~ Wendy McGaffey

Will you marry me?
Maybe.
But only if you tell me your name.
~ Sandra Ebner

~ 20 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

I now pronounce you Husband and Wife.
Do I get to be the Husband?
Your choice.
~ Sandra Ebner

Jon hunched over a pot of stale macaroni.
He reminisced of memories from when he was a kid, before he was alone on Earth,
desolated from all other human life.
His thoughts were disturbed by voices outside.
~ Landon Cahill

In the very heart of here, a river writhes dark and quick like a grey snake.
Above it, a steel bridge's skeletal fingers lock in bony prayer while below,
limb strewn banks slip to a torrent of possibilities.
Only those already drowning elsewhere fear it.
~ Peg Ford Pudlinski

Cape Cod Squall
As the tide came in, pieces of the plane washed ashore.
A couple huddled, watching from the windblown bluff, as the police gathered
a body floating face down in the breaking waves.
The beach was silent except for the crying gulls.
~ Sylvia K. Abbott

A boy’s older brother could run very fast and teased him mercilessly because try as he might,
he could not.
Then one day they both got coronavirus.
The boy lost twenty pounds and became a fast runner but his brother never lived to see it.
~ Devin Courtney

~ 21 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Pup
If words could describe the white patience falling inside, there would be no need for this gesture. 
One hand rests on her heart, and the other cradles her best friend. 
Where skin meets fur, a child is conceived, to bear light in the certainty of vanishing.
~ Phoebe Fulkerson

Family always together with no one ever missing from the dinner table. 
No more running around. 
Time together that we will always remember with no interruptions.
~ Maura Malo

I was 18 years old and an immobilized patient at an Army Hospital.
My mother needed me to call her every Sunday.
A Black patient named John carried me down 3 flights of stairs to an outdoor phone booth on
Sundays holding me in his arms while I spoke to mom.
~ Charles Gill

The TCM music resounds from the TV letting you know a movie is about to begin. 
Lily, our dog, runs to the sofa with nose to the TV. 
If we hear her bark we know the MGM lion has appeared, otherwise she sinks down on the sofa
with sad eyes.
~ Debbie Helck

I am old.
Each day, as the sun rises outside my bedroom window, realization sets in that I am getting older.
But, as I continue to age, I also realize I am not getting any bolder, except maybe with my virtual
bridge games.
~ Gault, Jerry

~ 22 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Having so much fun viewing the wildlife; the fox has been a source of daily amusement. 
Except for the screams one evening! 
Thought about putting my house on the market for the next couple of hours.
~ Linda Blakely

The cardinal’s back after an absence of two years.
Crow walked around the pond taking delicate sips this morning. 
Fox chased a squirrel to the base of a tree yesterday. 
I think I need to get out more!
~ Linda Blakely

I woke up this morning.
I am healthy.
Life is good!
~ Jeff Savage

I was a law student when our first child was born in DC delivered by the same MD
that delivered JJ Kennedy.
We hadn’t planned parenthood very well and we lacked insurance coverage and dollars.
That’s when I had my first legal experience in negotiating, and I won my first case!
~ Charles Gill

Cynthia watched him wade out of the surf.
He had not seen her on the deck of the cottage perched above the beach,
so she didn’t feel self conscious.
He was as she had been told, at that age where anything seems possible and, for all she knew,
might be.
~ Anthea Disney

~ 23 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Her flight was long and arduous but at least Immigration wasn’t a problem. 
Below she saw the river valleys and the greening hills and knew she was close to home.
Soon, a little voice cried out, “Mommy, our hummingbird came back!;” a small joy had brightened
these darkest of days.
~ Frank Kerrigon

The one thing in life that is perpetual and guaranteed to stay,
No matter the reason or the season or the day,
Is change.
~ Matt Terzian

Five baby chicks arriving in the mail,
Not much bigger than a central coast snail,
A week later double their size and ready to blaze a trail.
~ Matt Terzian

She bought it.
The taste was not what she anticipated.
Then, a delightful explosion of flavors.
~ Rosemarie Hrevo

It was barely noticeable in the slight elongated depression in the grass, but there a modest
testament protected by the strong and graceful arms overhead.
A pair happened by after 150 years who cared for and cleaned her to proclaim we're never
forgotten.
Humanity is one family in West Cemetery.
~ Ann Combs

~ 24 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

I am a tree hugger walking in the woods treading on trails softened by pine needles gazing at the
clouds through leafless branches my spirits are lifted.
Shinruku is forest bath intending to be cleansed by the trees.
I wrap my arms around feel vibrations, tree’s spirit into mine.
~ Fran Clem

Morning and I wake up weeping, writing through a watery blur, hoping to put my sadness
down by putting pen to paper.
Finding another hurting soul to offer comfort is spirit raising for us both.
Burdens lifted, smiling, I sing thanks for this day, family, friends, home, health and faith.
~ Fran Clem

There once was a time when her hopes and dreams blossomed like wild flowers in a
beautiful meadow.
Her life's journey was filled with rocky roads and mountains to climb alone.
Until one day the love of her life came to sweep her away to a field of happiness forever.
~ Joanne White

History was never my favorite subject in school, as it contained the most difficult facts for me
to remember.
Today's children are living through an extraordinary historical event impacting the entire world.
They are learning history through experience and will retain this knowledge forever.
~ Joanne White

The year 2020.
Easter has come, Easter has gone.
And Nature has laid an egg..
~ John Lally

~ 25 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Inside his enormous brain was some tidbit of information on every imaginable topic,
from how to make a tortilla, to the anatomy of an infinite black hole.
Holding my hand on his death bed, he told me “Facts are the easy stuff, it’s relationships
that are hard to figure out.”
~ Emily

She was yelling the words, her voice broken, straining over the sound of the wind. 
From the top of the tree he looked down on her, him finally above, her far below. 
As he loosened his grip and took flight, the words grazed his ear, “I do love you.”
~ Emily

Multitasking
Jack adjusted his necktie and considered how swallowing pills makes sense when you're sick of
swallowing failures.
What was it that drove him to protect the giant ibis and small wrens even as he abandoned his
own family?
"That's all, folks, thanks," Jack ended the Audubon Society meeting.
~ Emily Randall

He pondered the meaning?
Long and hard looked into the eyes of his reflection.
The answer staring back, an abyss.
~ Jay Abbott

The empty screen of snow-white light called:
“Write only what you know.
Write only what you know.”
~ Jo-Ann Iannotti

~ 26 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

Carrying boats to the river, floating down the current, sun spilling through the trees, waving good
bye to the passing scenes.
Birds shout over the babbling brook, warm warnings of summer waft up from downstream.
Hoots and hollers follow obstacles overcome, racing to beat the falling sun.
~ Augie Hurtado

The day she was born her mama looked into her solemn eyes, saying,
“Girl, you’re gonna be someone.”
She hadn’t cried at birth or in life, her brown eyes focused.
A smile played upon her lips as wet earth hit the cedar box below and
dry-eyed she turned on heel.
~ Jennifer Abbott-Tillou

I awoke from a deep sleep and rubbed my eyes. 
The stars were so bright, I felt I could reach out and touch them. 
And so...I did.
~ Vivian Courtney

The bird landed on the feeder and looked through the window. 
Silently we watched each other. 
Finally the bird flicked its wings - in acknowledgement I thought - turned around and flew away.
~ Vivian Courtney

Mother turned away to check on my brothers as the tall woman stooped to pick me up.
Tucked firmly in the woman’s arms, I inhaled heady scents of bread and cut grass while my racing
heartbeat slowed to match hers.
I kissed my new mother, wagging my tail.
~ Peggy Terhune

~ 27 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

His eldest sister had once told him he was adopted, that he wasn’t really family.
Kell thought he looked like the rest of them, though tendrils of uncertainty wove themselves
into his thoughts.
When he found the envelope labeled “Baby Kell,” he held it, then put it away, unopened.
~ Peggy Terhune

Four Saturdays and a Sunday, then two days off from work.
Not so long ago it was reversed, we had a five day work week and two days off.
Oh, how I long for my old schedule, going to work is so much easier than living this new normal.
~ Anne Haas

Let me please introduce myself, Thomas Cat, a handsome, dapper fellow, with coat of gold and
proud tall tail. 
I live in Litchfield with my two humans, my bratty sister Xenia, who thinks she rules the abode, HA!
I eat, sleep, play, then sleep again, life is good, the end.
~ Julith Sink

Cowboy
Youngest I remember, t’was 4 years old, and was given leather holsters with six guns, real chaps,
a hat, with vest and a real live horse.
I worshiped the westerns, lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, cowboys and Indians, I’m quarter Comanche,
1954 my dreams had come true.
They took a picture.
~ Gary Sink

The waves swept me to an airport.
A plane flew me to a house. 
A lockdown came and this was never to be heard of.
~ Olivia Terzian

~ 28 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

“May I speak to the ocean?” I say, picking up my souvenir shell.
“To talk to the trash, please press pound, to talk to the sunken ship, please press one. 
To talk to the amoebas, please press three.”
~ Olivia Terzian

Quarantine
 At home, with family, gloves, masks, and Lysol.
~ Hadley Ford

Travis and Bella live with Mama and Grampa Mouse under the toolbox,
in the greasy-smelling red rag at the Falkenbury Hill RV Shop. 
Today has been the best day ever since Grampa brought back a pile of
donut crumbs before we all scampered into an Airstream to begin our journey.
~ Molly Worden

Covid Joy
I trade my blue surgical masks for almond butter and Purell.
I do the exchange on my friends’ front step, with no contact, but the almond butter is worth it.
It’s my joy and, I’m told, now is a time to do whatever it is that brings you joy.
~ Patricia Karpas

Everything Changes
Everything changes.
She knew that of course, but the tender ache of letting go tugged at her with a force all too
familiar.
She’d felt these heart pangs before, saying goodbye to people she’d loved, but these moments
multiply over time and come with unexpected velocity with each new surrender.
~ Patricia Karpas

~ 29 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

It had been a long night: remarkably disturbing, eerily normal, yet not.
Most unsettling was the uncertainty.
But as the morning sun streamed through her kitchen window, Celeste found comfort in its
warmth, newfound strength in herself, and the beginning of knowing she’d be OK.
~ MaryAnn Poinelli

Dumbfounded by his luck, Brad wracked his brain for three perfect wishes.
Irritated, the genie tried to keep the rubbing sounds from hurting her ears.
She hoped this scatter-brained child would place his order soon so she could get to
the movies with that sophisticated genie from the neighboring lamp.
~ MaryAnn Poinelli

Unlike the Aladdin's lamp of old, the heat from the President's agitated and constant rubbing
has constricted the golden metal and prevented the genial genie's release.
~ Tom Hines

A plan, a date, a rare social engagement in a world no longer normal.
Anticipation woke me before the alarm.
First the beautiful sunrise then later, yonder, the smile of a friend greeted me.
~ Denise

I’m at the top of the tunnel slide and the fun has just begun!
Now I’m in the tunnel slide and there’s hardly any sun!
Now I’m in the grass, rolling, rolling…let’s do it again rite now!
~ Emma Schildgen

~ 30 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

"I'm still here," sang his breath in her ear, "I shall never leave." 
The dress, that pretty, shameful dress, unearthed afresh, lay dirty and torn with silent reproach. 
Though hard she tries, no realm to reach, and bury it deep, her frantic arms can breach.
~ Kristen

Never will I forget her sable soft skin and bush baby eyes, wide and wild with fright reflecting
like diamonds in the brilliant Salone sun, and the glint of steel flashing towards her outstretched
slender arm.
 “Brother help me! I am frightened!”
 “Shut your eyes.”
~ Kristen

He owned more books than he could read.
He broke more hearts than he could fix.
"Sauce on the side, please."
~ Cameron Hines

"You'd look better if you smiled more."
"Nice ass, bitch."
She continued to the grocery store.
~ Cameron Hines

The sad dog was staring at the $5 can of food, the exact amount in John’s wallet.
John looked woefully at the candy in the window, then back to the dog.
Just seeing the look of happiness on the dog’s face as he lowered the open can made
him ecstatic.!
~ Maeve Hickey

~ 31 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

In the beginning, I swam in 2 pools, the first filled with deep ethnic and parochial experiences,
the second with a broader blend of cultures and perspectives.
Several oceans, cities, degrees, and a wonderful family later, I’m finishing my 6th decade.
I learned how to swim in that first pool.
~ Louis

Beach Bonding
The campfire is crackling and the waves are crashing lightly. 
Under a moonlit sky we cook S'mores and tell tall tales. 
We have been on the beach for almost twelve hours,
but no one is in a hurry for this magical day to end.
~ Pat Kelly

One day we were going to the Oliver Wolcott Library.
First we returned some books then we went to get some books and I got Babysitter’s Club.
I think it will be a good book then I went to the checkout desk and then went home and read my
book.

~ Sheree Worden

One day two fox were in the den then an owl swooped down and got one mouse.
It was humongous.
Then it went back to its tree and ate the big, big mouse.
~ Sheree Worden

Two women are out for a walk.
It's their daily routine.
Talk, talk, talk, talk, talk.
~ Scotty B

~ 32 ~

The OWL 3-Sentence Literary Competition

 

It started to rain.
But it smelled nice.
So I didn't go inside..
~ Scotty B

She stepped on the moss-covered rock in the middle of the rushing brook.
She paused, briefly, thinking of all who had stepped here before: the prospectors, the hunters,
the gatherers, those seeking solace or solitude, the women, the helpers, the takers.
She looked forward and stepped onto the piney earth.
~ Courtney

A Healing Cut
In one big hospital, two little beds hold two strangers: one with a beautiful braid and one totally
bald, as medicine drips.
Sally spies scissors and snip goes her braid; snip-snip.
“Why?” croaks Tanisha and Sally replies, “So we both are bald…and brave” whereby two friends,
bald and brave, heal.
~ Jane M. Bailey

Voices
Weird Uncle Ralph wears flowered shirts, tells jokes and makes me laugh while Dad says,
“Get a job Ralph.”
Uncle Ralph’s voices say, “Go to bed!” before his magic trick ends and he listens to his voices,
but not to Dad.
I think Ralph needs love more than a job.
~ Jane M. Bailey

~ 33 ~