Flash Friday – “Seen at Last”

Posted on by johnmarkmiller

I’ve never attempted to produce a 150-word Flash Friday challenge entirely in Haiku…

But it’s a new year, and there’s a first time for everything.

Enjoy!

spying_1972_daniel_teoli_jr_cc3 photo

Seen at Last

 

His breath came in gasps,

Hot tears splashed on the pavement,

But no one noticed.

His father beat him,

His mother was high…again,

But no one knew this.

Teachers found him rude,

Some wondered if he could talk,

But no one asked him.

His stomach grumbled,

He searched for trash on the street,

No one paid him mind.

 

He asked for money,

Was shoved – rough – against a wall,

No one stopped to care.

Salted tears burned deep,

His young face, gashed and bleeding,

No one seemed to see.

The street box was cool,

And as he clung to its strength,

He saw a window.

He found a boy there,

And gazed into mirrored eyes,

He saw everything.

He stayed a long time,

Unable to move his legs,

He spied on himself.

A smile touched his lips,

It just felt so good, you see…

Just to be noticed…

 

Seen at last.

“Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to Me.”

Matthew 25:40

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Photo Credit:  “Spying,” 1972.  CC3 Photo by Daniel Teoli, Jr.

30 thoughts on “Flash Friday – “Seen at Last””

  4. You are brave to attempt a flash fiction haiku! I steer clear of flash fiction (mostly because I stink at fiction and I know it) and while I’ve written haiku with my children during our English lessons, I don’t know that I could use it to tell an entire story. Great job! Can’t say that I loved the story because it was painful, and yet I enjoyed reading it because the truth and depth of the words once again reminded me that as a follower of Christ this life must be more than just about me.

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    1. Thanks…this one was painful to write, but I found the photo prompt painful to see and couldn’t help but write it this way.

      You may not stink at fiction as much as you think! You’re already a story-teller, you’d just be telling someone else’s story!

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  8. Wow.
    Poignantly beautiful is the description that came to mind while reading this. It is very well-written, yet creates an almost tangible sense of the ache of rejection and loneliness.
    It begs the question: Do I see? Do I care enough to reach out to the one who needs to know that Someone does indeed care.

    You’ve done a great job of illustrating the importance of Jesus’ words in Matthew 25

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I'm a husband, father of two, pastor, private school principal and teacher who enjoys writing flash fiction as well as articles on life and art...thanks for stopping by!