In our teens, we wore our badges of abandonment with great pride. We spoke in shades of grey, outdoing one another as we sunk deeper into our pits of self-loathing. But there was one who could out-dark us all. A master whose words painted a picture that would stay with us long after the burdens of youth. Many years later, I saw him crumpled at the bar, the toll of too much darkness evident in the depth of his scotch. I thought to offer him a drink, but instead I walked away.

his mother
taught him the rules
of the ouija
we played his game
until the sun came out

—Semi-finalist, KYSO Flash HTP Writing Challenge

Urszula Funnell

is a poet and author who lives in Brighton, England. Her works appear in a variety of online publications and have won placings in a number of contests, including first place in the TSA Tanka Prose Contest 2015, and second place in Mandy’s Pages Tanka Prose Contest 2015.

More on the Web: By, About, and Beyond

⚡ Winners of the Annual Tanka Contest 2015 at Mandy’s Pages, judged by Claire Everett, editor of the Skylark tanka journal, and David Terelinck, editor of GUSTS: Contemporary Tanka