That summer the churches stopped selling religion.
You had to know a guy who knew a guy.
I was living by the ocean with a sea captain’s daughter.
He brought home boxes of the stuff.
We shared holy communion. We wept through miracles.
Her and me. Us and the sea.
Bob Thurber is the author of “Paperboy: A Dysfunctional Novel” and two collections of stories. A celebrated master of Flash and Micro Fiction, his work has appeared in 60 anthologies, received dozens of awards, and been used in schools and colleges throughout the world. He resides in Massachusetts where, though legally blind, he continues to write every day. Visit his website at BobThurber.net.
A quick favourite. Good thing I know this guy, who knows a guy …
A tiny jewel, a whole world reflected in a raindrop.
The first line is offensive to those who take their Spiritual life seriously.
I agree that the tang of the tale may be interrupted as bitter or sweet depending on the taste of the reader. But one shouldn’t surrender to the temptation to find indignation in such a small and ephemeral prose creation. Better to chalk it up to devilishly good fun in the exercise of voice and character within the limit of 50 words. All good wishes. All good spirit.
BT
For what it’s worth, Brandy, I am a committed Christian. I do not personally interpret Bob’s story as an kind of attack on spirituality, though I can understand how someone else might.
That said, even if I did read Bob’s story as overtly anti-religious, I would not take that as grounds to exclude it from the site, unless it was being intentionally inflammatory (as opposed to thought-provoking, for example).
I hope that the readers on this site, and especially the commenters, can appreciate that we all come from different backgrounds and perspectives, and interact with one another’s work in that light. Or, put more simply: let’s be civil! :)
Your spiritual life is important to one person: it is important to you. (As it should be.) Impossible to speak for the rest of us. The line is powerful; nuanced and rich. For how many millennia have religions been in the business of selling something?
Protentious piffle,,,
My point, exactly. ‘>/
People who get stoned in glasshouses shouldn’t throw thingies… Damn, I liked it.
With three chances out of ten, guess who’ll win?
A foregone conclusion under the circumstances………
I liked it. Keep expressing and writing just as you do! Well done!