Twenty-seven years.
You lean into your pencil. Learn shape, shadow, perspective.
Graphite grey, iron ore, steel shackles shatter in negative space.
Routine-etched canyons crease your skin.
Portraits come to life. Denzel, Biggie, Beyonce. Your cellie’s mother from an old, worn photograph. Your daughter from a news clipping. Celebrating. Without you.
Paul D’Arcy tells stories. All real. Most brief. You can read more at pauldrc.com.
My first published story! 🥳 How FUN!
Yay beautifully written for a first published story!
Thank you, Millie 🙏
Thought provoking. A perfect example of what micro flash should be. Looking forward to more from you.
Thank you 🙏
Well done..
Thank you, Carol. How kind of you.
Stunning, Paul. It kept unfolding as I kept re-reading. Incarcerated gentle moments. 🙏🏼
Hey, thanks, Gabe. Thank you 🙏
I have to read and reread to digest it well. It’s what I can even swear others did too. Fine work.
Thank you 🙏
Well done, Paul. Keep writing. Keep submitting.
Thank you, Ducklady!
This is great.
Thanks, Sue!
Great job. Congratulations! Well deserved story of the month
How did I miss this first time around? Superb. Years ago, I worked on a project in the Rhode Island prisons with a woman who taught art classes to the inmate — I wish she could read this. As a strong piece of microfiction does, you’ve suddenly triggered a lot of visceral memories.
Thank you, Joanna 🙏 – What a great connection. ☺️
Story of the year! So well earned and I’m glad this means it will be more widely read – that last line . . .
Congrats on winning the 2025 laurels.
‘Routine-etched canyons crease your skin’ is brilliant!
So touching. Thank you.
Congrats Paul! Amazing, loved it.
Brilliant and very well crafted story. Congratulations!
As I do life drawing and portraiture, right up my street! I once wrote a short story set in Italy called Chiaroscuro. I particularly liked your “steel shackles shatter in negative space”.
Yes. Congratulations. A deserving winner.
Great story – love it. The way details are slowly revealed (like a drawing takes shape).