PHOTO PROMPT © Douglas M. MacIlroy
I’m sure you have heard of the Bluebird of Happiness. You may have even know the Chicken of Despair*.
I was visited by a different bird.
After the great success of my opening lines from last week’s FF, I thought I had made the big time. Fame and fortune couldn’t be far behind.
I was lulled by the tapping of the old Underwood, but the taps continued even after I lifted my hands.
I turned.
It was at the window, watching.
When it caught my eye, the Mockingbird of Mocking started its song:
“It was a dark and stormy night….”
***
* The Chicken of Depression is from a Far Side comic strip, but I like the name Chicken of Despair better…
Note – Last week I started The Great American Novel with those words…
***
Word count = 100
Friday Fictioneers is hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields. This week’s prompt is here and uses a photo © Douglas M. MacIlroy. Read more or join in by following the InLinkz “linky“.
Trent's World (the Blog) 
The chicken of despair is a disappointing sunday lunch. Good stuff
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Yeah, I’ve had that dish too. Try to avoid it during the pot luck lunches… Thanks.
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I reckon the “Mockingbird of Mocking” goes very well with “It was a dark and stormy night” for his novel :-)
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Yes, it isn’t quite a clever name and rolls of the tongue with as much distaste as that infamous first line… ;)
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The chicken of despair. I LIKE that :)
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lol, the poor mockingbird in the photo has all of its thunder stolen by the dreaded Chicken of Despair ;)
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Chicken of despair, too funny. :)
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lol, the poor mocking bird posed so pretty for the picture and the Chicken of Despair gets all of the attention…
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Perhaps the little bird is your muse, trying to tell you something; “It was a dark and stormy night and all good people are tucked up in bed. A lonely figure strode down the street, hood pulled tight across the face . . .
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Perhaps, perhaps. Mockingbirds are very cool and are very smart, so it could be trying to tell me something….
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The Chicken of Despair has my Seal of Approval ;-)
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lo, thanks. i just hope you never have to be visited by it…
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What a horrific thought! A mocking bird endlessly repeating our deathless prose! Great story, though.
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Personally, I am very happy that this particular bird has not visited me mocking my literary attempts. Yet. Thanks.
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This was great. Love the Far Side! And damn those Mocking Birds anyway…
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For some reason, when I wrote the word, I was thinking, “I’m really influenced by Mozart and Bach. it’s sort of in between them. it’s a mock piece…”.. The Far Side is great!
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Love it!!
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If you didn’t get the reference – the original Spinal Tap movie…
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This was a fun read, Trent :)
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Thanks!
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You’re welcome :)
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LOL Well-done, Trent!
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Thanks!
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Great take on the photo prompt, Trent. Love ‘the chicken of despair’!
Susan A Eames at
Travel, Fiction and Photos
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Thanks! You do -not- want to be visited by the Chicken of Despair!
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There’s always some critic mocking us!
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Yes, there is! Though I may listen to this one ;)
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Chicken of Despair… Love it! :)
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Thanks, Penny. I don’t quibble with words with Gary Larson often, but for this case… ;)
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Dear Trent,
I love Chicken of Despair. And I was a huge Far Side fan. Great minds think alike. We’ll just keep working on that Great American Novel, no? Yes.
Shalom and stay well,
Rochelle
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I will keep working on that Great American Novel, but maybe I will change the first line. How does, “It was the best of times to work on my novel; it was the worst of times to socialize.” sound?
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Keep working on it, Trent. ;)
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Not there yet? Darn.. ;)
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Perhaps you would like us to call you Ishmael?
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Hey, yeah, the perfect beginning for The Great American Novel! “Call me Ish..” oh, wait. That name was used in the Bible, wasn’t it? So it might not be so original… ;)
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