I had to find something “clean” to share with everyone because most of his standup is R A U N C H Y and full of cuss words, but I am here for this. Think Dave Chappelle and Richard Pryor had a love-child. It would be Ali Siddiq. The backstory for him is to be respected. He has been through so much, and I am happy to see him take his pain, form it into a method of therapy he can share with others, and become successful.
If you want to see some more of his hilarious delivery, go here.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
Flash Fiction: A Wayne Donald and Kinley Chris Adventure
The image above is by Erwin Bosman on Pexels. It depicts three chickens perched on a branch. The chickens appear to ascend in height from left to right; the leftmost chicken being mostly brown, the one at center being mostly white, and the rightmost being mostly black.
Wayne Donald stares outside their upstairs bedroom window. She is scratching the curly, messy knot of hair on her head while she huffs and breathes outwardly in exasperation.
“You gon’ tell Charlie ’bout them chickens of theirs cluckin’ about in the yard again, Kinley Chris, or do I have to put on my knickers and go on over there and do it myself?”
Wayne Donald is in rare form this morning. It is a raging hot Sunday in the depths of the South, and wandering chickens are the last things she wants to deal with the day before going back to school. The girls had been out for Christmas break, enjoying every moment of freedom their grandmother would allow, and now… the countdown to back-to-school has begun.
“Who out there?! Which ones? Some, I don’t mind. I put some chicken feed out near the fence yesterday morning—might be sopping that up.”
“Looks like Helen, Lucy, and Quack.” She squints her eyes to look closer outside of their upstairs bedroom window—zooming in with imaginary binoculars. “Yeah… that’s definitely Helen, Lucy, and Quack.”
Kinley Chris looks up from an adventurous book she had been reading, keenly stares at her younger sister, and nods in approval.
“Long as it’s not those other demon birds, I say, let them be. Charlie Rhett and ‘nem are at church anyway at this hour. It ain’t no need bangin’ on their door about some harmless chickens just cuz you don’t like the way they cluck.”
“They irritate me, Kinley Chris, and I just can’t take it. Why you gotta put that chicken feed out on Sunday mornings when I wanna sleep in?”
“Who are you to tell me where and when to put chicken feed, Wayne Donald? It’s late morning, and you shoulda been up about an hour ago anyway. Don’t get on my bad side before noon.”
Wayne Donald shuffles off to her bed, plops her flimsy body back down, tucks her face underneath the sheets, and fake-sobs. Through the sheets, she continues her argument with her big sister.
“I’m just sayin’… they cluck and squawk and make so much noise while they’re eatin’, Kinley Chris. How can you even read with all that racket walkin’ in through the window?”
“You were just up, Wayne Donald. You could’ve closed the window, silly. They aren’t that loud, and it’s too early to be complainin’. Get yourself a few more winks in, and I’ll go downstairs in a bit and fetch us some breakfast. If Helen, Lucy, or Quack laid some eggs, we’ll have us a mighty fine batch of eatin’.”
To this, Wayne Donald does not debate. She turns over, snuggles up into a ball, and closes her eyes. “Fifteen more minutes,” she says. “Fifteen more minutes.”
This piece is my offering for this week’s Melissa’s Fandango Flash Fiction Challenge, #353.I love it when these two sisters start speaking to me. When I saw the prompt roll out this past Monday, and those chickens staring back at me, I said, “Ha! Wayne Donald and Kinley Chris,” so here we are. Thank you so much for reading.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
Thank you for helping me choose a name for Zumi’s toy sea turtle
Zumi’s New Friend photo collage. Photo Credit: Tremaine L. Loadholt
Many of you participated in choosing a “C” name for Zumi’s new friend, a beautiful toy sea turtle, gifted to us by one of my friends. From the previous post that brought on this one, the names were: Cricket, Charlley, and Coral.
I shared the post with at least ten of my closest friends and acquaintances. They chimed in with their selections, and we have named this little beauty.
saddled sea turtle with most voted for “C” name fits it perfectly
And the name that received the most votes is… *vigorous drumroll*
Charlley!
Honestly, I am incredibly happy that this is the name most people wanted for our new little addition. Charlley was riding high initially, ahead by 4 votes, but Coral picked up massive speed from many of my friends. Cricket only had three votes by Saturday night, so it never had a chance. The end results: Charlley: 7 votes, Coral: 6 votes, and Cricket: 3 votes.
Thank you to everyone who took an interest in participating in our little fun experiment! I appreciate your presence here, and I am grateful to be able to share the little things in my life that bring me a spot of joy with all of you.
Peace and blessings.
Happy Sunday, beautiful people!
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
I admire writers who can turn words into endless quotable lists. Poetry is meant to be consumed at any given time, and every offering of jagged remnants of you is digestible at all hours of every day.
Barry Dawson Jr. IV, (BJ Dawson) is one such writer. He and I have collaborated on many pieces of poetry, meshing our words and methods together for a tad over twenty years.
I get him. He gets me. Our efforts have not been in vain, and if life favors us, we can expect more collaborative pieces in the future.
For now, please enjoy the review I have done for his second book of poetry, which is currently listed on Lulu and awaiting global distribution by other book retailers.
As a long-time collaborator and lover of wordplay, BJ Dawson did not disappoint with his second offering of poetry, “jagged remnants of you: This Chapbook Was Supposed To Be A Love Note.”
I knew when I cracked open this gem, I would find elements of Frost, Hughes, Plath, Shakespeare, and Baldwin. I also knew that I would feel the pulse of Run DMC, The Roots, Yasiin Bey, and KRS-One.
BJ has managed to lend the subject of love to us as its most undressed and wanted self. There is beauty in the ugliness of the word, whether it be stoic or in action.
Quotables are on nearly every page, and as a writer and reader of poetry, I could not contain my excitement while highlighting phrases and making notes in the margins.
This is an exceptional work of art; a masterpiece on love; the lack of it, attaining & loss of it, and the hope for it to one day show its face again wherever we may seek it, and I applaud BJ’s knowledge of love and how best to write about it.
Not only did he gift us poetry in various forms about a thing many of us have yet to grasp perfectly, but he ended the book on a brilliant note: “I am fresh out of spells and right now, I sure do miss you with a vicious numbness that just won’t let go.” Now if this isn’t a “flawless victory,” in the land of literary victors, I don’t know what is.”
It is one thing to read a person’s work, critique it, and bask in it because you know they are going to put their all into it and so much more, just as you would. It is entirely another when you read their work and get lost in it, and all you want to do is share it with others because it’s just that good.
BJ, my friend, take a damn bow. You truly deserve it.
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
This coming year, let there be more love than hate and more guidance than hindrance.
2026 New Year’s Digital Holiday Card, created with Canva.
My wish for the new year: may we continue to drop our masks & unlearn ourselves, to seek softness & grace, never to yield. unless to beauty, to truth, to light… may we belong to ourselves, & ourselves alone, & build communities where every woman is free, where we help one another & share with each other out of duty of compassion, out of love. – Kamand Kojouri
HAPPY NEW YEAR, WORDPRESS COMMUNITY!
Have you gotten your copy of Séduire: Serial Tales & Flash Fiction at Lulu in E-Book& Paperback versions, or Amazon in Paperback(only) yet?
I am on Substack as well. Poking the Bear’s Belly for Fun is a place of healing, as I discussrecent events related to my previous place of employment, including racism and discrimination, the growth I experienced after resigning from that company, and the foibles and overall experiences of life. I welcome your visit.
One of my dearest friends, Poohbs, decided to send a gift for Zumi Tye along with the items I purchased from her website. When I opened the box housing the items that would now be new features in our home, this little buddy had been wrapped separately and packaged along with everything.
I have placed the new addition in Zumi Tye’s terrarium to see how Zumi takes to it, and well… So far, Zumi hasn’t really paid much attention to it. I’m sure Zuse probably senses that it’s a toy or not a living being, but I still want to see how Zuse reacts to its presence over the next few days.
Naming things is typically my claim to semi-fame, but I would appreciate some input from all of you. I have listed three potential names for Zumi’s new friend. Which of the three should this lovely beauty of a toy be saddled with?
Cricket
Charlley
Coral
I hope you’ve enjoyed the photo montage I’ve created of Zumi Tye and such a wonderfully colored toy sea turtle. I’ll update everyone after the new year on which name I have selected, taking into account the input from all of you in the comments.
A Cornered Gurl 
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