55Friday: the compendious edition

Once upon a time on SM,
we had a fun weekly tradition
called “55Friday”.


Everyone wrote flash fiction,
or tiny stories
which contained exactly 55 words
(no more, no less).
That was the beauty–
and the challenge–
of doing it.


I miss reading
that voodoo
you readers do.
So, let’s start again. 🙂

(Even this post is 55 words.)

35 thoughts on “55Friday: the compendious edition

  1. My brother had a baby boy, starting his own dynasty in a middle land. For he is my King that I will one day stand by once I have walked the road I must go down. I listen to the sound of rhymes and wonder if there is a crime of loving you, penda maker.

  2. there was a cow with a giant willy. you may say cows dont have willy’s. dont be silly.

    but this was a special cow. it wasnt a strap on dong. this cow was a hermaphrodite.

    the story goes on that the cow had a calf, and this calf was lactose intolerant.

    That worked out well.

  3. In Bombay there was a strange little boy whose big toe grew to become a plant that people worshiped without reservation. That little boy said my big toe will grow to the moon. When it kept growing people said if it keeps growing the moon will eat us. That ended the strange little boy’s toe.

  4. Cannot without theme suggestion (there’s a reason I’ve never gotten around to applying for grad school)!

    Maybe the theme is hidden in A N N A’s 55.

    that voodoo you readers do.
  5. The bullet. It came out from the barrel. I blinked. Once. Twice. It pierced my brows and curded my brain. Time stood still. And time wound back. I felt the bullet crawling out. I blinked. Twice. Once. The bullet went inside the barrel. It broke out from the hammer. And killed the shooter. The bullet.

  6. There was a guy named Bose

    who tried to 55s compose.

    He failed at the sport,

    because he wrote them too short.

  7. After an unusual delay, the cobra emerged from her basket, but this time with a different look in her eyes. The snakecharmer lowered his flute, entranced by her gaze.

    Hissing, she suddenly struck his wrist, and escaped into the ensuing camouflage of confusion.

    The snakecharmer collapsed. It always was but a simple matter of time.

  8. Gupta dropped out of government work, Couldn’t give up that pharmaceutical perk

    That’s not true you jealous desi.

    He said I like my job, I have a fulfilling life. I don’t want to spend less time with my wife

    Plus I’m aging and so is my brood, More time at home will lighten my mood.

  9. There was one dark skinned boy who was born and raised in a small village located somewhere in the southern part of India with her four little love birds, two cows, three pet dogs and a grayish white cat. He always felt ashamed of his skin color……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..Bhoom…..!!!!!……………………there you go…SRK endorses bleaches now….!!!

  10. Going out every night was never for me

    Until today when I am not young And still husband free

    Thursday night I met a guy That wasn’t meant to be

    So much time spent talking and flirting Why didn’t we just see

    Drowned my sorrows In more than one long island iced tea

  11. Thomachen couldnt buy the Sony TV because his brother Vareechan didnt get paid the last two months because Dubai’s construction boom has evaporated because global investment and demand is down because U.S. banks are going under because the US consumers took home equity loans they couldnt afford because they wanted a Sony Plasma TV.

  12. I told Maya that I wanted to burn like dry wood in her embrace. She took a few steps towards me and crumbled to a pile of ash. A gentle wind blew and took her, merging her with the night sky. I stood there, watching her go, smelling her sweet smell for the last time.

  13. After a long time,I am happy. My children have returned. They will come to me,all would be forgiven. The trees that I planted to mark their birth and atone for my forefathers’ sins are crackling with energy. My children forgot them but I didn’t. After all, I am buried under one of them.

  14. I saw a girl, we had a drink. The problem is, I don’t drink. Went back to her place, threw up on her shoes. It was alright, she has more then one pair. However, only one TV set. We both cuddled all night. She snuggled a teddy bear, I had the toilet. We’re in love.

  15. I shot a man, just to watch him whine, He says, “That really hurt!” I say, “Good, that’s the point.” Then he started crying, and that’s no fun. A whimper is fine, but yeesh. Grow up. He cries, “Well, why don’t you try it?” I’ve always had problems with dares. I was a stupid man.

  16. Haruki Murakami in my blender. the picture is gruesome.

    yellow blood, black ink, spraying all over my kitchen sink. I’s of eye splatter, crossing T’s of teeth; no more prizes for him.

    paper, thicker than blood– needs no translation. sorry old man, pouring you into afterlife requires clean-up time.

    my mistake: mixing literature and lunch.

  17. Wide awake, I’m struggling to fall asleep. The 55; I can do it or count sheep. Texel, Dorper, Dorset, Karakul, or Doll I don’t think that Doll makes any wool at all. Who cares about sheep I met a girl today. Well I knew her before; tonight changed the way. Kadachit in slumber, denar mala number.

  18. Hello my friend, his mangled fingers had many fried horrors, monthly. Fortunately, hell must find his minute. “Fandango!” he muttered. French, Hungarian millionaires flagellated. His mistakes found her mugly face hysterical.

    More fascinating, hearts may fall. Heliocentric, meteoric farts! Holy! More? FUCK!

    How many freaks hamper mortuary fornicators? Huh? Muahaha.

    Finally, He may fumble.

    Hiyahh!

    (10 pts to whoever can name the author)

  19. I loved you since I first saw you, running through a park with an overstuffed backpack. Eighteen years and I’ve seen every one of your incantations; humorous, political, devilishly fun. Mmmm. 😉

    Then: dealbreaker. You changed your opening sequence and ripped your plot from two King of the Hill episodes. Baby, it’s over. Eat my shorts.

  20. Saw a girl.. was love at first sight.. chased her.. wooed her.. did whatever I could to be close to her.. she resisted at first.. she could not do it for long and finally fell to my charms.. we had the most fantastic time together .. pity I could not convince my parents about her..

  21. A success story of the new indian economy wanted to buy a car.. could afford the audi.. could afford the merc.. but the missus was the bright spark.. saw the congestion on the roads and then decided on the tata nano.. a matter of pride for india or a decision to be ashamed of ?

  22. Each is 55 words, supposedly, my word count thing is fritzy

    I. Manjul remembered the exact moment she first saw the spinning inky black orb: in French class, the very middle of the lecture, the teacher looking at her, opening his mouth to speak. Instead of words falling out, delicately French, a black orb appeared in front of her teacher’s face and floated, hovered, in the air.

    II: Isn’t the world supposed to be contained in each grain of sand? Whole universes and things, thought Manjul, as the orb floated toward her. It stopped right in front of her nose and she forgot all about verbs and conjugations and anything to do with school. Well, hello, she whispered. Hello, who are you, exactly?

    III. The orb, tiny, dark, dense, compelling. It answered! In a language unlike French or English or Hindi, instead of words, little clicks, clickity-clickity, the orb spoke. Forget all of this and follow me home, it clicked. But, thought Manjul, this is my home, isn’t it? And she saw her street, her house, her room.

    IV. The spinning inky black orb expanded and contracted became silent. She could here the new language no more. All around her students chanted, in unison, words in French, real words, not clicks and not clacks. Only words. The teacher asked her to conjugate a verb. Click, shouted Manjul. Click-clack! Everyone looked at her in surprise.

  23. The wind rushed through my hair. Evil love blue diamond ghee toddy night sex jump osho garden barefooot kiss grass courage dragon mother history sweat silence orgasm metal green milk blood smell war cemetery river still lamp slow bile maya dog breeze soul sweat gun grave peace . The ground approached fast.I felt prepared. Thud!

  24. @backwash-fire – Monday morning productivity goes down the drain…

    In/out, time well spent the way to go With friends, family, that help us grow..

    Age is nothing but a number, It does not ruin my slumber.

    Friday morning he woke up alone, Damn..she didn’t sleep at his home!

    Rules are for fools father will say, Daughter struggles to not be led astray.

  25. Write flash fiction commanded the woman known as A.N.N.A. Flash. Fiction.Woman. These words bitch slapped me. Women’s Flashes were Fiction? They used it as an excuse to be bitchy and got away with it? As I got up to reveal this to the Internet, I saw it – a posse of pans accelerating in my direction

  26. Citigroup 50K

    Merrill Lynch 35K

    Circuit City 34K

    Nissan 20K

    NEC 20K

    Caterpillar 20K

    AngloAmerican 19K

    Panasonic 15K

    Alcoa 15K

    AT&T 12K

    UTC 11.6K

    Pioneer 10K

    GM 10K

    Boeing 10K

    DHL 9.5K

    SAS 9K

    Dell 8.9K

    Pfizer 8.3K

    Sprint Nextel 8K

    Sony 8K

    AstraZeneca 7.4K

    Merck 7.2K

    Macy 7K

    Home Depot 7K

    In memoriam: 401K

  27. if family time is whats prescribed no objections from me or my tribe.

    Age, it’s but always increasing yet sephora makes it damn deceiving.

    take it from me, who picked a girl with a nine year gap, things did unfurl.

    Because again, he believed personality was key rather she’s lookin to shake the moolah tree.

  28. You look at someones age and you assume an experience, But how do you really know the course of their lifes events?

    Chemistry, history, and even an astrological sign, Is it really possible for all of it to align?

    Rules, games, good timing,luck and chance, When will I get my chance at true romance?

  29. PG has been missing the Sepia And wants to get back with ya With thoughts on love for Ammama And glad to be done with W

    How are the Mutineers? When can I see you over beers? I want to hear your funny sneers At all the young NYC peers…

    Seriously, new meetup soon please?