what sadness and beauty this writing brings. I love this post. very touching.

peace.

Hi Buffy

Quite moving!

There’s something about those moments after someone dies when you want to believe that maybe there’s still a bit of life left… a bit of something that hears the prayer or notices the absence of oil.

Very well done, as per usual.

My but those characters were strong. I thought this was personal until I saw “Filed Under Fiction.” You write very well.

Great writing. Made me think of a very poor, uneducated family in WV whose patriarch just died.

(I let out my breath with her when she forgot the oil – I tried to believe what she did, too – Thanks for letting us peep through the keyhole)

sad and lovely, you always leave me wanting to know more! Which I know is very good for you!

Sad piece, Buffy. But touching. Thanks for posting this.

Tanya

Very well written and very real.

So…it wasnt true then? Why? I mean, dont get me wrong you have every right to write whatever you want, but why write something so sad…

Popeye…struggling here…maybe it’s the early morning hour. Eh? What am I missing?

David…I sat down to write about my mother. And how at the age of 21 she watched over Mawsie (her gran..my great gran) as she died after a long illness. But it’s kinda hard…It’s easier to write fiction…throw in a little bit of real life essence. I’ll get that story about Mom and Mawsie out yet though…

Good morning, Buffy. I’m not sure which part didn’t make sense so if I over explain, forgive me. As far as the breath, when I read it, I imagined her letting out a sigh/breath when she wished we would haver remembered the oil. As far as the belief part, it was something about her stretching her hand to the sky to make that real a connection to heaven. The peephole part? I felt a little bit like an interloper on a moment that was very private and quiet; like I was looking through a peephole. Sometimes, I’m a little vague. . .

Popeye….all makes perfect sense now. When I wrote this…the narrator was a man….so the ‘she’ part threw me. I think I like it better your way.

I too thhought it was a woman (the narrator).

i might have already posted this but…i love the image of the beetle, that detail says so much to me. great work.

Great as always…

[...] I used it in potholes full of shine, the death watch and just about every other piece of fiction I’ve written for this blog. Oh, and for that little matter of 78,000 words. [...]

Great writing, Buffy. I almost feel like I was there in that moment because that is what life around here rural Mississippi)is like. I have been in moments like that, so it makes it all the more real for me. Wonderfully done.