Totel Mask

He's waiting.
Churning, trembling, watching the clock numbers change,
I know everything that will happen when we put our public faces on the wall for the night.

Ask. If you don't ask,
the answer is always no.
Ask Improve the odds
to 50/50.
Take a chance on you.

No, Daddy, you're wrong.
I asked. The answer is still no.
No no no no no.

by robyn 138 characters

Lament of the Broken: Cyclocross Haiku etc

I want to lick the
mud from pink polka dotted
cyclocross skinsuit.

Grass berms climb the stairs
through mud over obstacles.
Urban assault boys
kick the crap out of
sissy tire roadies.

I have to try it.
Grab my mountain bike, clip in.
Take off after them.

My deductible
is met. Future injuries
will be paid in full.

Behind A Steamy Mirror, Look.

4 verses, average 60 per verse, so total is over but...

Awake, but by choice
Tonight avoiding sweet dreams
for sad memories

A relationship?
Versus having relations?
Act honestly? You?

I know you. Inside.
Hear what is behind your words,
selfish child; bully.

Learn some compassion
You can't come into my life,
break my toys. No more.

by anon, 231 characters

I'm not joining AA, no way, no how.

My veins are a still,
moonshine replaces corpuscles.
Barkeep, set me up;
run me a tab.
I'm a joyful drunk.

by anon, 95 characters

WIRED Issue 14.11 - November 2006

We'll be brief: Hemingway once wrote a story in just six words ("For sale: baby shoes, never worn.") and is said to have called it his best work. So we asked sci-fi, fantasy, and horror writers from the realms of books, TV, movies, and games to take a shot themselves.
Dozens of our favorite auteurs put their words to paper, and five master graphic designers took them to the drawing board. Sure, Arthur C. Clarke refused to trim his ("God said, 'Cancel Program GENESIS.' The universe ceased to exist."), but the rest are concise masterpieces.

Failed SAT. Lost scholarship. Invented rocket.- William Shatner

Computer, did we bring batteries? Computer?- Eileen Gunn

Vacuum collision. Orbits diverge. Farewell, love.- David Brin

Gown removed carelessly. Head, less so.- Joss Whedon

Automobile warranty expires. So does engine.- Stan Lee

Machine. Unexpectedly, I’d invented a time- Alan Moore

Longed for him. Got him. Shit.- Margaret Atwood

His penis snapped off; he’s pregnant!- Rudy Rucker

From torched skyscrapers, men grew wings.- Gregory Maguire

Internet “wakes up?” Ridicu -no carrier.- Charles Stross

With bloody hands, I say good-bye.- Frank Miller

Wasted day. Wasted life. Dessert, please.- Steven Meretzky

“Cellar?” “Gate to, uh … hell, actually.”- Ronald D. Moore

Epitaph: Foolish humans, never escaped Earth.- Vernor Vinge

It cost too much, staying human.- Bruce Sterling

We kissed. She melted. Mop please!- James Patrick Kelly

It’s behind you! Hurry before it - Rockne S. O’Bannon

I’m your future, child. Don’t cry.- Stephen Baxter

1940: Young Hitler! Such a cantor! - Michael Moorcock

Lie detector eyeglasses perfected: Civilization collapses.- Richard Powers

I’m dead. I’ve missed you. Kiss … ? - Neil Gaiman

The baby’s blood type? Human, mostly. - Orson Scott Card

Kirby had never eaten toes before. - Kevin Smith

Rained, rained, rained, and never stopped. - Howard Waldrop

To save humankind he died again. - Ben Bova

We went solar; sun went nova. - Ken MacLeod

Husband, transgenic mistress; wife: “You cow!” - Paul Di Filippo

“I couldn’t believe she’d shoot me.” - Howard Chaykin

Don’t marry her. Buy a house. - Stephen R. Donaldson

Broken heart, 45, WLTM disabled man. - Mark Millar

TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE!!! … nobody there … - Harry Harrison

Tick tock tick tock tick tick. - Neal Stephenson

Easy. Just touch the match to - Ursula K. Le Guin

Special Web-only edition: We were unable to include these 59 stories in the print magazine.

New genes demand expression -- third eye. - Greg Bear

K.I.A. Baghdad, Aged 18 - Closed Casket - Richard K. Morgan

WORLD'S END. Sic transit gloria Monday. - Gregory Benford

Epitaph: He shouldn't have fed it. - Brian Herbert

Batman Sues Batsignal: Demands Trademark Royalties. - Cory Doctorow

Heaven falls. Details at eleven. - Robert Jordan

Bush told the truth. Hell froze. - William Gibson

whorl. Help! I'm caught in a time- Darren Aronofsky and Ari Handel

Nevertheless, he tried a third time. - James P. Blaylock

God to Earth: “Cry more, noobs!” - Marc Laidlaw

Help! Trapped in a text adventure! - Marc Laidlaw

Thought I was right. I wasn't. - Graeme Gibson

Lost, then found. Too bad. - Graeme Gibson

Three to Iraq. One came back. - Graeme Gibson

Rapture postponed. Ark demanded! Which one? - David Brin

Dinosaurs return. Want their oil back. - David Brin

Bang postponed. Not Big enough. Reboot. - David Brin

Temporal recursion. I'm dad and mom? - David Brin

Time Avenger's mistaken! It wasn't me... - David Brin

Democracy postponed. Whence franchise? Ask Diebold... - David Brin

Cyborg seeks egg donor, object ___. - David Brin

Deadline postponed. Five words enough...? - David Brin

Metrosexuals notwithstanding, quiche still lacks something. - David Brin

Brevity’s virtue? Wired saves adspace. Subscribe! - David Brin

Death postponed. Metastasized cells got organized. - David Brin

Microsoft gave us Word. Fiat lux - David Brin

Mind of its own. Damn lawnmower. - David Brin

Singularity postponed. Datum missing. Query Godoogle? - David Brin

Please, this is everything, I swear. - Orson Scott Card

I saw, darling, but do lie. - Orson Scott Card

Osama’s time machine: President Gore concerned. - Charles Stross

Sum of all fears: AND patented. - Charles Stross

Ships fire; princess weeps, between stars. - Charles Stross

Mozilla devastates Redmond, Google’s nuke implicated.- Charles Stross

Will this do (lazy writer asked)? - Ken MacLeod

Cryonics: Disney thawed. Mickey gnawed. Omigawd. - Eileen Gunn

WIRED stimulates the planet: Utopia blossoms! - Paul Di Filippo

Clones demand rights: second Emancipation Proclamation. - Paul Di Filippo

MUD avatars rebel: virtual Independence Day. - Paul Di Filippo

We crossed the border; they killed us. - Howard Waldrop

H-bombs dropped; we all died. - Howard Waldrop

Your house is mine: soft revolution. - Howard Waldrop

Warskiing; log; prop in face. - Howard Waldrop

The Axis in WWII: haiku! Gesundheit. - Howard Waldrop

Salinger story: three koans in fountain. - Howard Waldrop

Finally, he had no more words.- Gregory Maguire

There were only six words left. - Gregory Maguire

In the beginning was the word. - Gregory Maguire

Commas, see, add, like, nada, okay? - Gregory Maguire

Weeping, Bush misheard Cheney’s deathbed advice. - Gregory Maguire

Corpse parts missing. Doctor buys yacht.- Margaret Atwood

Starlet sex scandal. Giant squid involved.- Margaret Atwood

He read his obituary with confusion.- Steven Meretzky

Time traveler's thought: "What's the password?"- Steven Meretzky

I win lottery. Sun goes nova.- Steven Meretzky

Steve ignores editor's word limit and- Steven Meretzky

Leia: "Baby's yours." Luke: "Bad news…"- Steven Meretzky

Parallel universe. Bush, destitute, joins army.- Steven Meretzky

Dorothy: "Fuck it, I'll stay here."- Steven Meretzky

Six Word Novels-it ain't nanowrimo, folks, but it's grand!

The Six-Word Novel

Ernest Hemingway: "For sale: baby shoes, never used."

Irvine Welsh: "Eyeballed me, killed him. Slight exaggeration."

Robert Olen Butler: "Saigon hotel. Decades later. He weeps."

Norman Mailer: "Satan--Jehovah--fifteen rounds. A draw."

Tobias Wolff: "She gave. He took. He forgot."

Augusten Burroughs: "Oh, that? It's nothing. Not contagious."