Free Verse, Poetry, Theme Prompt, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

In The Blink Of An Eye

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for David’s Wea’ve Written Weekly.
Ange is our PoW this week and she has
suggested the One Syllable Challenge.
Here’s where the prompt took me.

Image by Me & Gemini

The day is mild as milk. He says
it’s a good day to clean out the clogged roof drain.
Then …. through the glass pane …. I see him start to slip.
Arms flail in the air. A rung breaks free. He falls!
I scream but hear no sound come from my throat.
He lies so still. Our lives changed on a dime.
One wrong step, one lost grip ….
head drips blood, arm out of joint, hip shattered.

NAR©2026
#W3

Nancy’s Notes: My poem is about the day nine years ago when my husband fell off a ladder, badly shattering his hip. After surgery, he spent four weeks in the hospital’s rehab facility, during which time he quit smoking; that was an unexpected bonus. He has fully recovered, and with the exception of a limp when bad weather makes his hip cranky, he’s fine. He’s very lucky. We both are.

This is “If You Only Knew” by Shinedown

W3 Prompt #212: Wea’ve Written Weekly

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, except where otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.

43 thoughts on “In The Blink Of An Eye”

    1. My husband’s guardian angels were looking over him that day for sure. It’s quite startling when you see someone you love who is always so strong suddenly become helpless. That day was one of just a few times I’ve seen my husband vulnerable. Thank you for your very kind comments, D. 😌

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    1. It was really fun keeping everything to one syllable. It’s amazing how much we can say using little words! Thanks so much for your very good wishes, Debbie. The angels were watching over Bill that day. I love the music of Shinedown and I’m so happy you do too. Thanks again. ♥️

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    1. Thank you so much, David, for this amazing comment. It was such a terrifying moment, I felt like I was paralyzed and no sound was coming out. Obviously, I was not frozen because I ran outside to Bill and my neighbor heard me screaming her name to call for help. I don’t remember any of that. ♥️

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  13. Great write! I’ve seen so many times when a broken hip changes a life especially in the over-70 crowd, which I’m guessing your husband is not a part of. Still, your husband was so lucky!

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  15. How very frightening to witness that Nance – you captured the moment brilliantly – glad Bill recovered so well and had the added benefit of quitting smoking! Thanks for joining in my challenge- great piece🙌

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    1. It was an awful day and Bill felt so guilty because it happened the day before we were to leave for vacation. He felt that he disappointed the family, but all we cared about was him. This was a great challenge, Ange; it’s remarkable how much we can say using little words! Thanks for your lovely comments, cara mia. ♥️

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    1. It was awful.

      Thank you for this exquisite musical moment. The tracks on this album tell the story of Lawrence Oates, an army captain and explorer who walked off into the freezing Antarctic night on a expedition gone wrong, in an attempt to give his life to save the rest of his team. He knew he had become a burden on his friends. He knew their chances of survival would improve without him. So off he walked, alone, into oblivion. ♥️

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      1. I know the awful feeling only too well my dear friend … I was working with my dad on a roof, I was up on the roof and he was working below from on the ladder, when he suddenly fell off the ladder and landed on the fence … the adrenaline took over, and still can’t remember jumping down off the roof to his aid … luckily he ‘only’ broke some ribs …🌏💕

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