The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

The Space Between (Villanelle)
by Alex Grehy

The space between frames, dark between light, pain between smiles.
Wedding day movie, mum beams, dad looks harmless, benign
yet they say that the camera can never tell lies. 

Mum wore long-sleeved white satin, damning bruises disguised.
Temper in check, dad’s huge fist pumps in triumph, this time.
The space between frames, dark between light, pain between smiles.

A new reel unwinds. Honeymoon – sun, sea and blue skies
she hides black eyes with big glasses, appeases, drinks wine,
yet they say that the camera can never tell lies 

My party, I’m ten, he hurts me, I smother my cries,
he sings happy birthday, guileless, the cake looks so fine.
The space between frames, dark between light, pain between smiles.

Mum hands me a knife, let’s cut, she says. I stab, he dies.
Accident. The home movie shows the fault is not mine,
Yet they say that the camera can never tell lies

So tragic! He was a good man his friends eulogise,
we sneer, our family’s virtue is deceit defined
The space between frames, dark between light, pain between smiles.

Yet they say that the camera can never tell lies

Fiction © Copyright Alex Grehy
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com

More from author Alex Grehy:

After a lifetime of writing technical non-fiction, Alex Grey is fulfilling her dream of writing poems and stories that engage the reader’s emotions. Her work has been featured by a wide range of publications including Siren’s Call, Raconteur, Bookends Review, and Toasted Cheese. One of her comic poems is also available via a worldwide network of public fiction dispensers managed by French publisher, Short Edition. Her ingredients for contentment are narrow boating, greyhounds, singing and chocolate. It is a sweet life, yet Alex’ original view of the world has led to her best friend to say ‘For someone so lovely, you’re very twisted!

Please click here to discover more!