The Ladies of Horror
Picture-Prompt Writing Challenge!

All That Remains
by Rie Sheridan Rose
A giant strode into our world one day—
blocking out the sun with his magnitude.
The children cried, and their mothers hid
within walls no longer comforting.
.
But the giant offered help and friendship,
possessing abilities the town did not.
He dragged a finger through the earth
and a canal appeared to carry goods to market.
.
He gently blew upon seeds ready for planting,
and distributed in a day what would have taken
a week or more to sow.
He shook his head when offered recompense.
.
The giant stayed and lent us aid
from early spring till start of winter…
but as the weather cooled
and the food grew scarcer—
.
Whispers began to forget the good
and grumble at the extra work.
As he slept one night upon the moor,
the council cast a curse to turn him to stone.
.
He threw up a hand in entreaty,
one last plea for mercy and understanding…
and still today, that hand reaches up,
all that remains of he who was our savior.
Fiction © Copyright Rie Sheridan Rose
Image courtesy of Pixabay.com
More from Author Rie Sheridan Rose:

Overheard in Hell:
Dark Poetry
Poems exploring hell and damnation. Tales of sorrow, vengeance, betrayal, and redemption. Ghosts, ghouls, and demons stalk these pages. Don’t read in a lonely house…in a darkened room by a single candle…
…unless you like the touch of an icy finger up your spine.
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A great story.
Thank you. 😊
Oof – poignant and authentic – that ending is both tragic and truthful. Love the rhythm of the poem. And, as an owner of a canal boat in the UK, I sincerely wish it were that easy to build new canals!
Thanks. 😊
I should have known that there was a twist at the end. Great story. 🙂
Always! 😉
🤗