She is under the table again,
Curled up like one of her father’s painted scrolls,
Away from the feet of all those that pass by,
She knows they could stomp,
Right over their little stand,
Paints and papers flying,
Stuck on fast feet,
Walking off with their rice and fish,
Breakfast, dinner, lunch,
And she would be hungry again.
They are so small in this crowd.
“Sue Ming, where is your brush? Finish your work.”
Smudged by her hand, half a cat on a page waits for color.
She picks up her brush and gives herself and the cat life.
Original photo prompt from “Friday Fictioneers” at Rochellewisoff.com PHOTO PROMPT © Brenda Cox
Check out the blog I found this photo prompt: “A Delectable Life” –https://adelectablelife.com/
Clare Graith 
Dear CGraith,
Welcome to Friday Fictioneers. I’m glad you found us through Dale’s blog.
I’m guessing Sue Ming to be a small child to curl up under her father’s table. Lovely little piece. I hope you’ll visit some of the other stories (including mine. 😉 ) I look forward to reading more from you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hello Rochelle, Dale clued me in to where the prompt came from on her blog. That’s what happens when I catch up on blogs late at night! I saw the photo, the story hit my brain and I didn’t see anything else. I waited till next day to post just to add a link to Dale’s blog since the link button is not available on the IPad app. Lol. I’ve updated to give credit all around. Thanks for letting me in the Friday Fictioneers family. I am enjoying reading others posts but haven’t gotten through them all!
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Sometimes I think we adults need to crawl back under the table for a while to regain perspective 🙂
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Amen!
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I felt for the little girl, hiding under the table from the crowds. You described it so well! In the end, she created life and that’s good. Hopefully, ignoring the crowd. I enjoyed this very much!
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Thanks, really glad you enjoyed it.
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Her father sure seems good at getting things done.
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Oh, yes. A child’s view of the world from beneath the table. I remember that. Well done.
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Thanks Bill. Under the table seems like a safe place.
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So glad you found the prompt through my blog, though Rochelle is the hostess!
I love that she is under the table observing life as she sees it. Lovely interpretation of the photo.
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Thanks. It was a fun exercise. Your blog is fun but I’m sorry for missing credit to Rochelle. Looked at it late at night but I’ll update with credits all around.
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Glad you enjoyed it and thank you! No worries. You did link up so at least you’ll get more readers 🙂
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A poignant piece indeed. Well done..
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Thank you, I feel like I need to write a full short story now.
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Great take on the prompt. For some reason, I liked her sitting under the table. It emphasized her vulnerability.
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The struggle between fear and success is real. I’m glad her father is patient with her.
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That’s a very lively glimpse into their hard lives through the child’s eyes. Well told!
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Thank you. It’s amazing how a photo prompt can spin off a story.
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It is indeed. 🙂
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Delightful, and a nice detail to pick out of the prompt.
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Thank you. Don’t know where the image of the child came from but there she was when I started to write.
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A lovely snippet of a child, Sue Ming, struggling to maintain her interest. I wonder if this is exploitation.
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Thank you. It was a great photo prompt to work with. I’m enjoying reading others take on it. Writers are remarkable humans.
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