“What are you doing out here?” he asked in a whisper.
“Something told the wild geese to fly,” she answered.
He looked at her, trying to hide the worry from his eyes.
“They do that every year -”
“But not at this time. Not now. Something’s different.”
He watched her. She stood there looking up at the dusk lit sky. Her head tilted, eyes intent, seeing things only she could.
He loved his daughter but he worried too. She was not like other children. It was a source of pride and consternation. It was also a source of guilt. He knew why she was different.
“They’ll be back in the winter,” he said.
“Will we?” she asked and looked up at him.
He put his arm around her and looked up at the setting sun. Shades of orange and reds painted the horizon.
“We might.”
Prosery prompt from dVerse
Prosery, the very short piece of prose or flash fiction that tells a story with a beginning, middle and end. It can be in any genre of your choice, but it does have a limit of 144 words; an additional challenge is to hit 144 exactly. The special thing about Prosery is that we give you a complete line or two from a poem, which must be included somewhere in your story, within the 144-word limit. The lines were chosen from a poem called ‘Something told the wild geese’, which is about the moment, the turning point of the year, when wild geese sense that they must fly south and migrate to warmer lands for the winter. The lines:
“Something told the wild geese
It was time to fly.”
The Author Stew webpage - Stories & Poems 
The tenderness of the moment is complicated by the ambiguities, but somehow, the story is reassuring as well. I guess because we know they’ll be together, protective, caring come what may. Such a well-conceived and well-written story, Stew. Enjoyed it.
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Thank you so much. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I like your faith in the story.
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Really ambiguous story and ending. I like writing like this. I’m wondering why she was a source of guilt to him. And where are they headed? Is the ending metaphorical in some sense?
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Thank you. Not metaphorical in a literal sense though depending on where the story went … who knows. I’m glad you liked it.
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I really love the mystery in thise… so many question lingers, that I would like to see answered in this wonderful image. There could be darkness but it could also be a very strong relationship…
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Thank you. I too enjoy that it leaves so many avenues open yet you kind of feel a pull too.
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I’m glad you joined us with this lovely Prosery piece that explores not only the geese but also the relationship between father and daughter, Stu, and I would love to see how it develops. I want to know what was different, why the daughter was different. These sentences are beautifully written:
“He watched her. She stood there looking up at the dusk lit sky. Her head tilted, eyes intent, seeing things only she could.”
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Thank you very much for your kind words. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
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My pleasure.
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Mysterious story that leaves me with some questions. Would like to hear more about these two.
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Lots of directions it could go but it does pique one’s interest doesn’t it? 😄
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