I thought the Friday Fictioneers community might be interesting in knowing that one of my previous Fictioneers stories, Enough to Go Around, was recently accepted to be part of the upcoming Leodegraunce flash fiction anthology. I’m not sure when it’s coming out, but I’ll let you know when I know.
As for this current story, I have nothing to say except that it is not an allegory, just a story.
copyright Adam Ickes
Discalceate Dreams
The feel of verdant, dew-covered blades anointing his toes: rapture.
Gamboling barefoot through a meadow: epiphany.
The pungent, whispering squish of a cow pie under his heel: heavenly.
Feet baptized in a cool, sun-flecked brook: pure adoration.
Denouncing shoes forever for the wild, free ecstasy that only the holy unshod can know: heresy.
“Reebok! Reebok Puma III, are you listening to me?” The iron voice crushed his fantasies under its cruel heel and brought him back to an equally hard reality of tight shoes pinching his feet. He nodded glumly and raising the Sacred Shoehorn, he repeated the catechism again.
The Green-Walled Tower 
December 11th, 2013 at 7:49 pm
Dear David,
I don’t know that I’d call squishing a cow pie under my bare heel heavenly. 😉 . Great descriptions and feeling. You made me look up a couple of words and this is a good thing.
Congratulations on publication. You deserve it.
Lovely writing as always.
Shalom,
Rochelle
December 11th, 2013 at 8:02 pm
Personally, I wouldn’t think stepping on a cow pie would be particularly heavenly either, but between that and tight shoes all day long, I’d go for the pie 🙂
December 11th, 2013 at 8:41 pm
I get that. I’m a barefoot girl myself.
December 11th, 2013 at 8:09 pm
Love the vocab of religious experience for the quite grounded feet. Very well done.
December 11th, 2013 at 8:35 pm
A heavenly story. I had to look up “discalceate,” and having done that, I have to say the story is perfectly titled 🙂
December 11th, 2013 at 8:46 pm
Heresy…oh my….I am a barefoot girl.
I did enjoy this tremendously.
December 11th, 2013 at 9:19 pm
In a religion of shoes, bare feet are anathema. 🙂 Glad you liked it.
December 11th, 2013 at 9:35 pm
Something totally different from you again this week David. And as one who has a wardrobe full of masochistic shoes yet selects only from an inner circle of four pairs… straight to my heart. Congrats on the anthology inclusion.
December 11th, 2013 at 11:30 pm
Congratulations on the publication, David, and on once again hitting an unusual winner with your story. As for stopping in cow pies, farm kids used to do this, so I’m told, in cold weather because the pie was warm. Just saying.
janet
December 11th, 2013 at 11:46 pm
life is not fair to everyone 🙂
December 12th, 2013 at 1:03 am
*Clutches precious stilettos and whispers* Don’t listen to that heretic, I love you. Most of the time.
December 12th, 2013 at 3:02 am
I don’t know about a cow pie feeling heavenly either. To each his own. Wow, good stuff! Congrats on the publication. Well deserved, David.
December 12th, 2013 at 3:03 am
Wonderful story! Poor guy needs a vacation to frolic in the fields and romp in the woods. Congrats on being published!
December 12th, 2013 at 3:09 am
That’s quite a religion! I now know a new word as well – “discalceate” :-).
Congratulations on the upcoming publish.
December 12th, 2013 at 3:25 am
yey, congratulations! 🙂 “The pungent, whispering squish of a cow pie under his heel: heavenly.” haha loved that. i enjoy seeing the different styles you take to tell your stories. great stuff.
December 12th, 2013 at 4:20 am
I’d pray to the god of sacred blisters .. great set of new words.. and congratiolations on being published…
December 12th, 2013 at 4:31 am
Congratulations! the cow pie is a bit off putting, but being discalced (had to Google the word!) is my preference too 😀
December 12th, 2013 at 7:03 am
If I wasn’t able to see what I was stepping in, cow pie would indeed be heavenly. I love cool, wet, squish… in bare feet. This is clever and whimsical. I like that! Mazel on the publication; that’s exciting!
December 12th, 2013 at 9:02 am
Congrats on the publication.
Very poetic this week.
December 12th, 2013 at 10:03 am
“squishing a cow pie” underfoot is a lot more welcome than stepping on dog turd!
In some countries – even now – people work the cow dung to light fires, plaster on walls to mitigate blistering heat, etc.
Congratulations with that selection for the anthology.
December 12th, 2013 at 11:36 am
Congrats on the publication and great story this week! Thanks for introducing me to discalceate 🙂
December 13th, 2013 at 9:35 pm
Real interesting, David. Congratulations on your upcoming publications!
December 14th, 2013 at 12:35 am
A great tale on the prompt. Like others I have my doubts about squishing cow pies in bare feet being heavenly. But it sure sounds like more fun than the catechism.
December 15th, 2013 at 8:35 am
I love the way you paint this wild and idyllic scenery, and bring it smashing down so quickly. A wonderful piece of flash fiction 🙂
December 15th, 2013 at 8:15 pm
Discalceate – it was off to visit the dictionary for me. Great little soft shoe shuffle.
December 15th, 2013 at 9:36 pm
Great piece of writing.