Writing Prompt
Writings
Writings
WRITING OBSTACLE
Overt. Commandeer. Obtuse.
Write a short story or poem including these 3 words exactly (do not change their tenses or forms). You do not have to use them in this order, but the point is to fit them naturally into your writing.
Writings
I really, nearly did a thousand things
Almost a thousand peasants
And a thousand kings
Close enough to brush my lips
And slip between my finger tips
From too outgoing to a recluse
Obtuse agoraphobic traits spontaneously gained in pain
Overt and outward, to sheltered its clear
Commandeer traits to gloss the fear
Oh so painfully nearly dear
The man had been showing overt hostility towards the crew for weeks, but Tom hadn’t truly believed that Laurence would go through with it. Apparently, Tom had given the passenger of the boat too much trust, for the vessel that he once called his was now sailing away. “Thank you, gentlemen!” Laurence shouted with a rare smile on his face. “You can’t just let him commandeer our ship, Captain.” Tom looked at the man incredulously. Laurence had killed several members of the crew, injuring the very one that had just spoken up. “I would rather have you three alive than be on that boat. Believe me, I would have liked both, but that wasn’t an option.” Harry scowled and muttered to his other two crew survivors, “What say we throw this so-called captain overboard.” They nodded, and after a short scuffle, threw Tom over the edge of the small boat. The obtuse captain sank into the depths of the sea. The unfortunate Tom spent his last moments regretting every bit of trust that he had ever placed in anybody.
“Don’t be obtuse, Jackie. You know what Zoe meant.” “...well maybe she should say what she means...” Jackie huffed. Sol shot her a quick glare, Jackie rolling her eyes in response. Zoe opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by another voice behind her.
“C’mon guys, fighting won’t get us anywhere, now.”
The three turned to see Sol’s sister Flora, leaning against the, now open, hideout doorway. She scanned the trio, a smirk dancing at the corner of her mouth.
“You’re right. But—“ “Jackie, enough!” Sol huffed as she made her way across the narrow walk. Flora pushed herself off the door frame to meet her sister’s embrace. “I thought you weren’t coming!” Sol beamed. “And miss you lot getting your asses handed to you?! No way!” The two of them chuckled and sighed, before securing the door.
“Welcome back, Flo!” Zoe finally piped up, a small smile inching over her face. Flora grinned and gave her a nod.
“Nice to see you too, Martinez...” she teased, eyeing Jackie for a moment, before returning her attention to Sol.
“So, what’d I miss?” Flora asked walking over to the little wooden table with a hand drawn map scrawled over it. Her fingers traced along the territories lines as she studied it.
“We’re down in numbers. We even lost Hadley and April.” Sol replied, following her to the center of the small space. Moving to show the markings she’d made on the parchment, she continued, “and here, the Wailers were able to commandeer the southern bunker. The eastern safe zone is the only—“
“Don’t you mean I let them commandeer the bunker? I thought, you prided yourself on using “overt and concise language” right? No need to sugar coat it for my sake!” Jackie sneered. Everyone looked at her in quiet judgement for a second until Flora furrowed her brows, shifting on her heels before she spoke.
“What the hell is your problem, Martinez, it’s just a goddamn game?!” she spat, taking a few steps toward Jackie. “Flo.” Sol interjected. “No, I wanna know why she’s getting all bent over this shit!” “Flo,” Sol swept her arm up in front of Flora, giving her a stern look. “Pfft. Whatever.” Flora sucked her cheek in as she leaned back against the table. Sol turned her attention to Jackie and Zoe. Both staring silently, each displaying expressions of exasperation, disappointment, and regret.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Jackie,” Sol breathed as she approached the pair, “and this is just a game. But most importantly...” she moved to place her hand on Jackie’s shoulder, and finished, “we’re a team.”
Jackie’s mouth fell open as she looked up at Sol’s reassuring expression.
“She’s right.” Flora conceded, shuffling over to the others. “Now what do you say we win this thing?” “You’ve got a plan?” Sol probed, eyes narrowing as she glanced over. “I’ve got THE plan...” Flora winked.
An overt show of confidence
Masking chronic insecurity
A balancing act like no other
Living two lives simultaneously
An alter ego to protect the ego
A wall of silence camouflaged by noise
Intricate distraction tactics at play
Revealing my thoughts
In order to conceal my soul
Controlling the narrative
Asking all the questions
Keeping the conversation trivial
Seek to commandeer attention
And control where it goes
Avoid eye contact
They can’t be trusted to pretend
Hiding nothing but the shame
Yet leaving the pain and fear
For all to see
An obtuse version of bravery
With all the bark and no bite
The same energy spent on a lie
Could be utilised to fly
PC Norman Shields uniformed in plain clothes. Ensuring not to be overt, he didn’t want his identity known. A cry for help and a motorbike screeches pass. On foot, he needed to find transport fast. He sees a white van, towards it he steers. He sees the man and decided to commandeer. The white van man stares blankly, almost stunned. “I need your vehicle to help chase a grab and run.” The man didn’t move as PC shields had requested. He was a bit obtuse and his reaction was not invested. PC Shields takes the man out with an encouraging hand. He takes off after the suspects as quick as he can.
In my 9th grade math class, i became a master of obtuse angles. Angles, are easy, they always work out nice, and square, and allowing me to commandeer them. In my 9th grade math class, i learned to be coy. Seated squarely across from a beautiful boy with infinite eyes and a long, pointed obtuse nose. An inability to be overt was born from the dots on his cheeks. I batted my eyes, and stuttered to silence nice, and sweet, and allowing him to commandeer me. Many days go by, and i remember upon winning his partnership my fanciful fibonacci spoke his first equation “math isn’t really my thing.” maybe it’s no coincidence that i stand before you a poet, not a mathematician.
He did wish she would stop pretending not to see what was clearly in front of her. She was by no means obtuse, though at times she seemed to wilfully misunderstand him. Was it fear, disinterest, or perhaps even dislike ? She was so very hard to read.
Certainly he had been overt in his pursuit of her affections. Yet she still showed only a polite interest. She made certain never to be alone in his presence. And on the rare occasion it had happened that they were alone together, she made certain to keep a healthy distance between them.
He struggled to believe it to be fear of all men. After all, she was the only daughter in a family of five children. She had an easy friendship with many of her brothers’ friends. But if it was a fear of him specifically, he could not figure out why. He’d never been unkind.
Perhaps he had been too persistent in trying to commandeer her heart. Perhaps a less straightforward approach would be necessary.
A man of great power watched the scene before him, the two warriors fighting for the win
It was an overt act of aggression on both sides, and every time one of them eased up, the man of great power let out long sighs
One of the warriors was waiting for the opportune moment to commandeer the others sword, but all the slow and steady moves made the man of great power bored
He wanted gore and fists flying, not the carefulness the two warriors were supplying
He kept a close eye on the warriors when they seemed to make some silent truce, he wondered if they were deliberately being obtuse
Some sniggers and laughs were heard, the crowd joked about the man of great power, one even said some barbarous word
After a harsh look from the man of great power he shut them all up, and saved himself from the big blow up
One warrior raised his sword and moved in closer, the other warrior lost all his composure
The warrior pushed forward with one quick thrust, and the other warrior fell back and kicked up dust
The man of great power stood up with a big cheer, and the onlookers followed suit once they saw his sneer
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