Knock, knock.
I ran to the door and flung it open. Marcus stood there, holding my sister by a heavy chain. I looked at her, blind in one eye, a thumb missing, and felt nothing.
“I’ve come to beg forgiveness,” she rasped.
“Don’t,” I said, my voice cold. “I know about the occult. I know you opened the Golden Door and murdered for what was behind it. Now the door won't close, and you’re looking for someone to pay the bill.”
She lunged at me, looking more like an evil spirit than my kin, but Marcus jerked the chain.
“You bargained for gold,” I continued. “But you never asked where the demon would find it. He showed you my life points in coin and you took them. You had everything, yet you wanted my life too. I won't pay your debt. I have no interest in your soul or your portal.”
Behind them, a black carriage waited in the shadows. After thirty years of running from her, the end had finally arrived. Marcus hauled on the chain, dragging her toward the horses.
“Your time is up,” he growled. The door of the carriage slammed shut.
There was a time when cash was king
Dead presidents used to rule the day
But time took over with a sting
As the number of your days was bargained away
Each minute was precious, each hour the same
You spent it wisely; life depended on it
Some got time back when they filed a claim
Adding precious moments as they saw fit
You’re in a fine mess.
Admit it and embrace it.
This is the result of your obsession.
It’s time to deal with the consequences.
You’ve been avoiding reality way too long.
Lying to everyone and especially to yourself.
Sure you managed to fool people temporarily.
You even bought yourself a little time.
But it’s all been a worthless illusion.
You lost more than you bargained for.
You came way close to losing everything.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
The wind in our hair
Some excitement was what we were craving
Got more than we bargained
Wordku: 5-7-5 words
AP: Honorable Mention 2025
he liked it black and white with no greys in between
even when cracks appeared so strikingly evident
strictly speaking he preferred pink purple and orange
yet when life gave him lemons the brush would not work
the more he stroked and tarred over ruptures and fractures
uncertainty became elusive and poignantly concise
quite the opposite of what he had bargained for with all
the power delusion distraction insecure fear and despair
he knew that the writing was on the wall and yet
the language was foreign complex and would not reveal
meaning message beauty connotation and guidance
as he was blocked into silence depression resentments
all this had been the relentless story of his life and he
could not bear it any longer seemed to have lost all control
a rational mind portrayed it as the gift of desperation
a way forward towards healing perspective and peace
it was difficult to will positive emotions into effect
matters did not fall into balance but skewed misperceptions
what remained was hope rather than mere expectations
and he carried his burdens into an unpredictable but promising future
—all this.
You'd love it,
but you lost
personality privileges
when you bargained against
the middle of my chest,
never starting
compressions
even though it was you
who shocked me into
an arrest.
I'm still
trying
to break free of—
The Feds loomed, a shadow long,
· "Guilty," the verdict, a chilling song.
· Life in prison, the sentence decreed,
· Attorney's plea, a desperate seed.
· But fate's cruel hand, a twisted game,
· Life behind bars, forever the same.
· Plea bargained hope, a fleeting sigh,
· Replaced by chains, beneath a somber sky.
I've been awake since three am
My mind just woke up suddenly
It circled round and round on things
Needing attention urgently
It panicked and catastrophised
It wandered back in time
It made a massive grocery list
And theorised sublime
I bargained and I threatened it
Got up and down from bed
Tossed and turned uselessly
Now I'm feeling halfway dead
But I've made a plan this morning
It's bound to work for sure
If I can stay awake till midnight
I'll sleep right through til......*snore *
It’s all been decided for me
I was told to get up and go
To reap the harvests for free
Which I had no idea to sow
In a competition of fictions
The most plausible won
I bargained three new convictions
For the price of the cheapest one
I invested them in three essays
Which I was relieved to forget
I walked through the Roman arcades
I rested on faraway sand
I drank from the springs of wisdom
And ate from the plates of good
Almost lost my immune system
Survived though wasn’t too shrewd
I bet this plot is predetermined
It’s all been decided, you see
I gave my word to return it
But still I keep it with me.
“God gave you life and bestowed upon you His attributes; eventually you will return to Him.” Quote by Rumi
We could not get an ambulance, so I took him to the hospital
Having always come back to the nursing home all turning out well
Then the shock of the doctor quietly saying he did not make it
Assuring words to the doctor that he did not want anyone trying to prolong life
Oh! How I remember thoughts of maybe if, or maybe if that
I bargained with God, help me through this ordeal, help me to tell my mother
Then grief ripped apart my mangled heart
Some solutions came consoling me, then grief would overtake me again
Slowly, steadily I gained a new hope in how to deal with life without him
Wonderful memories returned, only occasionally did bad memories haunt life
My mother my everything so rare
Like a diamond blooming with pure love
Not to be compared to or bargained for
A very precious and priceless gem
My life giver right from the womb
Before existence even now and forever
A leaning shoulder in times of despair.
My mother my redeemer in times of loses
Comforts with her rejuvenating speeches
Picks me up from nothing to everything
Giving me awareness and insight to thrive
Without hesitating or fear of the unknown
My mantle of grace in all dealings and wins
My anchor in all realms of possession and actions.
My mother my warrior warring my adversary
Leading me to victory over all obstacles easily
The remedy for all my illness or complaint
Supporting without any hidden intentions or profit
Liberating me from any denial, setback and chains
Unique but meek, courageous, wise and inspirational
Words can't comprehend her attributes so enigmatic.
Mirror
mirror
on the wall,
the pre decided fairest of all
When I utter fiancé ,
Did you see all kinds of fees incurred?
When I utter Feodor
Fees and beyond?
And a lightyear and a “buraq”
With fifty turned five…
Did you witness Mosay bargained for you only
Never cared for me there
For a malar rash try?
So, black heads remover, do not be nosey
Happen in the adjacent vicinity
A science fair and phonetic verona
No black hole entry...
Too much in a day for a simple queue
For failed process of elimination (POE)
In an idiom try.
Even though whittled down, nothing more than a noise walls
For a city control (ctrl).
What happens to all the oranges
hanging on my neighbors' trees
would they let me have a bag of em
if I bargained or said pretty please
Why are all the fruit-tree houses near
the Sharing Shelf not sharing any
or perhaps i'm too slow and miss
the time when they donate many
Or do they sell them to the markets
or give them to far-off food banks
someday maybe I'll grow my own tree
full of juicy oranges, and join their ranks
Add to that a lawn-to-garden meadow
sprinkled with wildflowers -- my fantasy
and a Little Free Library of only-kids books
in a tiny uncluttered home by the sea
But not the beach -- they're too scantily clad
...I guess I could grow one from seeds, now
without having to move out for this plan to work
I'd share as many oranges as the tree will allow
Are you laughing at me?
I can feel your snicker;
Look at me and say it,
but you are not that brave;
Baiting you I admit;
Are you laughing at me?
I’m already fed up;
You really shouldn’t taunt
more than you bargained for;
I’ll give you what you want;
Are you laughing at me?
Took a second and thought:
Rude is anger’s foreplay;
Not buying into it,
I will just walk away.
Every moment of our lives is precious,
Even the dark and painful times of doubt and regret...
But the night passes
A new day begins, and hope is reborn into the willing soul...
It’s so easy to miss this
To become distracted by the noise of everything around us...
But when I quiet myself and look
When I embrace all my life, even those things I don’t understand...
When I take the time to listen to the silence,
And the truth that wells up from within,
It always reminds me of the mercy of God...
Of a love that can’t be bargained with or bought
A love that is generous, kind, forgiving,
And relentless, in the pursuit of my fragile heart...
So my tears mingle with the dew,
As I watch the sunrise...again
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