Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 5hHis #bequest to me sat upon the old oak bar. A single vodka #martini. He was a twisted old cynic, but at least he had a sense of humor. In the drink clung two fat Spanish olives, huddling in companionship. I had a sip. Best drink I ever had. #vss365 #vssdaily 175
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Garden #reprieve. Resting against a thick birch, its soft, peeling #bark like tattered pages of a favorite book. Sun dappled upon the countless #plants like old friends. On the soft breeze floats the perfume of the #flowers, as if they're saying, "It'll be alright." #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues 1225
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 28/09/2026We drove for hours. Through Main Street and the blur of its quaint shops, out around the lake as it reflected the pure white clouds loitering in the endless sky, and past the #quarry where we wasted time as teenagers. The soothing motor's ballad #purified our soul as we drove. #vss365 #vssdaily 1165
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 25/09/2026The needle kisses the #record. A gentle spark of sound before the music floats from the speakers, filling the room like welcome smoke. I hear car doors outside, angry voices, approaching footsteps. A #reckoning is due. I chamber a round in the old Winchester. A #reckoning is due. #vss365 #vssdaily 0103
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 24/09/2026"This city is special. It has its own heartbeat that drives a fierce #hunger." "Because of our #location." "Yes, this churning city.' "There's a place across the street that fans its kitchen fumes into the air." "I was being metaphorical." "Want to get a burger?" "Of course I do." #vss365 #vssdaily 1142
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Unbridled #passion like a wildfire, devouring everything in its path in a violent need to sustain itself. It #soon became too much and flamed out, a smoldering shadow leaving behind the broken souls of those it consumed. #vss365 #vssdaily 0172
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 22/09/2026I awake to the rumble of my cat purring, sitting next to me as a sentinel through the night, ensuring my safety so I may feed him come morning. I reach to pet his #fur, but he is already #moving, #embarking on a journey of scant feet, so he is an inch out of reach. #vss366 #vssdaily #BookishTues 041
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 21/09/2026I picked up a seashell and put it to my #ear so I could hear the sea. Instead I heard a #storm, with skittering thunder before the peirce of lightning bit my ear. It's what I deserved for disrupting the home of an unnoticed hermit crab. #vss365 #vssdaily 0142
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 18/09/2026#Exploring the deepest depths of the Earth, I navigate #tight caverns seen by no humans. Exhilarating and spectacular, then the light flickers out. I fumble for the backup. Slipping through damp fingers, I hear it tumble away. Then nothing but darkness, dripping, and my heartbeat. #vss365 #vssdaily 0163
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 17/09/2026The two coworkers were nothing alike. One whose career burgeoned in #infancy, the other crowed in twilight. One sought mentorship, the other solitude. One wanted to shake things up, the other craved routine. But the pizza party drove both of their morale over the #ledge. #vss365 #vssdaily 0142
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Every night in this old house comes a knocking. The time changes from whence it #commences, and behind every door there is no culprit, and yet the knocking proceeds. Upstairs, downstairs, all around, but no one is ever there except the infernal #knock, #knock... #Knock. #vss365 #vssdaily 1193
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 15/09/2026An #autumnal breeze brings a brisk scent and the skittering of leaves, blowing my thoughts back to simpler times. Was there anything as satisfying as slapping shut a #flip #phone after making Friday night plans with buddies and the weekend spreading out to eternity? #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues 0202
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Birdsong begins to fade as the day comes to a close. Lovers #involved in their own worlds walk hand in hand as a #sanguine sunset paints the portrait of an oncoming evening. In this brief moment, it seems everything is ok in the world. This brief moment. #vss365 #vssdaily 0172
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 11/09/2026His only #vice was #naivete. While others fell to the bottle or slots, he wandered through his days with a peaceful smile as the world burned around him. Sure, he missed a lot, but he took big hits of ignorance and sailed high on the freedom of his bliss. #vss365 #vssdaily 0101
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 10/09/2026The room seemed a sort of exhibit. Tools of his trade hung with care on the wall. The odor of strong disinfectants lingered, and soft lighting seeming to highlight certain items. Of this macabre #melange, I noticed a #hammer. It hadn't been cleaned, yet. I knew what stained it. #vss365 #vssdaily 0114
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 09/09/2026"Trust me." "No way. You have terrible #intuition." "No I don't." "Remember that time you thought it would be a great idea to let out a fart as the bride and groom were introduced at their #reception?" "I used the best man's mic." "You did." "That was hilarious." "I rest my case." #vss365 #vssdaily 071
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 08/09/2026The #cathedral ripples in the #moonglade of the pond, a peaceful sway on calm night. A #bird skims the water and the #cathedral shimmers away. I look up and see only the quiet wood around me and shiver. #vssdaily #vss365 #BookishTues 0234
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 03/09/2026She earned her living as a bartender at an #airport lounge, slinging #elixers to weary wayfarers. There were no regulars, just transients with mostly long-distant gazes. Cocktails to ease the heavy minds of the light baggaged. It seemed joyful vacationers skipped the airport bar. #vss365 #vssdaily 0121
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 02/09/2026Slap another cassette in the tape deck and cruise the boulevard on a Friday night. Street light shadows dance as we drive past, looking better than everyone, while they look better than us. Hair #spray in the center #console to ensure we keep it up. Those were the days. #vss365 #vssdaily 1132
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 01/09/2026"One must feel true #empathy to find peace." "No sweat." "It is not as easy as one may think." "Sure it is, piece of cake." "Like a #pebble tossed in a vast ocean, it can be hard to find." "Nah, I watched Sesame Street on the #tube as a kid. I'm all set!" "Very well." #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues 0162
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 31/08/2026A Phil Collins song comes on the radio, and I'm 10 again on a Friday night, snatching a brownie from under #wax paper carefully placed by my mom before she takes me to the roller #skate rink. Drums hit like a time machine. #vss365 #vssdaily 082
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 28/08/2026In the living room I hear an issue, within the kitchen a crinkle of #tissue. I leap to my feet ready for attack, as I realize the cat is eating my #snack! #vss365 #vssdaily 0122
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 27/08/2026#Hunched over the steering wheel as headlamps glow on pavement flashing past like so many bad memories. The open road heads towards the moon, floating without care above distant mountain silhouettes. Wisps of clouds beckon like #pillows as the motor hums a lullaby. #vss365 #vssdaily 0132
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 26/08/2026A room untouched except by time and dust, frozen before a life cut short. Walls boasted #posters preserving the height of pop culture as it had been. She could almost hear the #tunes blasting from the tinny speakers of a battery-powered boom box. A nostalgic tear said farewell. #vss365 #vssdaily 092
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 25/08/2026The #engines never stopped. A constant churning rumbling below the city so the lights never faded. Nothing to stop production. Nothing to stop progress. He yearned for a night of darkness. Of quiet. To soak up that delicacy of peace like a #sponge. Back to work. #vss365 #vssdaily 0162
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 24/08/2026I arrive at the cabin for the first time on a cool morning. I find a #cord of wood behind the deck, but it's rotten, an #algae condominium throughout the past year. Whomever owned the place before me had criminally neglected the fireplace. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting 092
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 21/08/2026He was a con man, selling lies all day and #sleeping soundly on other folks' hard-earned dough. Not sure how he pulled it off, though. The mug's charisma was so thin it'd make a #razor think it needed to go on a diet. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting. 052
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 20/08/2026The #underpinning foundation of our family, that #kettle. Some might think it the kitchen table where we gathered, or the hearth where we warmed, or even the house where we stayed safe. No, it was that #kettle, which called to us whenever we were in need. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting 0203
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 19/08/2026There's #something healing about a warm shower. Water sluicing over muscles as fatigued as the mind, washing the soul like no #soap can. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting 0152
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 18/08/2026He looked in the mirror and nodded before dragging a #comb over his head to fix an errant lock. He wanted to look perfect for his big #goodbye, although he still didn't know how to say it. Still, the word #rhymed with fly, so he knew he would. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues 0193
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 17/08/2026He lived in apartment the size of a #matchbox. Not enough room to decorate or he'd be stuck. It matched his lifestyle, in a way, lived with as much #variety as a dry loaf of Wonder Bread. Not even any mayo to break up the day. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting 1202
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 14/08/2026"What do you think?" "A unique case, but I think #acid is the murder weapon." "How so?" "It's subtle, but you can see a glowing green substance around the 12-inch hole in his gut." The patrol officers gawked at him, having proved his reputation as a #shrewd cartoon detective. #vss365 #vssdaily 091
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 13/08/2026Soup and salad, like two healthy henchmen. #Cling to the #fork as I drive it into the lettuce, as though the utensil would ricochet into oblivion. Don't have this problem with pizza. #vss365 #vssdaily #amwriting 2152
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 12/08/2026The #bus sat rusting, tires long since gone, so the #garden adopted it. Wildflowers formed a colorful moat around the pale yellow hulk. A sapling maple took residence in its middle. In the warm sun of an autumn afternoon, I thought I heard children's laughter among the birdsong. #vss365 #vssdaily 1234
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 11/08/2026The #laundry machine wound down. He heard the tapping of a #beetle's steps as it made its way across the floor. He scooped it up and took it out, smiling as it flew to freedom. Fresh linen welcomed him back as he wondered how #evil thrived with such joys in the world. #vss365 #vssdaily #BookishTues 092
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 10/08/2026Tom #toiled. Tom #toiled until his fingers bled, which is something as he worked in a cubicle. Tom #toiled such that he would forget to #inhale and give a mighty gasp (he apologized to his cube mates). Seeing Tom's steadfast #toiling, the boss relented, and threw a pizza party. #vss365 #vssdaily 1112
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 07/08/2026"I'm #trying to understand the #devine." "Oh, some light thinking?" "What is it? Often overwhelmingly good but also occasionally terrible. Can be terrifying but also comforting. Soothing but may keep you up at night." "So that's why ancient Egyptians thought cats were gods." #vss365 #vssdaily 1123
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Most don't consider what births evil. Maybe it lurks in the shadows of a sinister street corner, or in damp, murky woods. Naivety of the uninitiated. The seed of selfish greed simply needs a #fertile landscape of ignorance, and the garden of corruption flourishes. #vss365 #amwriting #crimefiction 0122
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 05/08/2026"I'm so tired." "You've been busy." "Floors vacuumed and mopped. Surfaces dusted. Trash taken out. What else?" "Rest." "But things should be tidy." "Have a cookie." "But, the crumbs!" "Trust in treats; they are worth a bit of #chaos." #vss365 #amwriting 2202
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Polishing an apple, nature's candy. #Rubbing the #fruit's flesh with a clean microfiber rag until it gleams. Set it back in the bowl with its companions. Wanted a candy bar all along. Doesn't need to be polished. Easy sweet. #vss365 #BookishTues #amwriting 2133
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 03/08/2026They call me a bartender, and I suppose that's right. Keep the stock filled, taps flowing, and glasses clean (although here, only the shot glasses see regular rotation). But in this kind of place, mainly it's the patrons need seeing to. If they aren't #tended, people may die. #vss365 #amwriting 1182
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 31/07/2026He sat in the darkness, surrounded by cool grass, damp with dew and waited. Waited for the day. For the sun to #arrive and drive away the night, the sadness, the dark. The sun to heal, soothed by the birdsong symphony and nature's hopeful embrace. Waited for hope. #vss365 #amwriting 1164
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 30/07/2026"Relationships are hard." "They can be." "I wish they had something like a #brake pedal. If things go a bit fast, just tap it and the lights let them know you want to slow down." "Ah. A luxury line of passive-aggressive-fear-of-commitment automobiles." #vss365 #amwriting 172
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Workplace uproar. Staff demanding wages matching the work they provide. The bosses try to find a middle ground and buy them pizzas. Negotiation reached, bellies full, and from now on, they'll #coast instead of excel. #vss365 #amwriting 1122
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 28/07/2026"Why are you smiling?" "Why aren't you?" "Because, you know, our current situation?" "Everything is better if you see the positive in it." "We are #descending into hell." "And we might as well do so with a #spring in our step!" "Scratch that, I'm already in hell." #vss365 #BookishTues #amwriting 0114
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 27/07/2026He used to be somebody. Excelled at everything he did. Then he lost it all. A great plummet from the #summit of society. Now he held court caked in grime and broken promises. The king of losers, his crown gleaming with bad decisions. #vss365 #amwriting 0143
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 24/07/2026"Storm's comin'." "Think so." "The winds are feelin' frisky. After a steady dance, they gave a light, teaseful pause before #shifting directions. Now the leaves shimmer in anticipation." "I noticed the toilet water also shrank real low." "Well, so much for poetry." #vss365 #amwriting 1102
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 23/07/2026"Life is like a #road. While it can have many twists and turns, it can also be wide open." "Nice." "Be careful, though. Even minor mistakes can lead to skinned knees." "Ok, but the simile is wavering at this point." "Sometimes you can stop for a donut." "You started off so well." #vss365 #amwriting 1112
Reposted by Author Robert C. MadisonIrishLisa 🌈 @irishlisa.bsky.social · 22/07/2026a tailwind of hope propels many to just try sometimes that's the win (inspired by @robertcmadison.bsky.social) #vss365 #Tailwind #Senryu #Haiku #Poetry #Micropoetry #JustWrite #WritingCommunity #BlueskyPoets 0387
Author Robert C. Madison @robertcmadison.bsky.social · 22/07/2026Folks arrived in the city on a #tailwind of hope, eyes alight by so many lights they might as well have been stars. Some people made it, but the city chewed up most, like some ruthless monster from the days of yore. It didn't breathe fire, but you wouldn't know that by the smell. #vss365 #amwriting 0141
