Grin Against Gravity
A Mountain boy, One Smile, and the Start of a Bigger Story
It’s picture day, and I’m perched on a plastic stool, knees scuffed, hair doing whatever it pleases. The backdrop is some cloudy blue illusion, but I’m all real wavy hair, a grin wide enough to challenge gravity.
I’d just finished telling the photographer about a raccoon I saw in the woods, how I named it Skippy and planned to make it my sidekick.
Inside, I was already scribbling secret stories in notebooks when no one’s watching.
The flash caught more than my face, it caught the sparkle of a boy dreaming bigger than his mountain holler ever guessed he would.
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
Tim is an Appalachian poet and cookbook author. He writes about rural life, family, and the places he grew up around. His poetry and essays have appeared in Bloodroot and Coal Dust, his latest book.
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Comments (9)
Congratulations…great job!
part I loved the best: Skippy the raccoon, your sidekick because it made me think of the movie/book, "Where the Red Fern Grows," but also the secret stories you wrote, and that head full of unruly hair! We could all learn a whole lot from that mountain boy!
challenging gravity with a grin! i love this. what a cute pic 💙
A delightful Drabble! Really like the photo & “ The flash caught more than my face, it caught the sparkle of a boy dreaming bigger than his mountain holler ever guessed he would.” ✅ In Australia, kangaroos are called “Skippy”!😃
What a beautiful smile!!
This is a brilliant entry mate.
Your grin is brighter than any camera's flash! I would have been so interested to listen to your racoon story hehehehe
This was not just a snapshot of a moment, but of your spirit :-)
Aww, look at that big ol' grin. Love this so much