Microstories

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Microstory Incubator
When fifty words is enough

Welcome to my private studio, an incubator where budding creations marinate awaiting publication by Five Palms Press — also visit my Haiku Incubator.

Microstory explainer: These precisely fifty-word prose poems are original, personal, and true, often metaphorical, but incomplete. No backstory is provided for context. Some are "dehydrated" previously published haiku quintets; others are newborns. Each is the tip of an iceberg. Vast regions are left to your imagination — that dream-like fluid that rehydrates and completes the 50-word story-stem provided here. Unlazy readers, without even trying, create the unseen subsurface portion, emerging Rorschach-like from your own rich mental underworld. How? Simply notice the image that appears to your mind's eye, the tug at your heart, the punch to your gut. It's your story too, dear coauthor.

Microsaga: A novel variant of the microstory, microsagas adopt the perspective or persona of an actual or fictional character in a historical or foreign scenario depicted by the associated photo or image. Figurative language, imagery, and other poetic elements are applied.

Those of advancing age, or who suffer from some other terminal condition, may appreciate My Death Collection. You may even recognize yourself there.

Sign up for my free Substack "Dan's Microstories: 50 Pithy Words" to receive tasty morsels in your inbox, not too frequently. Microstories are sometimes published there, denoted below by an asterisk.

Note to podcasters and publishers: I await your invitation here

If revisiting this page, please refresh your browser, as creations are continuously revised and new ones suddenly appear — most recent ones on top.

Excepting some images, AI is not used in the creation of these microstories.


Browse ..... Let your mind wander ..... Follow it there ..... Repeat


110. Waterworks ~ My plumbing problem in Dan's voice

109. Living by Default ~ Rational choice be damned in Dan's voice

108. Bertha Appleseed ~ Sowing seeds of Reason in Dan's voice

107. Life at Osprey Tower ~ Humans should learn from us in Dan's voice

106. Capsule ~ It costs under a minute in Dan's voice

105. Live Now ~ Love in Dan's voice

104. Love Remains ~ Her warming words in Dan's voice

103. My 911 Call ~ I'm freezing to death! in Dan's voice

102. Val ~ A hero in Dan's voice

101. Greenland ~ We are safe. in Dan's voice


New creations are listed above. Those listed below are drafts that were substantially edited and revised before publication in Microstories: When 50 Words is Enough in e-book and audiobook formats. Please view finished versions there.

INTRO 1: Minimalism ~ An untold story, until you tell it ~ in Dan's voice Microstories

INTRO 2. Stem Cell ~ Take it from here ~ in Dan's voice


100. Tell Me Your Name ~ Origami in Dan's voice

099. Deeply Grokked ~ There IS someone out there! in Dan's voice

098. Susan's Hands ~ Building our world in Dan's voice

097. The Purpose of Life ~ The next peak to climb?~ in Dan's voice

096. The fist bump ~ We salute our humanity~ in Dan's voice

095. 400 Forefathers ~ If just one had listened ~ in Dan's voice

094. A Smoker's Worry ~ I wonder ~ in Dan's voice

093. Christmas Truce 1914 ~ It has not held ~ in Dan's voice

092. Humanist Winter Holidays ~ Peace, infidels! ~ in Dan's voice

091. Sunflower Power ~ Our hope makes us beautiful ~ in Dan's voice

090. Zofia's Chair ~ Left behind for the next shipment ~ in Dan's voice

089. How to Be Dad ~ So far, no one has noticed ~ in Dan's voice

088. Wall of Death ~ I wait for relief ~ in Dan's voice

087. First Thanksgiving ~ Is this a trap? ~ in Dan's voice

086. What If? ~ He has heard rumors ~ in Dan's voice

085. Email ~ Time to switch? ~ in Dan's voice

084. Will Work for Food ~ Honey, what's for dinner? ~ in Dan's voice

083. Command Module ~ Has issued instructions ~ in Dan's voice

082. Atlantic Crossing ~ Horizon-busting ~ in Dan's voice

081. Granddaddy's Pig Barn ~ A full lifetime ago ~ in Dan's voice

080. Bothsidesism ~ Who wins? ~ in Dan's voice

079. Glad I'm Not Young ~ At final decade's doorstep ~ in Dan's voice

078. Reason's Choice ~ I'll patientlly wait ~ in Dan's voice

077. Wordless ~ At Auschwitz~ in Dan's voice

076. I Shall Persist ~ In my fantasy ~ in Dan's voice

075. Impermanence ~ My life's chalk mark ~ in Dan's voice

074. Tracks ~ To our unknown ends ~ in Dan's voice

073. No Common Ground ~ On the same planet~ in Dan's voice

072. Moral Cul-de-Sac ~ An impossible choice ~ in Dan's voice

071. Good Reasons for Caution ~ I wonder why ~ in Dan's voice

070. Wall Decorations ~ If I choose to survive her ~ in Dan's voice

069. Stem Cell ~ Take it from here ~ in Dan's voice

068. North Star ~ I am there ~ in Dan's voice

067. Recurring Dream ~ Can't wait another thirty years ~ in Dan's voice

066. The Emigrant ~ In my heart, I have emigrated. ~ in Dan's voice

065. Cuba ~ Where are the women? ~ in Dan's voice

064. Our Warm Sea ~ Until the water's edge ~ in Dan's voice

063. Courage ~ Assault by witty words ~ in Dan's voice

062. Peace ~ Let it be ~ in Dan's voice

061. Triad No More ~ Lady Justice lost her grip ~ in Dan's voice

060. Uncertainties ~ Carry on living this good life ~ in Dan's voice

059. Danny's Decision ~ A free-thinking choice ~ in Dan's voice

058. A Writer's Final Plea ~ That's all I ask. ~ in Dan's voice

057. Is This a Coup? ~ Yes ~ in Dan's voice

056. A Bid for Remembrance ~ Is this the one? ~ in Dan's voice

055. A Tale of Two Towns ~ I miss my old town ~ in Dan's voice

054. The Custodian ~ He won't leave ~ in Dan's voice

053. Behind the Iron Curtain ~ What's it like over there? ~ in Dan's voice

052. A Life Story ~ Finding my footing ~ in Dan's voice

051. I Write ~ Speaking from the grave ~ in Dan's voice (Preface to Microstories, coming 2026)

050. Fig Leaf ~ Am I revealing too much? ~ in Dan's voice

049. Never Mind Me ~ I'm no threat ~ in Dan's voice

048. Emergent Spacetime ~ What is truly fundamental? ~ in Dan's voice

047. Descending* ~ What lies beneath? ~ in Dan's voice

046. Fate's Calculus ~ From my gilded cell ~ in Dan's voice

045. Return to Oblivion ~ Thank you ~ in Dan's voice

044. Our Beloved Structure* ~ We watch in disbelief ~ in Dan's voice

043. Thin Veneer ~ Do you feel the prick? ~ in Dan's voice

042. Until This Morning ~ He felt safe. ~ in Dan's voice

041. Quicksand* ~ Eventually, we stopped struggling. ~ in Dan's voice

040. Retribution ~ Are we even now? ~ in Dan's voice

039. Toxic Relationship ~ Stay or leave? ~ in Dan's voice

038. This Reality Show ~ I pulled the plug ~ in Dan's voice

037. Down Here ~ AWOL from my civic duty ~ in Dan's voice

036. Socrates ~ I am his son ~ in Dan's voice

035. Imbalance ~ God's original sin ~ in Dan's voice

034. The Turtle* ~ Withdrawing to a safe place ~ in Dan's voice

033. Paddling Upstream ~ Shall I race the current? ~ in Dan's voice

032. The Call ~ Only art remains.~ in Dan's voice

031. Life Goes On ~ During fascism ~ in Dan's voice

030. After the Coronation* ~ I'm an American expat living in Florida ~ in Dan's voice

029. Duty to Live ~ To none but me? ~ in Dan's voice

028. Diagnostic? ~ I can still write, thinking slowly ~ in Dan's voice

027. Sarasota Snow Day* ~ Is it under 60 degrees? ~ in Dan's voice

026. My Attention ~ Let's get acquainted ~ in Dan's voice

025. Be Like Jimmy* ~ Use single-text negotiation ~ in Dan's voice

024. Lincoln* ~ Shall we perish from the earth? ~ in Dan's voice

023. A Human Race* ~ Stay tuned ~ in Dan's voice

022. Happy New Year?* ~ Let us hope ~ in Dan's voice

021. Small Sandbox ~ Play with me ~ in Dan's voice

020. Beware Informants ~ Your friends ~ in Dan's voice

019. The New Fire Brigade ~ Voice from the white closet ~ in Dan's voice

018. MAGAmerica ~ Patriotism fades to black ~ in Dan's voice

017. I Want My Mom ~ At eighty ~ in Dan's voice

016. I Can't Look Away ~ Seeking distraction ~ in Dan's voice

015. The Morning After* ~ Hurricane Milton ~ in Dan's voice

014. How to Be an Expat at Home ~ Advice from Dmitry and Svetlana ~ in Dan's voice

013. To Flee? ~ I'll stay put ~ in Dan's voice

012. Witnessing History* ~ We live in interesting times.

011. Getting Better at Getting Old ~ Less not more ~ in Dan's voice

010. Angel on Earth ~ I kiss her nightly ~ in Dan's voice

009. Grandfather's Lament ~ I'm a busker ~ in Dan's voice

008. Carpe Diem ~ Windows close.

007. Hope and Dread* ~ Watch for broken glass.

006. My Dad at 150* ~ When I reach your age ~ in Dan's voice

005. But First, My Mom* ~ I sip from your depth ~ in Dan's voice

004. Holidays in Sarasota* ~ Surrogates arrive at six.

003. Perfect Storm* ~ I forgot to vote.

002. Stress Test ~ Is the Constitution just a suggestion?

001. Jimmy's Shoes* ~ 1924 - 2024 ~ in Dan's voice


All content © 2024 by Dan Dana

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