Microstories

Go to Dan Dana home page

A work in continual progress ... come back soon ... and refresh your browser. Jump to most recent.

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 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.

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 on top, beneath INTRO.

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

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

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

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