A single blade of grass grows.

Have you ever watched a guinea pig eat a single blade of grass?

Their little mouth can move faster than you might imagine,

Then they look for another single blade of grass.

My Dad loved guinea pigs.

He had one after another, all named Whistles.

When they heard the fridge door open, they’d whistle for food and expect it.

Whistles didn’t like that wide, heavy grass with its sharp edges.

We kids used that to put between our two thumbs

and blow across to make it whistle.

It only took a single blade.

Written in response to Charli Mills September 26, 2023, prompt at Carrot Ranch Literary: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes a blade of grass. What can you compare it to? Or in contrast? Is it a character prop or a story linchpin? Go poetic, go any genre or tone. Go where the prompt leads!