Emigré- Linda Imbler

Bio: Linda Imbler has five published poetry collections and one hybrid ebook of short fiction and poetry. She is a Kansas-based Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Nominee. More information can be found lindaspoetryblog.blogspot.com.


The bone tired man stumbled along the long, dark highway.  So far, he had met no one else and he thought that strange. Trees encroached on either side of the road, so all he could focus on was what was up ahead.  He was confused, and he was so very thirsty.

He’d left his family behind.  He decided he was going to make sure this new land he’d heard so much about was a safe place for them when it was their turn to travel here.

At first, he wasn’t sure.  He thought he perceived the dimmest halo of light up ahead.  As he dragged himself on, he realized he was indeed seeing light.  It grew brighter with each weary footfall.  He also recognized that he heard voices.  He found them faint at first, but they grew louder as he approached.  The problem was that he could not understand what they were saying.

He began to daydream about being reunited with his wife and children.  He did not acknowledge  how far he had walked until a large wall loomed up in front of him.  Following its perimeter, he came to a gate.  The cheerful man at the gate asked for his papers.  Checking his pockets, he found papers he didn’t even know he had.  He handed them over to the man at the gate.  The gate opened and he entered the new land he had sought.  Immediately, his fatigue fell away.  In that same instant, his thirst for knowledge was slaked.  In addition, he now understood the voices very clearly. They were welcoming him.  A huge smile lit up the face of this newly deceased man, having just crossed the border into Heaven.

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Setu, May 2020 :: Flash Fiction 2020