November 4, 2026

Ah, decisions.

Yesterday in the United States, people made big decisions. There are those political things, and there are those personal things.

It seems all our lives we are making decisions of one kind or another. Some are easy, and some are just plain tough.

Here are three different takes on making decisions.

It is only through labor and painful effort, by grim energy and resolute courage, that we move on to better things.”– Theodore Roosevelt

I can imagine that in the United States this week, lots of people are concerned with painful efforts and grim energy. It’s hard work. It’s hard work to know what directions to take, what programs to create and support. And I can imagine there are some regrets.

Life is just a slide. Back and forth between loving and leaving, remembering and forgetting, holding on, and letting go.– Nicole Lyons

Oh, that back and forth, loving and leaving, holding on and letting go. What have you let go? Was it painful? A lover, a friend, a goal, a dream?

And this from the Lovin’ Spoonful.

Did you ever have to finally decide?
Say yes to one and let the other one ride
There’s so many changes, and tears you must hide
Did you ever have to finally decide?

What burdens do you face? What regrets do you carry?

Write then, write about the pain of big decisions and letting go.

Zay Pareltheon

Sue Banerji Audrey Howitt Mimi Bordeaux Kevin E. Pittack Jr. Zay Pareltheon Viraji Ogodapola Marilyn J Wolf Samantha Lazar Mia Verita Pamela J. Nikodem, MSED Agnes Laurens Agnes Chan。阿詩疑亭🧕🏼✍🏽 A.j Thomas Alex Tiu Alice Armour Altus Amy Jasek Amy L. Bernstein Ana Maria Irueste-Montes Angelina Der Arakelian Annine Massaro Ann Marie Steele Anthony David Vernon Anna Rozwadowska Jam | Creative Bahora Saitova BJ Dawson Ben Human Betsy Denson Suntonu Bhadra Bob Metivier Victoria Ponte Brian S. Hook Caitlin Rebecca Camille Fairbanks Caroline Mellor Charlene Marron Cheryll MV Joao Coimbra Connie Song D. Abboh Danielle Loewen Daniel Bhakti Rosy Rane Darryl Willis Dewain Belgard Dennett Dermott Hayes Destiny S. Harris Dylan Skurka Eddie Becker Enne Baker Ema Dumitru Ed Newman Era Garg Erika Burkhalter Evan Wildstein Filza Chaudhry Christina M. Ward Gary Chapin Geetika Sethi Alex Guenther Harley Bell Hawkeye Pete Egan B. Iain Lenninski Ian Cunnold IMΛBӨПG FΛMIПЦ Imad Ilaria Mangiardi Jade Willow Jaswanisarika Winifred J. Akpobi Jaylee Reign Jay Sizemore Jeff Langley J.L. Littlejohn Jenine “Jeni” Baines Jennifer Dodge Jenny Justice Jeremy McKay Joe Luca Joseph Lieungh Josh E. Josh Lonsdale just a twenty something Kate-lynne Pigg Katrina Bos km. rowe Kirk Albert Alexander Keith R. Higgons Kristin Doherty Kyla Sawyer laksh Laurie Perez Lennie Varvarides Wry Welwood Lisa Marie Simmons Ludovico Leone Mahnoor Mai Yamamoto Natalie Wilkinson Marcus Chan Margie Pearl Mary Jones Mary L. Holden Melissa Rodriguez Mark Tulin Michael Centrone Mike Scarpiello Debbie Miller Breathe & Be Still Sally A Mortemore M.T. Pariti Niki Madore Nilla Chen Jonah Angeles Pablo Pereyra Vaishali Paliwal Paroma Sen Patrick M. Ohana Paul Mulliner Penny Grubb Patrick Metzger Alistair J. Kraft Lindsay Soberano Wilson Rachel K. Ravyne Hawke Sean Zhai Rhonda Marrone Somsubhra Banerjee Shringi Kumari Suzanne V. Tanner Shiraz Zafar Hussain Sydney Duke Richey Margaret’s Reflections I am not a Robot Kira Dawn Theophilus Auctor Thomas Plummer Theodore McDowell Tree Langdon Fox Kerry Upen Singh Willow Schroeder Vic Spandrio Skye Nicholson Winslow Thornhill Carlo Zeno Evelyn Jean Pine Masha Zubareva Pseu Pending (Seu) John Newmark Crooked Timber Linda Sharp Kait Leonard Astral Escapes ∞ Jeff Burton Brother Bhunru Kensu Ridge Ryan Janise Jona Daye Anu Anniah Obinna Uruakpa Jessica Lee McMillan Barsha Kar Nikita Joshi Joel R. Dennstedt Katherine Myrestad Andy Lammers AVG Alicia Casner chel writes Sana Sparks Matt Youth Cat Strav Jay Squires Uzaifa Memon Arka Ghosh Fiona Guest Anish Bhattacharyya Tariq Ulixes Hawili Edward Swafford Amanda Weir-Gertzog Arushi Sahu Charles Source Loddie Foose, Claire Kelly Mykel Vinitha Dileep A.M. Goode Helen Jesse Wilson Tiffany A Krista Lisa Fouweather Ann Mary Alexander Mahin Alexandra Axente Brian Throne 𝐡.𝐚.𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 Snehalsaju Aurelia Bliss Nitin Dangwal Lovely Poems M.A. Sonncraft Ashish Jha Sam Grackle Yong Kim Marie Cadette Pierre-Louis🇭🇹❤️💞 Daphne Sampson Jesse Sheppard Bakliterati Xine Segalas keri maureen Sherry Atkinson Vesselin Danchev Quy Ma K A Simran Thaddeus Jenny Blue Matthew J. Koehler Vincent F. A. Golphin Blessing O Swathi Rao Stevenharrison Cathryn Moore Elizabeth Hilsch Esme Raine Harlow Stacey Patterson, J.D. Kayla Jean Effner Cecile Gerwel Proches Soheil Erfani Tabar Joe Glacken Sheri Jacobs Moonpie Regina Edmunds (aka Jean Edmonds) Maisie Archer Ruth Boukhari StartledEgg Marilyn Flower Grace Mary Power Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar Jill Eng Sarah Healey Médousa’s Child Paul A Domenick Mike Ketch🖌 John E Marks Joejohn Black Michael M. Brownstein

First Thursday Prompt Making Decisions was originally published in Scrittura on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Editors’ Picks

Ah July…so hot, so rainy, so long, so short. It is a month of contrasts — though so much warmer than January. We look back, we look forward.

But when we look back at the work of July in Scrittura, we see such excellence and bravery. And we celebrate that excellence and bravery by sharing what we, the editors, have noted and enjoyed.

This then is our July Wonderful Words. We want you to join in this celebration of excellence and bravery. All writers must be daring and brave in crafting works that reveal their new visions and inner souls.

We hope you enjoy as much as we did.

Write on!

Viraji’s Picks

Autumn’s Echo by BJ Dawson

With endings written
in recurrent cursive whispers
long before we ever began,
still, I nurture it to fruition,
from solstice, all the way through
to autumn’s echo of you

Autumn’s Echo

rising by Sally A Mortemore

trees paint the sky an angry charcoal
humanity re-reaching for another
nullifying barrel load of fear
to stagger home

rising

We Land Without Shoes by Audrey Howitt

This is progress, this sometime space
we land in, somewhere in those hours
when everything stops,
this place where the running stops
where feet can feel the milling of the tiny lives
beneath. It isn’t a complicated space,

We Land Without Shoes

Ann’s Picks

Secrets Left in the Leaves by Diana Dolea

Then comes the hum of rising noise,
the babbling choir of girls and boys.

Bending tree, adopt poor me.

And there, watching me,
shy eyes peeking through the leaves.

Secrets Left in the Leaves

Such an Idiom by Michael M. Brownstein

until one night
she said

you always know
what I mean

and there was nothing
to say after that

Such an Idiom

Michael’s Picks

Asunder by Ruth Francise

These shattered ribs — 
is that how you got in?
Planting sweet bombs
despite my resistance.

Asunder

The Best Thing About Age Is Watching the Rules Melt in Your Mouth by Mike Ketch🖌

the best thing about age
is watching the rules
melt in your mouth

The Best Thing About Age Is Watching The Rules Melt in Your Mouth

The Locked House by Saugat Menon

The house went dark. No lamp, no voice, no heir.
The alley keeps its hunger and its stone.
They swear a hand will come to make it fair.
It does not come. The door holds fast. The bone.

The Locked House

Zay’s Picks

Our endless, numbered days by John E Marks

Sackcloth on our backs,
ashes in our mouths,
wailing heard
from north and south

Morning maniac music
shakes me awake
those who once brought hope
now mired in hate.

Our endless, numbered days

My Heart Beats in Distension by Hunter Dansin

How often have I peered through a loose stitch,
Wondering, when I leave this skein behind,
How far my soul must fly before it rests.

My Heart Beats in Distension

Bye for now.

Sue Banerji Audrey Howitt Mimi Bordeaux Kevin E. Pittack Jr. Zay Pareltheon Viraji Ogodapola Marilyn J Wolf Samantha Lazar Mia Verita Pamela J. Nikodem, MSED Agnes Laurens Agnes Chan。阿詩疑亭🧕🏼✍🏽 A.j Thomas Alex Tiu Alice Armour Altus Amy Jasek Amy L. Bernstein Ana Maria Irueste-Montes Angelina Der Arakelian Annine Massaro Ann Marie Steele Anthony David Vernon Anna Rozwadowska Jam | Creative Bahora Saitova BJ Dawson Ben Human Betsy Denson Suntonu Bhadra Bob Metivier Victoria Ponte Brian S. Hook Caitlin Rebecca Camille Fairbanks Caroline Mellor Charlene Marron Cheryll MV Joao Coimbra Connie Song D. Abboh Danielle Loewen Daniel Bhakti Rosy Rane Darryl Willis Dewain Belgard Dennett Dermott Hayes Destiny S. Harris Dylan Skurka Eddie Becker Enne Baker Ema Dumitru Ed Newman Era Garg Erika Burkhalter Evan Wildstein Filza Chaudhry Christina M. Ward Gary Chapin Geetika Sethi Alex Guenther Harley Bell Hawkeye Pete Egan B. Iain Lenninski Ian Cunnold IMΛBӨПG FΛMIПЦ Imad Ilaria Mangiardi Jade Willow Jaswanisarika Winifred J. Akpobi Jaylee Reign Jay Sizemore Jeff Langley J.L. Littlejohn Jenine “Jeni” Baines Jennifer Dodge Jenny Justice Jeremy McKay Joe Luca Joseph Lieungh Josh E. Josh Lonsdale just a twenty something Kate-lynne Pigg Katrina Bos km. rowe Kirk Albert Alexander Keith R. Higgons Kristin Doherty Kyla Sawyer laksh Laurie Perez Lennie Varvarides Wry Welwood Lisa Marie Simmons Ludovico Leone Mahnoor Mai Yamamoto Natalie Wilkinson Marcus Chan Margie Pearl Mary Jones Mary L. Holden Melissa Rodriguez Mark Tulin Michael Centrone Mike Scarpiello Debbie Miller Breathe & Be Still Sally A Mortemore M.T. Pariti Niki Madore Nilla Chen Jonah Angeles Pablo Pereyra Vaishali Paliwal Paroma Sen Patrick M. Ohana Paul Mulliner Penny Grubb Patrick Metzger Alistair J. Kraft Lindsay Soberano Wilson Rachel K. Ravyne Hawke Sean Zhai Rhonda Marrone Somsubhra Banerjee Shringi Kumari Suzanne V. Tanner Shiraz Zafar Hussain Sydney Duke Richey Margaret’s Reflections I am not a Robot Kira Dawn Theophilus Auctor Thomas Plummer Theodore McDowell Tree Langdon Fox Kerry Upen Singh Willow Schroeder Vic Spandrio Skye Nicholson Winslow Thornhill Carlo Zeno Evelyn Jean Pine Masha Zubareva Pseu Pending (Seu) John Newmark Crooked Timber Linda Sharp Kait Leonard Astral Escapes ∞ Jeff Burton Brother Bhunru Kensu Ridge Ryan Janise Jona Daye Anu Anniah Obinna Uruakpa Jessica Lee McMillan Barsha Kar Rui Alves Nikita Joshi Joel R. Dennstedt Katherine Myrestad Andy Lammers AVG Alicia Casner chel writes Sana Sparks Matt Youth Cat Strav Jay Squires Uzaifa Memon Arka Ghosh Fiona Guest Anish Bhattacharyya Tariq Ulixes Hawili Edward Swafford Amanda Weir-Gertzog Arushi Sahu Charles Source Loddie Foose, Claire Kelly Mykel Vinitha Dileep A.M. Goode Helen Jesse Wilson Tiffany A Krista Lisa Fouweather Ann Mary Alexander Mahin Alexandra Axente Brian Throne 𝐡.𝐚.𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞 Snehalsaju Aurelia Bliss Nitin Dangwal Lovely Poems M.A. Sonncraft Ashish Jha Sam Grackle Yong Kim Marie Cadette Pierre-Louis🇭🇹❤️💞 Daphne Sampson Jesse Sheppard Bakliterati Xine Segalas keri maureen Sherry Atkinson Vesselin Danchev Quy Ma K A Simran Thaddeus Jenny Blue Matthew J. Koehler Vincent F. A. Golphin Blessing O Swathi Rao Stevenharrison Cathryn Moore Elizabeth Hilsch Esme Raine Harlow Stacey Patterson, J.D. Kayla Jean Effner Cecile Gerwel Proches Soheil Erfani Tabar Joe Glacken Sheri Jacobs Moonpie Regina Edmunds (aka Jean Edmonds) Maisie Archer Ruth Boukhari StartledEgg Marilyn Flower Grace Mary Power Monoreena Acharjee Majumdar Jill Eng Sarah Healey Médousa’s Child Paul A Domenick Mike Ketch🖌 John E Marks Joejohn Black Michael M. Brownstein

Wonderful Words — July was originally published in Scrittura on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.