Wednesday's Words on a Friday
On Wednesday’s, Delores,
from Under The Porch Light, has a meme which she calls
“Words for Wednesday”.
She puts up a selection
of six words which we then use in a short story, or a poem.
I’m hopeless at poetry
so I always do a story.
It’s a fun challenge…why
not join in?
This week's words are:
1. insignificant
2. crimson
3. mottled
4. track
5. border
6. spinning
this week, Delores has also favoured us with a phrase,
"she was as stiff as last year's Christmas tree"
to use as well as, or instead of, a story or poem.
Here goes......
I'd been ranting at Dave all day about "this" not going right, "that" not working out, etc and so on, I could see he wasn't paying much attention, just letting me go on and on, he knew this was how I coped when things had gone off track, when my world was spinning out of control.
The problems I was ranting about were insignificant, I knew that, but the words just kept pouring out.
The mottled crimson border of the tablecloth didn't match the border on the new napkins, the silverware needed polishing, I hadn't arranged for the windows to be washed, the cookie jar was empty and I should be baking.....
Dave sat by silently, he knew I would wind down and cry soon enough, he'd be there to hold me when I did, it was the way things went in our world when something like this happened.
I'd go to pieces, Dave would be strong and silent, there when I was ready for a shoulder to cry on.
Just an hour ago, I'd gone outside to call the cats in for their dinner, to find the eldest one had died. She was quite ancient at 22 and failing lately, so we'd been expecting it, but it was still a shock to see her lying on the grass as stiff as last year's Christmas Tree.
Dave had held me for the first bout of crying and would do so again when the tears came a second and third time.
.png)
Man haven't we all had days like that. Great Job.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. And now I am crying too. Another wonderful story.
ReplyDeleteHow did your class go yesterday?
It's always sad when they die but 22 is a pretty good age.
ReplyDeleteMerle................
Delores; we sure have, thanks.
ReplyDeleteElephant's Child; I didn't mean to make you cry, I know you love cats. class was....interesting, a little over my head, but i took notes and managed to speak up when I thought I knew something or had an opinion. I learned that what I've been calling short stories aren't. Instead they're what is called "a moment in time" or "a slice of life". True short stories start at about 2000 words (hmpf!) and have strong characters, plots, conflicts and resolutions. more hmpf! Better work on that if I want to be entering a competition next year.
Merlesworld; I picked a random age there and hoped it was old enough.
It wasn't just the cat which made my eyes leak - it was remembering days just like that. Frustrating and overwhelming.
ReplyDeleteI think they were splitting hairs in saying that they are not short stories.
Hemingway wrote an extremely short story - which he named as such, and was proud of.
From memory it ran like this 'For Sale: Wedding dress, never used.'
Elephant's Child; The class is aimed at people wishing to learn to write with the aim of eventually being published. There was mention of short stories submitted to magazines etc, being rejected on word count alone, unless the story was riveting from the first sentence. The teacher is a published author herself, although I don't know what she has written. She also explained the difference between Literary and popular fiction, and something called faction which is fiction with facts woven in.
ReplyDeleteHemingway's has to be the shortest short story I've ever read.
I have done the same. Cry and bemoan something that turns out to be trivial, in the face of life lost.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteYou definitely have a gift of describing emotions, drawing readers into the world of the characters you created. All you need is a plot to enter the short story competition. A twist in the end will be perfect.
ReplyDeleteSusan Kane; in this case the woman was using her moaning as a coping strategy, trying not to cry all day.
ReplyDeletemm; a plot...hmmmm, let's see....nope, got nuthin'.
Yet. And thanks.