It's Write on Wednesday again, and this week's exercise was to choose a piece of music, and write to it, putting down your pen when the music has ended.
I chose Tracy Chapman's "The Promise". I bought the album years ago, and it is one of those songs that gets me every time. There is a sadness there. A melancholy. The result is below. Again, this is a little stand alone work, but maybe it will inspire something bigger.
Paperbark
The sun's afternoon rays caught the ripples on the lake, reflecting smatterings of gold.
Fiona sat with her back against the tree. Its papery bark felt kind against her bare shoulders. Tate sat next to her. She glanced over his shoulder at his leather notebook that lay open in his lap. As he sketched, his lips were pursed and his eyes were closed. She smiled, and leant into his shoulder, her blond hair falling over him. Swallowing him.
He pulled away.
"Damn it Fi."
"What?"
"I can't work like this. You are in my way."
"Sorry, Babe."
She pulled away.
She placed her hand on her stomach, and imagined what grew within. She imagined the small body swimming, arching, dancing. She closed her eyes and smiled again. She felt so warm and full. She thought about how she was going to tell him. They had never talked about children but she knew it was all going to be ok.
She looked over at him, and he didn't look up. His hand that held the pencil was tensed. The veins protruded, and the muscles were flexed.
You have painted a beautiful, serene setting with words, Zanni. I love this piece. Everything falls together perfectly -- the song you chose helped me imagine the afternoon sun reflecting on the lake and dying everything yellow; the quiet, peaceful mood was made all the more quiet and peaceful by Fiona's tender leaning into Tate. The bit of light-hearted conversation was a nice little break from the silence, and the revelation of Fiona's pregnancy made for a nice twist. I feel like the piece is missing a sentence or two at the end, but otherwise it is perfection. =)
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I feel like I'm lying in the sun revelling in its warmth reading this. I can almost feel that new life in my belly too :)
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