I thought I'd skip this week's writing prompt 'til I read these words. Like an idea for a painting or quilt, when the inspiration tickles your creativity it's hard to resist.
When that happens, don't resist...
THIS WEEK'S WORDS come from "Counting" by Margarita Engle: white, jungle, record, parents, police, shanties, pretend, native, census, silver, confound, ditch
Love has a heartbeat"this yard has become a jungle" she thought. Wasn't that long ago she planted a few bushes and perennials to hide the ditch beyond the fence. She thought it would look like a haven of a garden. She would pretend she lived in some exotic locale, like Bali or Tahiti. Luckily Hibiscus grew wild here, along with the native azaleas and bougainvilla.
Now because she ignored it for so long, it just looked like a mess. She'd have to do something about it... tomorrow.
She sat in the screened porch watching the mosquitoes bounce off the screen on the other side, trying to get to her. She heard a police siren a few blocks away, the sound building and building, then getting farther away as it headed to the shanties on the other side of the river. It was odd in this jungle paradise to realize the world was only steps away.
She put a record on the old phonograph her parents left her, "girl from Ipanema" her very favorite song of all time. It made her think of them dancing on this porch, silver hair sparkling in the full moon, slowly shifting their weight back and forth as older fingers twined with older fingers.
Love didn't disappear or wear out. It changed a bit maybe in the delivery but it had a heartbeat.
Her fingers reached up to touch the white gardenia her husband gave her for her hair earlier in the evening. It was soft to touch, and released a delicious scent when her fingers brushed against it.
"Ready for bed honey?" her husband asked from the doorway to the porch.
With one last glance at the tangle of bougainvilla, she said, "yes"
LAPaylor 2018
linking to
http://sundayswhirligig.blogspot.com/
I'm so glad I follow your blog. Loved your story of the day... maybe you should expand it to a full novel. I'd want to read it.
ReplyDeleteHugs
A perfect song on a perfect Sunday to relax and catch up.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, you are a master of creating a visual image. So glad you didn't skip this week.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful piece of writing where the reader is allowed to picture the scene so clearly from your well written words.
ReplyDeleteYou have good taste in music girl! I like the heartbeat sentiment. Lovely prose.
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ReplyDeleteThis is a beautiful piece of writing. I was right there with every line. To end it with that song, one I haven't listened to in years, was just the perfect ending.
ReplyDeletegreat imagination.
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