Imagination For Two

We sprawl in the grass,

watching

pictures in the sky.

Pointing,

as the puffy images pass-

he sees what I can’t find.

“See the dragon.

wearing

a wide-brimmed cowboy hat?”

Laughing,

“And look, there’s  a cat

next to a Radio Flyer wagon!”

Patient with my blindness,

he points,

draws in the air with his fingers.

For a split-second, I do see

the dragon,

the hat,

the cat,

the wagon.

Then the wind

kicks up,

my moment of clarity

used up.

My imagination

stifled

by absolutes and responsibility.

Prepared

to do it all again,

my son’s vision carries me.

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This is what I came up with for the second week of Quotespiration.  Here’s this week’s quote:

“I showed my masterpiece to the grown-ups, and asked them whether the drawing frightened them.  But they answered: “Frighten? Why should anyone by frightened by a hat?” My drawing was not a picture of a hat.  It was a picture of a boa constrictor digesting an elephant. But since the grown-ups were not able to understand it, I made another drawing: I drew the inside of the boa constrictor, so that the grown-ups could see it clearly.” – from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery

If you’re inspired by the quote, please join in!  All you have to do is write a response in less than 1,000 words, post it on your blog, then go to Anecdote Love’s site and link to that post.

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I wanted to bring your attention to another fabulous (super-talented) writer – Suzanne Purkis at Lucid Edit.  I’ve read her writing for a long time now, and her stories always pull me in with her creativity and masterful use of imagery.  Well, Suzanne recently launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds needed to help her complete her novel, The Ending.  If you have a moment, please check out her campaign page – she’s got a video explaining her novel, and a link to an excerpt so you can read for  yourself.  If you aren’t able to contribute, I hope you can at least leave her an encouraging comment 🙂

Have a wonderful Thursday!

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Introduction – A New Quote-Based Writing Challenge

Earlier this week, I found a brand new writing challenge hosted by Lady Harvey (click here to check it out.)  Each week, she will post a quote and we have up to 1,000 words to write a response inspired by the quote.  All you have to do is post your response on your blog (tagged ‘quotespiration’), then go to Lady Harvey’s site and add a link to that post.  Easy, peasy 😛

The quote this week:

“What I think is this:  you should give up looking for lost cats and start searching for your shadow”–from Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Responding to this challenge fit in perfectly with my tendency to procrastinate.  I have some writing that I must get done today and my brain is doing its best to focus on everything else.  I was going to write a post about this for today, but maybe I’ll do it next week.  (See, I’m good… procrastination is my thing.  Finishing stories for anything other than this blog, apparently is not!)

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BEYOND THE HORIZON

I sit across from Father with my arms folded over my chest.  My expression sullen, my mood even worse.  I feel like a chastised teenager, even though I’m 22 years old.

“You need to focus.  Pick a major and excel.  It’s irresponsible to make attending college a career.”

I look away because I’m afraid if I look at his face, I’ll explode and say everything that shouldn’t be spoken.  “You’ve lived your life,” I mutter.

“Don’t get mouthy with me.  As long as I pay your bills, you do as I say.”

I smirk-smile.  “Yes, sir.  Are we done?”

“Have you decided on a major?”

“I need to go to my room and contemplate my future.”

Satisfied, he slides out of his chair.  “I have to run to Home Depot.  Dinner’s at 6.”

I make it to my room before tears sting my eyes.  I still occupy a ten by ten room in his apartment palace, but he hasn’t paid a dime of my college.  If mother were here she could talk some sense into him.  But she died eleven years ago.  I don’t want to pick a major.  I don’t even want to be in college.  I want to see the world, explore my likes and dislikes.  How can he expect me to choose my life’s work if I haven’t even found myself yet?

I slide my suitcase off the top shelf of my closet and toss it on the bed.  I select my favorite clothes and roll each item to maximize space.  I line them up in rows and stack them until there isn’t room for even a t-shirt.  I’ll leave the rest.  I dump the books from my backpack onto the floor and fill it with undergarments, makeup, a thirteen-year-old family photo, and mother’s musical jewelry box.

Everything that matters fits in two bags.  For some reason, that thought liberates me.  Before I leave, I sit at my desk to write a note.  He deserves that much.

Dear Father,

I’m not ready to commit to a life.  I need to discover whether I find my peace sitting on a beach with waves crashing at my feet, or if my clarity is on a snow-capped mountain.  I want to be carried by the wind.  Maybe I’m not meant to be rooted in one place.

I know you don’t understand.  To you, my indecision is akin to looking for lost cats.  To me, each found cat is another step toward my shadow.

I don’t know where I’m going, but I’ll call along the way.

Love,

Abby