Thursday July 15th, 2010

The exercise:

Start your writing with: Like a ____ glass of wine...

I was going to say like a fine glass, but then I thought it'd be more fun to let you use the adjective of your choice.

This prompt was essentially inspired by our first restaurant delivery of the year this morning, to The Sonora Room Restaurant at Burrowing Owl Estate Winery. Very excited to have a second source of income each week.

The farm blog is still in the works, I'm hoping to have it up and running by the end of this weekend. I'll be sure to drop a link here once it's ready.

Mine:

Like a fine glass of wine
Sitting untasted,
You were full of promise -
Most of it wasted.

But I was feeling weak,
Prone to temptation,
And so I took you in,
Sealed my damnation.

The glass sits empty now,
Stained by its contents;
I sit in the dark while
My sorrow ferments.

10 comments:

g2 (la pianista irlandesa) said...

Hmm... not only an adjective-choice to make, but some creative license to use on my part... should work.
- - - - -
"... nothing like a vibrant wine to finish it all off." He made an expression he probably assumed was one the uppers made to show thy had exquisite taste or something.

His buddies bunched around his corner ofthe bar muttered their approval. I just rolled my eyes.

"Since when are you into wine, Jax?" I asked bluntly, slapping his usual gynentonik down on the bar to punctuate. "You're shootin' your mouth like you've a summer place in the Vynyrd system and do tastings as a day job."

Jax's knot of listeners snickered; Jax himself scowled at me as he tossed back his drink irreverently. "Zark off..."
-----
Hitchhiker's-inspired? Me?

g2 (la pianista irlandesa) said...

edit: that "thy" should be "they". Silly iTouch.

Greg said...

@g2: Nice little story -- are you really sending it from an iPhone? That shows a fair bit of dedication to writing!

@Marc: That sounds like a well-sealed mattress! You shouldn't just buy gold-plated ones because they're there, you know.... I think you made good use of your chosen adjective there, and the imagery in the last verse is well-selected. I rather like the second verse too.

Like a salty glass of wine

O! Ithaca!
Too long have I wandered,
Too far have I roamed;
I have neglected you,
But now I return home.
My sails are black,
And much of my crew are new;
I have been beset by sadness,
And linger in my thoughts of you.

Bring me wine for celebration,
And sprinkle it well with salt,
For the sea-side vines of Ithaca,
Have this only fault.
They remind me uneasily,
Of this sea I strive to leave,
And the sea reminds me of Ithaca,
Where I return to grieve.

Too many have died this time,
Too many braves name to boast,
So let me raise this salty glass of wine,
And remember them with my toast.
O! Ithaca!

Zhongming said...

Marc - I thought that was very well pictured and full of detail so i like yours.

Mine:

Like a quality glass of wine,
It gives off nice fragrance.
Being the main temptation,
Even before i tasted it.

That shinny glass of wine,
Never fail to capture my sight.
Taking a single sip,
It blows off my mind.

After i got real tipsy,
My mind wanders about.
Feeling sleepy,
And i am lost.

Marc said...

g2 - haha, nicely done. The Vynyrd system made me smile :)

Greg - that was brilliant. Consider me deeply impressed :)

Zhongming - thanks!

I really like your last line, that was well chosen.

Naneaux said...

Like a secretly salted glass of wine, Louise disappointed everyone who was attracted to her during the Cotillion Ball. At first glance, she was very alluring-- blue eyes, dazzling silver gown-- but then when each partner steered her onto the dance floor, her grating voice and coarse laughter convinced him to nod politely until the end of the song, return her to her seat with a tight smile and then move along to someone else’s table. No one asked her to dance twice, not the clumsy men who shuffled like bears, not even the grandfathers. By 10:00, she was near tears.

Heather said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Naneaux said...

Wow, I just saw that Greg also did the salted wine metaphor. Interesting, and perhaps more interesting than mine which I confess was inspired by all the Nancy Mitford I've been reading this summer.

Marc, I can't tell you how much I'm enjoying these daily prompts. In just about 10 days, they have become regular mental exercise for me, just like the crossword puzzle I do in the subway on the way home from work. I look forward to the them now. THANK YOU!

Heather said...

Marc- You are on a roll! Another beautiful poem, filled with a deep sentiment that is easily related to.
--------
Like a full glass of wine set near a white carpet, she toppled onto the floor spilling across it. The man who invaded her peace and security watched the blood spread, dying the fiber carpets a deep red. Carefully he sheathed his knife and stepped over her cooling body. Already, the terror in her eyes had diminished. He missed her muffled screams and whimpering protests. It was his favorite part of every murder: his victim's reactions.

He sat on the plush couch and took an apple out of his knapsack, taking deep bites and chewing on the fruit and his thoughts. Settling in, he began to wonder how to put this scenario in his dissertation. He'd have to be quick about it. It was due to his professor in two months and he still needed a case study on strangulation.

Marc said...

Brunnhilde - that was most excellent, as usual. Too funny about the second 'salty wine' choice :)

And I'm thrilled that you're getting so much use from this blog. It's been a pleasure reading your work :)

Heather - thanks very much :)

That was wonderfully creepy. The apple eating just added another level to it.