Thursday March 31st, 2011

The exercise:

Today we're writing: in the forest.

Beautiful spring day today - I actually was working outside in shorts and a t-shirt. I've waited a long time for that.

Took Kat over to Keremeos to try out a Thai restaurant we had driven by on the way to and from Vancouver many, many times. Really good food, I'm happy to report. Really good birthday, I'm even happier to report.

Mine:

"It smells like that cleaner mom always used when we were growing up," Mike observed, staring around the clearing with his hands on his hips.

"You mean that pine-scented stuff?" his brother James asked. He kicked at the pile of dead pine needles at his feet and frowned.

"Yeah, that one. I hated that stuff. She'd get some on my backpack and then the kids at school would make fun of me for weeks."

"No wonder you don't like coming out here."

"Yeah, well, if your stupid kid hadn't wandered off on us, I wouldn't be."

"Hey, he's not stupid," James snapped. "He probably thought he smelled his grandma and came looking for her."

4 comments:

Greg said...

Thai food sounds good! I haven't any of that in a while, I shall have to dig the books out and pick some recipes. It sounds like Kat had a fantastic birthday though, that's good :)
Great last line today, it made me laugh!

In the forest
The sound of violins was coming from a clearing in the forest. Hansel and Gretel stopped skipping along the path and looked at one another.
"You go first," said Hansel, pushing Gretel forward.
"You're such a baby," said Gretel. "If I hadn't been there to trick that old witch you'd have been eaten up by dinnertime."
"Hey, I pushed her into her oven!"
"Did you know that eight of ten cannibals say they can't tell the difference between a human and I can't believe it's not people?"
"What?" Hansel looked confused, and Gretel, for a moment, pitied her brother who was as handsome as sunlight and nowhere near as bright. She crept forward along the path.
"It's ok!" She waved at Hansel to come forward. "It's just the musicians of Bremen practising."
"Since when can donkeys play the violin?" muttered Hansel as they ventured in, hoping to find directions back home.

morganna said...

Inspired by my in-laws visiting this weekend:

Cabin,
Log, built by hand,
Horse, dog, and cat live there
Lots of love and laughter
In the forest with moose, elk, bear
A special place for grandkids to visit
Too bad it's so far from our home,
Snuggled in the forest,
Little log-built
Cabin.

Heather said...

I looked at the light greens of the ground plants and the deeper greens of the leafy canopy. In the immense space between, birds in every conceivable color alighted between branches and vines, calling playfully to anyone who would listen. Where the dappled light was strong enough to nurture them, flowers blossomed at irregular intervals. The air hummed with the sound of small-winged insects flitting about. To balance the sickly smell of rot, a clear river flowed from not too far, it's clean scent drifting around the vegetation. I drunk it all in like an alcoholic who needs a hangover cure.

I understood, for the first time, the intense draw this place had on my husband. It was a forest with unimaginable beauty brought to life and destroyed by heavy rains for centuries. I wished I had known him as the young man who had traipsed through this "Garden of the Gods" as he so frequently referred to it. I regretted not joining him when he was a more mature man in favor of having my nails polished at the resort's spa. Feeling the erratic beating of my heart, I rejoiced that we had found a resting place.

I twisted the lid off the beautiful clay pot we had bought together on our first trip to this forsaken country. Clutching it in my hands, I lay down in a bed of flowers, his ashes spilling on the ground next to me, neither of us ever to get up again.

Marc said...

Greg - Thai curries are yummy.

The sunlight comparison was my favorite line in yours :)

Morganna - that sounds like a wonderful place for a visit. I can see why you'd wish it was closer.

Heather - very poignant scene. Loved the descriptions of the forest.