The exercise:
The Random CD Prompt makes its grand return today, so go find a song as randomly as you like and use its first line as your own. Poetry or prose are both welcome, and credit for the line used goes where it's due.
If this is your first time with this, my favorite prompt, feel free to click on the label at the bottom of the post to see how previous incarnations turned out.
After taking Max to Mother Goose in the morning I spent some time in the garden this afternoon, weeding out the blackberry bushes and raking out some more space for the next plantings. Not sure what's going in there yet, but it's probably past time for a variety of things to get in the soil.
Mine:
Happy - Pharrell Williams
It might seem crazy what I'm about to say, I know. I understand your doubts and skepticism and suspicions. Believe me, I once walked in your boots and felt all of those things.
I was wrong then, you are wrong now, and if you give me a little time I can prove it to you.
Can you give me that? I know you are busy, there are too many demands on your limited resources already. I ask for it anyway though, because you cannot afford to be unaware of all that I have to share. Too much depends on it.
Ah, I see you seeking an escape. Those darting eyes belonged to me, many years ago. That panic and fear crawling their way up your spine is all too familiar. Relax into it, breathe through it. I don't know if that will make hearing what I have to say any easier, but it's better than running.
Not that I wouldn't understand if you did choose to flee. I ran the first time I was confronted with this knowledge. The second time as well, to be honest. But the truth would not be evaded so easily.
A warning? I suppose you could consider that a warning. It wasn't intended as one, I can assure you of that. Consider it instead a friendly heads up, if you will, that we can all save a lot of time and trouble if you just sit down, shut your mouth, and open your ears.
Begin with that, if you can, hear what I have to tell you, and then we can go from there. How does that sound? Quite reasonable, don't you think?
... damn it, another runner. Why must they always run?
3 comments:
I very much like how the last line completes what the last line starts! You manage to capture a sense of urgency and possibly the start of desperation; the paragraphs are nicely short to help pull the reader along and make them feel it. I feel a little bit disappointed though that I never get to find out more about what the narrator wants to tell me. A little more of a hint than dire warnings would have been nice :)
It sounds like you had a busy day too, but productive. I'm on long days at the moment; last day into Porto today and then I fly back when I finish work, so I'm not expecting to be home before midnight; last night I didn't get to bed until midnight either.
But since I'm in Porto and they have 80s music stations, today's is inspired by something I only seem to hear here :) (Oh and possibly because of an 11 year old seeing an early Tina Turner music video here and asking what was wrong with her hair. "The 80s" seemed to be the best answer).
China in your hand by T'Pau
It was a theme she had on a scheme he had, told in a foreign land. They been sat in the bar of the Intercontinental Hotel somewhere in Asia after their plane had needed to make an emergency landing because of an engine fault. Both of them had recognised the cluelessness and incompetence on the faces of the airport staff and had headed over to the hotel ahead of the herd of other passengers, all anxiously waiting to be told what to do. They were checked in and both sat down in the bar when the first of the herd stumbled in looking dazed and confused, and the reception desk immediately hiked the prices.
"You look like you belong here," he'd said, putting his drink down next to hers and taking the faux-leather-covered stool uninvited. She'd picked his glass up, slipped a coaster underneath it, and looked him up and down.
"I'm bored," she said, "I'll admit it. How much?"
There was a long moment while he took in that the tables were turned, and then he smiled and sipped his drink. They got to talking, and before long he was describing his plans to get rich; nothing quick or showy, just patient, diligent work and a little bit of extra knowledge that his competitors didn't have.
"I write harp music," she said when he asked her. "Sometimes I allow for piano accompaniment, but mostly it's harp music."
"Sounds lonely," he said, ordering another drink for them both. Around them the other passengers were starting to come down from their expensive rooms and they toasted each other, knowing that they'd move on as the bar would surely be putting its prices up right about now.
"No," she said. "My last piece was for 30 harps and a kazoo."
He raised an eyebrow and they fell to laughing. "Ok," she said. "28 harps."
Nine months later she laid her pen down next to the score she'd just finished writing and dialled for a taxi to take her to the hospital. A faint smile played across her lips the entire journey.
Sweet Disposition by The Temper Trap
Sweet disposition
Never too soon
Oh, reckless abandon
Like no one's watching you
Pretentious f'er.
Why not just tag YOLO.
Cops wouldn’t have caught you if you did.
B- were watching you.
You got narced.
Dumbass.
What sort of epitaph is that?
Yeah you’re hard.
Now you done.
Greg - yeah, I would have provided more hints if I'd had any clue what the warnings were about :P
Hah, the 80's sounds like a perfect answer!
Really enjoyed reading how your characters came together and the way their conversation played out. The unexpectedly tender ending was... very different from your usual style :)
David - I like where you took that opening, delivering a lot of character and attitude with not a lot of words. Nicely done!
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