The exercise:
Write about: the crown.
This morning I gathered some apples, pumpkin, and squash before hitting the garden to pick some tomatoes and peppers in order to pay for last week's haircut. Bartering can be great fun, when it works for both parties.
Kat, Max, and I went for lunch at our coffee shop and then I dropped off the produce at the salon afterward. Following that we dropped Kat off at home to rest while Max and I went to Kat's parents house to play.
We had a big moment late this afternoon when Kat and I cooked dinner together. That's the first time she's been feeling well enough (and not averse to all things cooking related) to do that in about two months. It was nice to see it, and nice to have the help.
Mine:
Its weight pushes my head down. They say it takes a strong man to be king. What they fail to tell you, what no one thinks to warn you of, is the specifics of that strength.
They do not explain the weight of all these jewels. The gravity of this gold.
This burden of responsibility.
A man needs a strong back to be king. Strong shoulders to carry his people. A strong neck to hold his head high, to stand tall and proud in the face of any challenge or danger.
The added weight of this crown serves as a constant reminder of these things. There is not a night that has passed since my coronation that I do not fall into bed with aching muscles, dreading the oncoming dawn and the return of this weight upon my brow.
I begin to wonder if it can be replaced with a lighter version. Something equally ornate and prestigious in appearance, obviously. But perhaps just a little less... dense.
Is that really too much to ask?
2 comments:
Joint cookery sounds like... an excuse for an argument :) I'm not much good at sharing the kitchen space and I definitely prefer to have things done the way I want, when I want. Preferably by me. Though, if you're good at conversation and can be trusted to stir things when I give you a suitable implement, then I'll make space for you :)
Still, it sounds like you had a fun day overall, and that's surely what matters most.
Your king's crown sounds like a burden indeed! I rather like the reference to the aching neck muscles at the end of the day, and the longing for a lighter crown. The start too, with the way the sentences sum up the weight that the king is feeling, work really well.
The crown
The King sighed, and when Nev, his Vizier, appeared not to notice, he sighed again, more heavily. Four more, increasingly noisy and obvious, sighs later Nev looked up from his iPad and asked the King if he was feeling quite alright.
"Yes, fine, thank-you," said the King testily. "It's just... can't I get a lighter crown?"
Nev gave this some thought, going cross-eyed in the process. When he looked at the King again his eyes didn't uncross. "Trepanning seems like the only option," he said. "I'd advise against it, but I do know a woman who has very reasonable rates."
"I've not heard of that," said the King. "Is that like Tungsten?"
Nev's eyes slowly uncrossed as he gazed mournfully at the King. "No," he said. "It's the practice of drilling holes in your head. I can't think of any other way of making it lighter."
"What?! No! No, I meant the crown, this crown. The jewellery type of crown!"
"That's a bit girly, isn't it, wearing jewellery?"
"It's part of the bloody uniform!" The King felt close to exploding; why was Nev capable of delivering plans that could beat three warring Barons simultaneously, but when asked about a crown made elementary-school mistakes?
"Change it," said Nev. His gaze fell back to his iPad.
"What?"
"Change it. You're the King, change the uniform. Switch the crown for another type of hat. Something floppy, big brim, fruit on it seems your style. If you use real fruit you can eat it when you hungry during state occasions."
"That's...," the King paused, thinking it through, "inspired! Can I have a hat made of bacon?"
"Probably," said Nev. "But you are supposed to be muslim, your majesty."
Greg - oh, I'm a top notch stirrer. That used to be my main contribution in the kitchen :P
I quite like this pair. Their back and forth is delightful. And I like the idea of a crown that resembles a fruit bowl more than a jewellery display - I could be a king in that court!
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