The exercise:
Write about: the pioneer.
Struggling with a migraine at the moment, so I'm just going to get this done and go to bed.
Mine:
In search of a new home for his family, he wanders through the woods with a keen eye. Evey clearing is examined, each stream carefully assessed, no hill is left unclimbed. He will not return to collect his wife and children until the perfect location is discovered.
Days pass, then weeks, then months. The search continues. The silence and solitude begins to grow on him as his exploration gradually wanes in intensity. He begins to linger without purpose. Without realizing it he becomes hopelessly lost.
Back home his family waits. Patience wears thin. Soon a choice will have to be made: remain behind or follow.
Far away, with no other souls nearby, he finds an ideal setting for a new home. It has everything he could wish for. Setting up camp, he spends the night. The stars above watch as he sleeps deeply and peacefully.
In the morning he rises, glances around, and decides to continue his search.
4 comments:
I hope the migraine clears up quickly; I'm told they can be very unpleasant! And considering your handicap, I think your tale of a pioneer works quite well. The middle paragraph about the family feels a little misplaced, possibly because it's so short.
Pioneer n.Pioneer is yet another of those portmanteau words that English delights in hiding around the place, waiting to trip up an unsuspecting school-child or student, reducing their better-educated teacher to tears of laughter while the student gazes on uncomprehendingly, slack-jawed and bovine. This time the words jammed together are opium and paneer, with the opium getting as mixed up letterologically (yes that's a word, I'm a dictionary, now shut up!) as it does in the actual cheese.
There are continuing discussions about how opium and paneer came to mixed together and then made available for sale and public consumption, and little of consequence has come of them (except for a couple of high-profile arrests and a charge of impeachment... see impeachment for what that means), but the basic recipe is to take all the pure opium you have and mix it well with paneer, and then eat it before the police arrive.
The unknown
Creeping in
For a moment
Until I remember
I must push through
For them
The Pioneer
Karla peered through the darkness, focussing her eyes on the far wall where her headlamp illuminated brilliant colors. She paused to consider that she might be the first human to ever see the spectacle before her. Her palms were sweaty and she feared that her hands would slip on the rope that she gripped in her left hand or the climbing axe in her right.
She moved cautiously along the rock wall, trying to move through the rubble beneath her feet. Noises echoed through the cave behind her; there was no telling what created them or where they originated. If she could complete this exploration on her own, she would be able to report back on her pioneering expedition.
Suddenly, her foot slipped, her body pitched forward and she slammed forcefully into the accumulated debris below her. She cried out in fear and pain, struggling to control her tumble without further injury.
Light burst through her head and she heard a voice above her. “Karla, are you ok?”
“No, Grandpa. I fell.”
He scooped her up in his arms, disentangling her from the jump rope and yardstick, moving the toys beneath her to the side, and turning off her ‘Hello Kitty’ headlamp.
“It’s ok. Let me take you to Mama; she’s watching television in the living room.”
Greg - yes, they're pretty much the worst thing ever. At least they feel that way when I have one.
The family paragraph could easily be chucked. I think I had more in mind for it but never got around to it, so it ended up being kind of useless.
Good to see your dictionary entries back again. I do always so enjoy them :)
Anonymous - I think that ties in with mine very nicely. Not sure if that was intentional or not, but I quite liked the way it did!
Aholiab - just wanted to take a quick moment to say that it's great to see you sharing your words with us again.
Sweet little tale. Definitely brought a smile to my face :)
Post a Comment