The exercise:
Write about: battle scars.
Two nights in a row of falling asleep before accomplishing anything blog related is a pretty spectacular fail on my part. Sorry about that, and I hope it doesn't happen again.
I should probably just get to my take before sleep wins again.
I haven't forgotten about the yearlong prompt, by the way. Just trying to get caught up on comments a little bit before the next installment hits.
Mine:
The old wounds are still tender
Despite the passing of the years;
He tries to hide the flinches
But does better with his tears.
Words still hurt and trust's long gone -
Too many promises were broken.
She tells him that she's changed now
But he hears the lies unspoken.
She wants back in but he says No -
He can see where things are going.
One day his guard would drop and
His blood would once more be flowing.
I did notice that it seemed to take longer than usual to get the posts up this week! I hope you're caught up on your sleep then :)
ReplyDeleteI really like the sentiment of the poem, the way the battle scars are described without ever being fully mentioned, and the last verse refusing to give in to temptation and standing firm. Which I suppose can be scarring in its own right too. Nice work. The only thing that bothers me, and so I'd quite like to hear it spoken, is that for me the first and second lines of the second verse have completely different rhythms which is a bit jarring. Hearing it spoken would let me see how it's supposed to go :)
Battle Scars
"Hermione, there are three Slytherall's outside the Common Room saying that you put Hairloss Potion in their shampoo bottles." Ronnie Weasel skidded to a halt as he ran into the Common Room. The room wasn't exactly empty: Hermione's research in the Chamber of Secrets had resulted in her learning the Musical Statues spell so all the Gripfinger students were as white as flour and frozen in artistic poses while the throbbing beat of Wings of a butterfly filled the air. She'd pushed them back against the walls where they stood, their eyes rolling madly as they tried to break the imprisoning spell, to make room for Harry Potter who was kneeling obediantly on the floor while Hermione's hands passed spectrally through his skull and into the porridge that his brain had become.
"Oh my gods, Hermione! What are you doing?"
"Unmushing his brain," said Hermione. Her hands moved as though she was kneading dough and a look of pain creased Harry's face. "I don't think this was all my obliviates you know, I think it was always a bit soggy. And there are holes in places too, look!"
Ronnie had covered his face with his hands and was trembling. "I won't if you don't mind," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm a bit –"
"Useless?"
"Squeamish!"
"Oh."
"Did you put Hairloss potion in their shampoo bottles? I can go and let them beat me up over it or something," said Ronnie. He turned his back on the site of Hermione seemingly picking at scabs in Harry's brain.
"Yes," said Hermione. "I needed their hair to cast the Net of Athena which is mostly going to hold Harry's brain in. Then I apply a couple of Immobilia spells to shape it properly – I'm thinking an Eames chair given the shape of his skull – and presto, we have a Harry Potter that remembers how to breath without being prompted. Why do you want to be beaten up?"
"There's an award for Most Bruised student," said Ronnie. "It would bring me up to 8. What's that look for?"
Hermione's lips had twitched into a smirk. "I'm sorry," she said as sincerely as custard, "it's just that... Harry's going to be really badly bruised after this." She punched something in his head. "I think that was an earwig," she said. "He really doesn't look after his head, does he?"
"I don't think someone obliviated six times a day has much choice," said Ronnie, but his heart wasn't in it. He looked shrunken as the thought that another trophy was being taken away from him by Hermione. "How bad is the brusing going to be?"
"Like he was used for rough sex with Hagrid," said Hermione. "Again. I'll tell him to tell everyone that they're battle scars though and we'll pretend that Mouldybones attacked the school or something."
There was a long pause, and then, in a small voice, Ronnie said, "Again?"
Greg - thanks for the kind words on mine. I think there are a couple spots where the flow is a bit difficult to maintain, so I'm not surprised you'd need to hear it spoken.
ReplyDeleteCome for a visit, then. I shall read it for you :)
Far, far too much fun. That ending is magnificent though, I must say. A fine way to send me off to bed with a big smile on my face.