I’m a big fan of using music for writerly inspiration, and so I thought I’d try that here, with you.
To evoke your own inspiration, listen to the song here, then write the pictures that appear in your mind. You don’t need to craft an entire paragraph, although of course you can. Rather, let the images spill from you, write impressions, poetry, vignettes, whatever pops into your head.
Maybe a story will emerge.
No rules today, except two: let yourself go and do it in 10 minutes.
And meanwhile…If you’re new to PROMPTuesday, read a bit about it here. Or, catch up on the PROMPTuesdays archive here.
UPDATED: Hey, it’s been exactly three months since I kicked PROMPTuesdays off! So…as I promised in April, it’s time for a giveaway, like I said here:
SO, at the end of three months, I will put those that have been be-prompted the most consistently (3 times and more) into a hat or Tinkerbell box and have Toots or Booger (probably Toots, Booger’s fingers are not to be trusted) and pull a name to receive something totally cool and awesome
And that’s all true, except for the “be-prompted the most consistently” part. What the bungholio does that mean anyway? “Be-prompted?” Is that even a word? (Something which typically does not deter the Momma from using it.) Also, it’s used in the passive tense. YUCK. Still. I’ll automatically enter you in the giveaway for leaving your PROMPT or comment today. If you didn’t do the PROMPT, you can still leave a comment to enter. The prize? How about either a mix CD or a $20 Amazon gift certificate? Your choice. AND I’ll even throw in not getting my feelings hurt if you don’t pick the mix CD.
Melancholy.
On the eve of your departure I am afraid.
Afraid of what you will experience once you walk out of the door.
Will you have your heart broken?
Will you succeed?
Has all the preparation been enough?
I want to protect you and shelter you from the storms that are sure to come.
But you must take these steps alone.
Just know I am here, I remain here solid as stone.
A phone call, a text, an instant message away.
My anguish, fear and trepidation are for me to bear.
As you remain jovial, excited and you tell me – prepared.
It seems like just yesterday you were nestled in my arms.
But tomorrow you will enter the gates laced in ivy ever closer to becoming a man.
Argh….no, it’s no use….I just can’t do speedy thinking at this time in the morning…..
Brill idea though
x
Don’t take this personally, Deb, but damn you!
Gonna go cry myself to sleep now.
But seriously…I guess that was a story waiting to be told.
What a great idea. Will try!
As she lay there in my arms still and silent, I smiled. Peach washed over me as it had done so many times before when with my Mother. All the hurt and heartache left in her last breath. She loved me and I never stopped loving her. I had known that all along. All those years I felt so undeserving of her love. So I kept my distance. But now I know she had never left my side. I carried her with me always. How could I ever think that I could ever ignore such a large piece of me? Through all the hardships and strife she remaind with me, guiding me still.
My dear mother, I thought I knew what life was. I was so sure of who I was and what I needed. Thank you for being my rock, peace and comfort. My dear mother, your light will always shine through me. My dear Mother, I love you.
You, with your curly hair and infectious laughter.
You, with your angel wings.
Are you looking down now?
Do you see how beautiful she is? Do you know how I watched her laying there, helpless those first few precarious days of her life? Do you know how I just knew you were there, watching out for your little sister, as machines breathed life into her premature lungs? Did you hear me bargain with God and tell him that I’d betray everything I ever knew about him if he took her from us? Do you know that somehow she’s helped soothe a shattered soul and helped me look beyond the pain? She is my world.
Do you know how much she reminds me of you?
She has your curly hair and your infectious laugh.
She holds part of you within. I hold her tight to feel closer to you.
Missing my Daddy today more than ever. Trying to write about it. Not getting over it, time does heal, but I don’t forget.
I’ve never don PrompTuesday before because I’m a chickenshit, but I love that song!
And now I’m all teary.
The line about stars got me:
Just after graduating college, I took a cross-country trip with two friends. Once night in Zion Canyon, while camping, I woke up in the wee hours. I don’t know what woke me, perhaps the coyotes, but when I looked out of the tent, I could still the bright orange glare of our campfire — which worried me, since we’d doused it with water to put it out for certain before we went to bed. So I got up to check on the fire, concerned that a wind strong enough to whip that fire back up might make it spread. At the time, I wore contacts, and didn’t have them in, and I’m so short-sighted that this generally means I can only see about a foot in front of my face. I chanced to look up at the enormous sky, however, and could see, completely clearly, that it was encrusted with millions and millions of stars. So many stars, so bright, that I could see their pinpoints of light just fine even without my glasses. I couldn’t possibly get back into the tent after that. I stretched out on my back, and gazed at the glittering jewels in the sky until the morning sun started to put them out. I haven’t thought about that night in years, but just the moment it flashed into my head, I found myself smiling. There are few things more majestic and glorious than a clear night sky, unsullied by any human-made light, pouring forth its brilliance of starts.
sorry for the typos of fast writing: I could SEE the fire. And, of course, the last word of that paragraph should be STARS.
WALK TOGETHER
I wish I could say I’m half the woman to your man, I wish I could. But we both know I’m traveling on the path behind, and struggling to reach your outstretched hand. So while I struggle, and while you reach, I hope you’ll keep going. I’ll get there yet.
And I’ll get there yet.
Yeesh, freewriting is like bunjee jumping. I’m going to spend the rest of my day like the mother in Pride and Predudice, complaining about the frayed state of my nerves.
Congrats on the three months! Pretty damn cool
Renee: I know that day is coming for me, too. And while it’s a ways off, I can imagine a little how you feel to send your baby off…
Hen: I’ve read you early morning writing via your blog and I KNOW you can do it! :)
Da G: I’m sorry. That song makes me cry every time. I know how you feel.
All Adither: I hope you do!
Mami Jen: Ack, tears. I do know the feeling you describe with that passage.
Auds: Thanks for sharing this. It’s beautiful and raw.
Deb: Thanks for playing. I loved reading about Max.
Mel: DO IT! You can write.
MommyTime: That sounds magical. I had a similar experience in the Anza Borrego desert and I’ll never forget it.
Tanya: You’re so literary! I love to read your stuff.
Da G: Thanks. Doesn’t seem like it’s that time already.
I am sooo playing. I love this prompt. Just have to get a little boy to bed and finish some work first. Meanwhile, there have been some great entries. I’ll be back…
Be sure to check out Tanya’s lovely poem here:
http://tanyalloydkyi.blogspot.com/2008/07/double-disaster-warning-freewriting-and.html
And Auds’ beautiful PROMPT here:
http://abritandabit.typepad.com/spotted_dick_and_other_mu/2008/07/bits-and-pieces.html
My little man is only 14 months old so I have about 17 years more or less before I have to worry about sending him to college.
Renee: I *thought* you looked a little young. BUT you never know…
Thank you for a minute to relax while listening to that beautiful song. Here’s what happened.
They were ALL so incredibly good. I’m all puffy and snotty from crying now.
Renee, mami Jen and MommyTime, those were wonderful, evocative pieces.
San Diego Momma, ‘Walk Together’ was beautiful. I often find myself tangled in my own verbosity. Your response was a reminder that sometimes you need very few words to say a lot.
Dear Mom
Life is uncertain.
I never knew we would be
separate as we are..today.
I need you so much.
I miss you.
I hurt, ache in my heart.
I wish I could take back words,
take back actions..
I wish you knew my heart.
I can only tell you what I know..
that I need you in my life.
But you are a part of me,
in my veins,
in my heart.
I love you.
Always know that…
Wanted to be sure to also highlight Deb at Bird on a Wire’s post:
http://lagniappemarketing.net/the-heart-of-a-lover-the-soul-of-a-champion/
AND Myra? Come back!!!….!
Tinsenpup: I just love your writing.
Jody: Nice to see you here. I relate so much to what you wrote. Thank you.
Everything’s so good this time around. Deb, sniffle. That was…just…you know.
Aw man! Did I miss it???
These are way deep, guys. Mine, well, not as deep. Just… A relaxing moment in my week! :) Heading out to check out the rest now!
Sorry I’m late, but mine is up!
Sleeping baby, lying still in the soft light of your room. I ache for you when you sleep and miss you until you wake. Mama loves you, babygirl. Shhhhh…..