She raised her eyes to view her reflection in the mirror and studied the face before her. Still young and clean of line, but knowledge now marked her eyes. Experience, effort, putting on a brave face: they were present too. A face of someone who knew more than they wished . The presumptions of her youth, like crumbling memorials had become curios, made notable by their naiveté. Doggedly she now realised that life was a walk uphill. Sometimes if you got lost, no one called you back. Resting was a pleasure saved for death.
In music or through words she sometimes heard the tremors of adventure but not here. Not in her life.Back then her image of men was of some hero, face like rock, challenging the elements. Fearless brave and short of speech. Kind in that discrete way, centered, certain , in control. She glanced over at her husband, still lying in the bed. Not a captain on the ship of life. Not a member of the crew. More a passenger: carried by events. A polite and blameless disappointment. She raised her eyes to herself again. They spoke of endurances, smiling despite the facts: a soul marooned in parody.
Her heart was pounding, memory filled with images and surprise. That day when she became engaged. Showing off her ring, laughing with her colleagues. And Bill, locked in his chair and anchored at his desk. Always kindly but impersonal, The first she’d asked for help and least demanding. That look in his eyes when he saw her ring. The sadness. the pride and loss. The closing of a door. Only for a moment. Possibly not there. It passed so fast it left some room for doubt. The look which lingered in her sleep. Her one engagement with the elements. Powerful and undefined.
And here he was, miraculously walking after some operation and, it said., a brand new millionaire. He’d made some site, ‘Candid Corner” . sold it on for millions and he was off to see the world. “Life” he said,” is an adventure and I will live it till I die.”
“I will live it till I die.”
Peter, as always, you hold me unti the very end.
& I continually want more…
sending you love from Minnesota. x
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A soul marooned in parody… good line.
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You always leave us in anticipation – master of the cliffhanger!
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This resonated with me, in an odd and disconcerting way. You have so much power in your words, Peter.
b
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Another cracker Peter!
Please keep them coming to brighten my days 🙂
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I love the fact that Bil escaped from his chair – and that she doesn’t quite know if the look he gave was imagined, or real.
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Nice use of ‘discrete’ and that tang of knowing that our real lives do not always quite turn out as we might have hoped.
Evangeline
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Love it. 🙂
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Wonderful as usual
xxx
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“presumptions of her youth, like crumbling memorials had become curios,” so so good.
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Another vignette, so real, so true, leaps forth from a fertile mind. How many more fascinating glimpses of life are hidden away in that keyboard? And so we wait……..
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I’ve had this bookmarked for a couple of days.
I’ve started it a couple of times but my mood meant that I was not giving it my full attention.
So I waited.
I read it this morning and I’m glad I waited.
I read it twice because my still slightly foggy brain did not absorb it properly the first time.
Need I say how good it is? OK I will. It’s very good.
I was right there; I could feel the emotion.
Thank you.
Terry
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This resonates so much, particularly, ” Not a captain on the ship of life. Not a member of the crew. More a passenger: carried by events.” I think that we all feel like this at some point in our lives and the secret is to try and regain some control if we can. I also loved it as we learned somtehing about what happened to Bill, who had not only gained some control, but was also living a life of adventure.
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Your art, Peter, is telling us just enough to make us wonder. You leave us with more questions than you answer. I admire that. The propensity of most writers is to give it all away to the reader. You don’t. You respect us enough to make us ponder.
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Thanks so much for the like on my post! I love your blog name!
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Lorna made an excellent comment – which really gets to the heart of the power of your writing. The ends are never neatly tied up, are they? ‘It passed so fast it left some room for doubt.’ It is the not knowing that is the most seductive. And that is the enticement of adventure … that pulls us away from what is comfortable and ‘safe’. Sometimes we take the chance … more often, we don’t.
Wonderful writing, Peter!
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So many lines resonated with me…
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I loved the line: Resting was a pleasure saved for death. And I loved the description of the husband. Great job!
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Hi Peter, How DO you infuse SO much emotion, suspense, sadness, anticipation and more into your writing. So many gem-like lines. Vivid imagery to boot. Thank YOU 😉
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Powerful….I’m envious
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I too am envious! I wish I could spend my life as a globetrotter 🙂
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Your writing style is so fantastic. So poetic; such a natural, poised flow of words. Surreal.
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bellisimo! I am in love with your writing!
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Beautiful.
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