The Bell Tower
A leaf falls, tree weeps,
Separation’s a small death,
Tears tumble from sky,
You ask for whom the bell tolls,
I reply, it tolls for us.
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#SilentSunday ‘The Bell Tower’ #Tanka
Tag Death
Carrot Ranch #FlashFiction Challenge #99Words #SixSentenceStory ‘Sorrowful Interlude’
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Sorrowful Interlude
Ruby welcomed her unfailing, weekly customer, handing him his usual two dozen daisies. Ralf nodded, smiled and limped towards the cemetery, carrying a cane and their favourite flowers.
He shook his head, reading the familiar inscriptions; Jane, beloved daughter of Ralf and Ada Grimmer, 10th August 1980 – 23rd September, 1999, and Ada, beloved wife and mother, 5th May 1950 – 23rd September, 1999.
He arranged the flowers, knelt and told them about his week, before saying his usual farewell, “Goodbye for today.”
Ralf refused to believe their separation was definite. “We’ll meet again soon, after this sorrowful interlude,” he whispered.
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Sorry it’s a little sad, but that’s where the two prompts took me.
Ralf refuses to believe that death is anything but a brief, albeit sorrowful interlude, between this world and the next.
We’re all certainly going in the same direction. Nobody leaves this Earth without dying first, whether we meet again is an option which some refuse to believe and others refuse to deny…
I’m taking part in the Carrot Ranch weekly challenge with ‘Interlude’. I’m afraid it’s been a while since I took part in this challenge, so this post is the end of that interlude!
I’m also taking part in the weekly ‘Six sentence story‘, with this week’s word prompt, ‘regret’. It’s my first time taking part, I think.
The two words merged as Ralf’s story popped into my mind. My mind’s elusive and impulsive creativity will never cease to amaze me!
Hope you’re having a creative Monday!
#NaPoWriMo Day 19 ‘Madonna of Pain’ #poetrymonth #April #Poems #Tanka
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 19 poem, Madonna of Pain was inspired by a church float, for Holy Friday Parade, I took this morning in the church of The Holy Spirit (Espiritu Santo) in Cordoba, Spain.
Madonna of Pain
Lady of Sorrows,
Witnessed son suffer and perish.
Madonna of Pain,
Crowned and draped in rich, gold cloth,
Lit up, displayed, on parade.
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Today commemorates a sad event in the Christian calendar, Jesus Christ’s death by crucifixion.
This float represents Christ’s Descent from the Cross.
His mother, Mary’s, sorrow is vividly represented in many symbolic rituals, such as the famous church parades which take place all over Spain. Everybody can identify with a mother’s pain at the loss of her son which is why the paintings, statues and floats of Our Lady of Sorrows (Virgen de los Dolores) are so popular in religious art and especially Holy Week celebrations.
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Are there any special, religious rituals where you live?
#NaPoWriMo Day 16 and 17 ‘Fading Light’ and ‘Spring Day’ #poetrymonth #April #Poems #Tanka
National Poetry Writing Month is a poetry writing challenge to write a poem a day, which takes place every year in April. Follow the link to find out more, be inspired, get daily prompts and meet other poets!
Day 16 poem, Fading Light was inspired by a photo I took recently as evening fell over my garden, coinciding with the deteriorating health of an elderly relative. Day 17 took me to a Spring Day…
Fading Light
Fading evening light,
Once a powerful beacon,
Turned golden shimmer,
Bravely resisting slow death.
Unforgiving dark night looms.
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Spring Day
Life is like a Spring day,
Rising to the sound of chirping birds,
Long, lazy breakfast,
Watching sunrise on the porch,
Then hours of toil and sweat,
Later busy afternoon,
Frolicking and rolling in the hay.
Time to rest and ponder,
In the protracted evening,
But make haste,
Dark night falls far too soon.
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#FridayFictioneers ‘Aunt Sarah’s Dresses’ #FlashFiction
It’s Friday, time for another Friday Fictioneers Flash Fiction story featuring Alice Pendragon and her family! On this occasion, Alice is coping with her grandmother’s deteriorating health.
Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields for hosting the challenge and for this week’s photo prompt.
PHOTO PROMPT © Rochelle Wisoff-Fields
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Aunt Sarah’s Dresses
‘I’ll take the roses.’
‘Grandma, we can only bring one of your belongings to the hospital.’
‘I never told you about your aunt’s dresses, did I?’
My aunt Sarah had died long before I was born, so I changed the subject. ‘What about your photo collage?’
‘She wore the white dress at her christening.’
‘Your radio?’
‘The red one at her graduation.’
‘Your bible?’
‘The yellow one on her 21st.’
I looked closer at the handmade flowers.
‘And the mauve one the day before the accident.’
‘The flowers will be on your nightstand, grandma.’
She smiled. ‘They were beautiful dresses, Alice.’
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My ‘Alice’ flash fiction written for the Friday Fictioneers Challenge can be mostly read as standalones, but if you’re interested in reading previous stories of Alice’s adventures, here they are!
#ThursdayDoors ‘San Rafael Cemetery’ #Cordoba #Spain
Thursday Doors is a weekly feature allowing door lovers to come together to admire and share their favorite door photos from around the world. Feel free to join in on the fun by creating your own Thursday Doors post each week and then sharing it, between Thursday morning and Saturday noon and linking up on Norm’s blog here.
I visited the cemetery recently for the burial of a friend’s mother. We arrived early, which gave me time to wander around, admire the beautiful building and surroundings and take some photos.
I love the (real) Roman columns adorning the doors. The first and last photos are of the front door, the second photo is the door to the chapel, to the right as you walk inside, and the third door is the door leading into the burial ground, which is just beyond the chapel.
I rarely visit cemeteries, but when I do they inspire peace and reflection. I don’t feel sad, just human. A physical reminder that we must all die, so we had better use our time wisely.
There are some beautiful gardens, plants and statues inside. Have a look. I posted some more pictures of this cemetery yesterday in #WordlessWednesday
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#writephoto ‘Forever’ #FlashFiction
Forever
It’s the perfect place and time, sunless, solitary, and silent.
We’re shadows gliding over the lake, blowing ripples, before we dive into our last baptism.
My arms, wrapped around your urn and one last kiss as we sink into the lake.
Ready for our rebirth.
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This post was written in response to Sue Vincent’s weekly photo prompt. Why not check it out and join in?
