Creative Writing

At my church I facilitate a group for those who enjoy creative writing.  I set up the group at the beginning of Lockdown 1 on Zoom.   We have remained meeting on zoom most months.

Recently we had our second in-person get-together.  I set us the task of writing on either the theme of River or Lost and/or Found.

In my recent posts on travelling around Wiltshire you might remember I mentioned the problems I had with the satnav.  This inspired my 15 minute piece of writing.

LOST/FOUND 

The satnav screen showed an arrow ploughing through farmers’ fields. Running parallel to the A road the car was actually travelling on. Sometimes there was just a grid. Totally lost. Not knowing where I was. No signs. Just following the ribbon of tarmac in the fond hope I was travelling north and would eventually arrive at my destination. 

‘Turn left onto Friday Street.
Do a U-turn and continue on Friday Street.
Go South East on Friday Street.
Turn right and continue on Friday Street.’ 

The satnav’s voice seemed to get more anxious as it blurted out a stream of nonsensical instructions. At any moment I thought it was going to self-destruct. 

And just as it seemed on the verge of giving up, the voice calmly said:
‘At the roundabout take the second exit and stay on the A342.’ 

At last, the satnav had found its way. 

 

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

Mapping

Continuing my map project, I wrote this piece of creative writing.  Not prose but possibly not a poem either!

Mapping 

Folded up.
Keeping information enclosed and secret.
Unfolding.
Fold up.
Fold down.
Concertina folds.
Slowly unfolding.  No longer hidden.

Spread out.
Spread across a table.
Spread out on a car bonnet.

Tracing the route with a finger.
Following the blue, the red, the orange, the yellow
And even the white.
Tracing the dotted lines of pathways and bridleways.

Refolded to show the area required
Tears along the creases from frequent folding and unfolding.

Churches with spires. Churches with towers.
Viewpoints, historic houses, gardens
Symbols, names, scale.

A route from A to B.
A straight route.
A meandering route.

Rivers, canals and railway lines
Geography and history side by side.

Miles and mile of potential.
Adventures waiting to happen.
Here be dragons!

But life. 

Life doesn’t come with a map.
No manual. Just the clock.
60 seconds.
Tick.
60 minutes.
Tock.
60 hours.
Tick.
60 days.
Tock.
60 years.
Tick tock. 

Morning
Evening
Afternoon
J Alfred Prufrock
Measuring out his life with coffee spoons
Tick. Tock.

Thanks for joining me today
Bernice

The Return

At my church I support a group of creative writers.  We have a monthly zoom call and homework!  This is my homework for this month.

The Return

The wind moaned. It shook the locked and bolted door. The rain rattled down. Raindrops bounced off the windowpanes like the rat-a-tat of a gun. Despair’s icy fingers slithered under the door and through the gaps in the window frame. Despondency’s tendrils wrapped around the sobbing figure lying on the bed. It clung to her the way ivy clings to the crumbling façade of a decaying building. Clutching a thinning blanket, which did nothing to keep out the cold, the figure sobbed louder.

The door sprang open. A light shone in. A light so bright it was impossible to look at. ‘Come, follow me’ a gentle voice whispered. The girl on the bed trembled with fear.

‘Come, follow me’. The voice was louder now. The girl rose and took faltering steps towards the light filled doorway.

Outside, the storm had passed, and the sun’s rays were beginning to warm the land. Still unable to see who it was that was behind the bright light, the girl whispered: ‘Who are you? What’s your name?’ 

 ‘My name? My name is Respair. I bring hope after a time of despair’. The girl sighed as warmth returned to her body and hope arose.

She turned to look at the light. But it had gone. As she looked, she saw a lamb walking towards the sunrise. 

 

A 15th century word, as a noun, respair means “the return of hope after a period of despair.” As a verb, respair means “to have hope again.” 

Thanks for joining me today.
Bernice