Such a powerful prompt this week – yowza! Thanks to Rochelle Wisoff-Fields and her continuous work at Friday Fictioneers for providing us with such fare to engage and reflect. Please join us if you have an urge to translate experience into words.
The prompt:
(this prompt was so good I’ve included 3 responses in the manner of brainsnorts)
1.
She grasps while he flees. The horror of everything offered. He’s reaching all the same. She clings, and thus submerged, loss becomes attachment. He yearns. They’re vulnerable. Their hold and flight are balance. A panicking fail like this can require only one thing – somebody’s everything – which she offers, and which frightens him to terror. She lays it at his feet and pursues – without her he would fall – traumatizing him, for there will come a day.
2.
Everything depends on it. Seems to.
This risk, this reach, this grasp.
All has been let go, ripped away for this advance.
She’s nothing left but hope and fear.
Submerged in this suspension.
And he in silent trauma – terrorized.
What would be the gain – of grasping or clasping; a yearn or a vortex; great loss or its threat?
A possible life? An wholistic vitality? The “whole hurly-burly”*?
What?
We leave it here. NOW. In the reaching.
*Ludwig Wittgenstein’s phrase for the complex background, context of human life
Alternate 2.
“Do you not get it?” she stressed, “can you seriously not see what I’ve done?”
“EVERYTHING!” she cried, “EVERYTHING I’ve left and abandoned, deserted, let go, in order to offer myself up to you! – to come for, reach out to – YOU!”
“This is unbelievable!” she, exasperated. “I really and truly cannot!” she, bewildered.
And he – silently terrorized, traumatized, afraid.
Trapped in this suspension – the grasping or clasping; the yearn or submersion; the loss or its threat.
And what of the gain – a possible life? An wholistic vitality? What – ?
We leave it here. NOW. Reaching.
N Filbert 2013
Polysemic Stupor 
That mostly went past me, but I do like the first 4 lines on #2
The reach and the grasp balancing out the two of them, the anchor and the boat. Without one the other would drift. The anchor would stay submerged with no line to the surface, forgotten. Like the weighted ball of a pendulum frozen by the moment. Fear from both far and near solidifying their position in the relationship? or something like that.
Tom
fills the ballpark! thanks
glad there was something in there for you! thanks for reading
These are all so poetic! I think #2 is my favorite.
It read to me of one giving completely, the other afraid to get in quite so much. If one person is much more invested in a relationship or is too giving, it can be difficult for the other person. Balancing in relationships can be a difficult act.
janet
All three are well written and interesting. I personally like the second one best
I like how you’ve merged the thoughts in the third. I really like that one.
You make my head hurt with all your clever writing – there’s so much here to think about. My favourite is the last one. I think. I may have to read them all again. 🙂
thank you very much
thank you – ’twas the first written 🙂
hey thanks for the mention. mighty nice of you. that’s a very vengeful statement, “there will come a day.” well done.