Drabble: Skylight
A few weeks ago, I was doing writing exercises with my friend, Dhors. Dhors is a very talented and published poet who is constantly telling me to write poems. I've tried, but nothing seems to come out right. For Dhors' writing exercise, she had me write for 15 minutes on a topic she chose. I was kind of horrified when the topic turned out to be "my ideal man." O_O I don't believe in ideals because everyone has flaws, so I attacked the topic with the first things that came to mind. The point of this type of exercise is to write for 15 minutes without stopping, and I had absolutely no clue what to write.
At the end, Dhors had me read the ramblings. Her jaw dropped and she started to laugh. She had expected that I would write a list of qualities and it was her intention for this list to serve as a jumping off point for a poem. Instead, I wrote a short story about a woman reflecting on her marriage. Dhors told me to try and write a poem out of the ramblings, but the words in that form wouldn't come. What emerged was a refinement of the short story.
Skylight
by chessie_reeves
Sydney reclined on her bed and stared up at the hole in the ceiling as she traipsed about in her memories of the past 25 years. The skylight had been a huge bone of contention when she and Travis were designing their house shortly after they got married. An intensely private and practical person, Sydney hadn't wanted any openings in the master bedroom that couldn't be covered, not to mention the additional expense of having it installed. The heated arguments that ensued almost led to a divorce, but as with any partnership, a compromise had to be made. Travis got his skylight and Sydney got her privacy with electronic louvers.
She chuckled wryly. It was just a part of his romantic nature-something that had initially attracted her to him and something that still caused the butterflies to churn in her tummy at the memories. Sydney had first seen Travis at the beach walking his dog. There is nothing inherently unusual about a man walking his dog except that Travis had been wearing a designer suit. The blazer was casually draped over the shoulder and his shirtsleeves and black trousers were cuffed. The shoes had been knotted together with the socks and the dog wore it around his neck. A little boy had been running back to his parents after buying a strawberry ice cream cone when he tripped over a stick half buried in the sand and crashed into Travis. The white silk greedily absorbed the confection and the stain that formed looked like a giant pink giraffe. Sydney couldn't help but laugh. Travis bought the kid a new cone and had him bring another one to Sydney. His kindness and compassion made her smile, and at that moment, everything aligned and fell into place.
As was his wont, Travis placed a hand over Sydney's splayed fingers and joined her on the bed. He stared into his wife's expressive eyes and felt an overwhelming sense of love and regret. Glancing at the ceiling, he saw that the evening sky was the mottled pinkish-orange-purply-mauve color that she liked best. Sighing, Travis kissed Sydney's cheek and pressed up against her.
Tears pooled making the brown eyes luminous. "Happy anniversary, Travis," Sydney said quietly. She turned and embraced the empty space beside her. "I can still feel you and I wish you were really here with me. I love you."
"I'm here," the ghostly form of Travis replied. "I love you, and I will always be here in your heart."
At the end, Dhors had me read the ramblings. Her jaw dropped and she started to laugh. She had expected that I would write a list of qualities and it was her intention for this list to serve as a jumping off point for a poem. Instead, I wrote a short story about a woman reflecting on her marriage. Dhors told me to try and write a poem out of the ramblings, but the words in that form wouldn't come. What emerged was a refinement of the short story.
Skylight
by chessie_reeves
Sydney reclined on her bed and stared up at the hole in the ceiling as she traipsed about in her memories of the past 25 years. The skylight had been a huge bone of contention when she and Travis were designing their house shortly after they got married. An intensely private and practical person, Sydney hadn't wanted any openings in the master bedroom that couldn't be covered, not to mention the additional expense of having it installed. The heated arguments that ensued almost led to a divorce, but as with any partnership, a compromise had to be made. Travis got his skylight and Sydney got her privacy with electronic louvers.
She chuckled wryly. It was just a part of his romantic nature-something that had initially attracted her to him and something that still caused the butterflies to churn in her tummy at the memories. Sydney had first seen Travis at the beach walking his dog. There is nothing inherently unusual about a man walking his dog except that Travis had been wearing a designer suit. The blazer was casually draped over the shoulder and his shirtsleeves and black trousers were cuffed. The shoes had been knotted together with the socks and the dog wore it around his neck. A little boy had been running back to his parents after buying a strawberry ice cream cone when he tripped over a stick half buried in the sand and crashed into Travis. The white silk greedily absorbed the confection and the stain that formed looked like a giant pink giraffe. Sydney couldn't help but laugh. Travis bought the kid a new cone and had him bring another one to Sydney. His kindness and compassion made her smile, and at that moment, everything aligned and fell into place.
As was his wont, Travis placed a hand over Sydney's splayed fingers and joined her on the bed. He stared into his wife's expressive eyes and felt an overwhelming sense of love and regret. Glancing at the ceiling, he saw that the evening sky was the mottled pinkish-orange-purply-mauve color that she liked best. Sighing, Travis kissed Sydney's cheek and pressed up against her.
Tears pooled making the brown eyes luminous. "Happy anniversary, Travis," Sydney said quietly. She turned and embraced the empty space beside her. "I can still feel you and I wish you were really here with me. I love you."
"I'm here," the ghostly form of Travis replied. "I love you, and I will always be here in your heart."