Creative Writing
Here are - in my opinion - my best and worst pieces I've done for creative writing. First is the good one. Second is the bad one.
Castle Above Below,
Inspired by René Magritte’s The Castle in the Pyrenees
I can’t tell you the feeling you’d get when you looked down at the sea beneath this castle. But when I look down, the world is a bathtub. There are tiny ships bobbing in the waves, and the sea foam during a hurricane looks like washed-off soap. The seashore is a port, but from here, it looks like a forest of shampoo and conditioner bottles. The clouds between them and us are the steam from the hot and soothing water.
That’s where the analogy stops. I don’t know what the world is really like down there - I’ve only ever read about it in books. I do know that when they look up at us they see gods. I met a person from down there, once. He treated me like I might smite him at any moment - and I’ve got to admit I did take advantage of it. But only a little. He was a merchant after all… and who can resist taking advantage of the merchant and giving him the worse deal? He was the one who gave me the books.
He still gives me books - once a year the king lowers a very, very large ladder down to the earth. It’s the most exciting time of the year. People from below come up in droves to sell and receive things from us. I like to sit on the highest wall and look down. I’ve been above them my entire life - it seems inappropriate that we be at the same height, even if it is only for a day.
This year he’s promised to bring me a story book about bathtubs. I guess I can let him stand next to me. For that, at least.
And then something stupid about trees. x_x;
We trees are useful things. We make tables, paper, shade - oxygen. Who wouldn’t want to be a tree? We live very long lives, we’re the impromptu recorders of history. If you could ask a tree about a disputed fact in history, the tree is bound to have a better recollection then you. After all: for us trees, one generation is two or three human ones.
Even after we die we stick around. Ha, stick. Ever wonder where that saying came from? Now you know. It was trees that were first used to explore the world with. Trees were fuel to the first fire. Trees were used to keep memories for humans - at least in the form of paper. What haven’t trees done?
I’m not trying to make any real point here - you humans can’t live on without us. It’s not like I’m trying to ‘save the rainforest’. If you really think my tenacious cousins are going down… you are sadly mistaken.
Trees make oxygen. Trees make shade. Trees make paper. We’ve survived everything you’ve thrown at us so far. We’ll keep being useful.
Castle Above Below,
Inspired by René Magritte’s The Castle in the Pyrenees
I can’t tell you the feeling you’d get when you looked down at the sea beneath this castle. But when I look down, the world is a bathtub. There are tiny ships bobbing in the waves, and the sea foam during a hurricane looks like washed-off soap. The seashore is a port, but from here, it looks like a forest of shampoo and conditioner bottles. The clouds between them and us are the steam from the hot and soothing water.
That’s where the analogy stops. I don’t know what the world is really like down there - I’ve only ever read about it in books. I do know that when they look up at us they see gods. I met a person from down there, once. He treated me like I might smite him at any moment - and I’ve got to admit I did take advantage of it. But only a little. He was a merchant after all… and who can resist taking advantage of the merchant and giving him the worse deal? He was the one who gave me the books.
He still gives me books - once a year the king lowers a very, very large ladder down to the earth. It’s the most exciting time of the year. People from below come up in droves to sell and receive things from us. I like to sit on the highest wall and look down. I’ve been above them my entire life - it seems inappropriate that we be at the same height, even if it is only for a day.
This year he’s promised to bring me a story book about bathtubs. I guess I can let him stand next to me. For that, at least.
And then something stupid about trees. x_x;
We trees are useful things. We make tables, paper, shade - oxygen. Who wouldn’t want to be a tree? We live very long lives, we’re the impromptu recorders of history. If you could ask a tree about a disputed fact in history, the tree is bound to have a better recollection then you. After all: for us trees, one generation is two or three human ones.
Even after we die we stick around. Ha, stick. Ever wonder where that saying came from? Now you know. It was trees that were first used to explore the world with. Trees were fuel to the first fire. Trees were used to keep memories for humans - at least in the form of paper. What haven’t trees done?
I’m not trying to make any real point here - you humans can’t live on without us. It’s not like I’m trying to ‘save the rainforest’. If you really think my tenacious cousins are going down… you are sadly mistaken.
Trees make oxygen. Trees make shade. Trees make paper. We’ve survived everything you’ve thrown at us so far. We’ll keep being useful.