Category: Vignettes

Moments in Memory #2

This is the second of a series of moments from my memory that I plan to post as I hone my descriptive writing skills. Each piece stands alone, a simple vignette without any particular agenda. I hope you enjoy them! Feel free to comment with thoughts or suggestions.

Click to see the first of the series!

#2

A bicycle sped down the pavement, purple frame glinting in the sun. It wove in and out of small clusters of pedestrians, its rider savoring the pine-scented wind as it rushed past her face. Seeing an impossible tangle of people ahead, the rider dismounted without stopping, resting her right foot on the frame before hopping off at a jog. Continue reading “Moments in Memory #2”

On Being Present with Fear

“Will I be OK?” he asked, sitting on the edge of the pool.

“Of course! Mommy and Gammy are right here!” To myself I thought, “Even on the bottom step the water would only reach your chest. Why is this such a big deal?”

We were swimming for the first time in a long time. He only came to watch his baby brother swim, but something in him still remembered the exhilaration of moving through the water. So, he consented to wear a swim suit, and then decided to put it on in advance. When we arrived, he put his feet straight in, bottom firmly planted on the side of the pool, kicking and splashing.

But now we were asking him to go all the way in.

“Will I be OK?” he asked again. Continue reading “On Being Present with Fear”

Moments in Memory #1

Every once in a while, I experience a moment that sticks – all my senses linger in that place, conspiring to create a memory that I can revisit at will in all its beauty, pain, or peacefulness. As I continue to hone my creative writing skills, I thought these little moments would be fun prompts to practice inviting readers into a scene with me.

This is the first of a series of moments from my memory that I plan to put into writing. Each piece stands alone, a simple vignette without any particular agenda. I hope you enjoy them! Feel free to comment with thoughts or suggestions.

Continue reading “Moments in Memory #1”

The Sepia Room

Today I sit in my usual place, sipping tea and watching the passers-by.

Within these walls, I live in the safety of the past, everything faded and known. Muffled voices come through the crackle of an old radio, narrating a brown-and-tan world of well rehearsed dance and drama.

As I peer through the sagging window, nothing threatens, nothing surprises. The memorabilia of past joys collect dust on a nearby shelf, comforting reminders of love, belonging, and home. From this vantage point I can participate in the present at a distance (only I must ignore the cracks that might let in a beam of something new).

It is safe, yes, and also numbingly familiar. Continue reading “The Sepia Room”