A is for Aqua Allure
Day 1 of the challenge!
My theme is NIFTY NUGGETS. Little nuggets of writing based on a photo, a phrase and an object, which is designed to encourage lean, tight writing. I’m aiming for a word count of under 300 words.
Thank you to L.Diane Wolfe for providing the beautiful photo prompts. You can visit her blog to check out more pictures.
AQUA ALLURE
PHRASE – standing on solid rock
OBJECT – wicker chair
Sploosh! Your promise is a drop, suspended in time.
In that frozen millisecond, it draws me in to the memory of long ago. In my dream I see the stepping stones that we played on. As we jumped from one to the next, the solid ground would anchor our playful feet and we felt safe and secure. Nothing would change. You were always waiting at the end of the stepping stone journey, seated in the multi-toned, retro wicker chair that swung gently from the branch of the old oak tree at the end of the yard.
The drop does not remain suspended forever. The journey continues, and the drop is lost, swept away at first into a gentle stream, extending outward, in ever-widening hoops to become a swirling maelstrom.
Now the chair is gone. The rope hangs forlorn. The stones are insignificant… reduced to nothing more than concrete slabs of adornment.
The sploosh of a promise impacts the ever-widening ripples of my existence.
Thoroughly enjoyed your story. What a great way to kick off the challenge. I wonder how many of these might inspire you write something longer?
Thanks for popping in Fran!
After the 26 posts, we’ll have to see which ones resonate the most, and then take it from there… 🙂
‘The drop does not remain suspended forever. The journey continues, and the drop is lost’ – enjoyed the nostalgia and the yearning. Great visual prompt, too. Thanks for the lovely read.
Best wishes,
Nilanjana.
Madly-in-Verse
Thank you Nilanjana! 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I’ll pop by your blog shortly.
Hi Michelle – good for you for asking help via Diane’s photos – she’s a great photographer. Love this .. I skipped a bit and saw ‘the rope hangs forlorn’ – and wondered about a bitter ending .. but no the chair was suspended – lovely way to read … interesting nugget – cheers and happy A-Zing – Hilary
Diane is am amazing photographer!
I love your response to my nifty nugget!
Thank you! 🙂
In a word, poetic. Lovely picture too! Have fun, Michelle.
Hey Joy! *waving*
Let the madness begin! 😀
(You know I’m all about fun!)
Love the picture and the short piece, Michelle. Thanks for a nice read this morning 🙂
Thanks for the visit, Rachel! 🙂
I’ll get to your blog shortly…
That is so beautiful! The melancholy words flow just like water.
I can’t wait to see what you write for the rest of my images.
What a wonderful compliment, Diane.
Thank you! You’ve made my day.
It’s your beautiful photo that prompted the melancholy word flow… thanks once again for allowing me to use them.
Ooh I love your last line! What a fun theme! Good luck 🙂
~AJ Lauer @ blog.ajlauer.net
an A-Z Cohost
@ayjaylauer on Twitter
Thank you AJ!
I love your interactive theme. Such fun!
… can’t wait to see the direction your story goes…
Love the word “sploosh”–so descriptive.
It IS a lovely word… such a visual & aural appeal… 🙂
Aw, it’s a wistful memory. Sigh. Moments do slip away like raindrops, as does childhood, both ours and our kids’.
Well said, Mary.
That’s why you always say that we should PLAY, and have as much fun as we can…
The ripples grow and time passes. Excellent piece, Michelle!
Thank you Alex! 🙂
I’ve missed your poetic and descriptive writing style. Love this!
Nice to see you back… even if it’s only for a short while, Elise! 🙂
Don’t go missing for too long, you hear?
That is a beautiful image. Sad, but great story to go with it.
~Patricia Lynne aka Patricia Josephine~
Member of C. Lee’s Muffin Commando Squad
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, Indie Author
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Beautiful words, Michelle. Definitely got my attention.
Thank you Murees! That makes me happy.
Marvelous piece to start off the Challenge. Each sploosh makes an impact for sure. Good luck and have fun! 🙂
Thank you Christine. 🙂
Oh this was good. Great theme and photos. I have to say, all I could think of at the end was that it wasn’t over, that the memories are so much more than concrete slabs of adornment, sharp and clear in mind, and the drop is forever suspended because of that… loved this and can’t wait to read more!
Lisa, co-host AtoZ2015, @ lisabuiecollard.com
What a lovely response. Thank you, Lisa. It means a lot to me. 🙂
A perfect combination: your beautiful words and Diane’s amazing images.
Thank you, Lee! I’m glad you approve!
Great theme idea and an awesome post to kick off the A-to-Z challenge! This is my first year with the challenge and I’m running around like a kid in a candy store, or perhaps more apropos, a nerd in a used bookstore 🙂 Lots of great stories and new blogs to check out! Thanks for sharing. Drop by my place and leave a thought or two if you are so inclined. Looking forward to the rest of your A-to-Z posts!
Enjoy it, Shawn!
I find the A to Z quite addictive. This is my 5th challenge… and I’m just as excited as I was the first time round. 🙂
How wonderful, Michelle, to write a post/story based on a photo prompt. And it all comes together so beautifully, from the “frozen milliseconds” to the “ripples of my existence.”
Thank you, Silvia!
I really appreciate your words… they are really encouraging. 🙂
That’s kind of sad. I better go play in a stream and cheer myself up.
I loved playing in streams as a kid. Why do we grow out of that?
Good question.
From time to time, adults need to remember the joy and abandon we experienced during our childhood activities, to help us spark new creative ideas/energy! 🙂
This was really emotional for me. Great writing.
I’m glad you connected in this way.
Thank you.
Poignant and sweet. A beautiful beginning to an exciting month.
A lovely response!
Thank you for visiting! 🙂
lovely write up there!! as its said – you never step in the same waters twice!! but yes childhood was wonderful!!
Thank you and welcome to my blog! 🙂
Beautiful prose. Much to soak in of life. Happy A to Z
underneath eyelids
drops suspend in my mind
ripples sooth my nerves
A beautiful response.
Your words are really calming, therapeutic…
Thank you! 🙂
Beautiful prose! Especially that last sentence- just stunning!
Thanks Bev! 🙂
This is brilliant. Can’t wait to see what else you write as the challenge progresses.
Thanks for your vote of confidence.
Greatly appreciated! 🙂
Great way to start this challenge!
Let the madness begin…
Thanks!
Love prompts like this. Little gifts of beautiful writing.
Thank you for the wonderful compliment! 🙂
I like your theme and the picture. As well as the short piece with it. Awesome!
Thanks you! 🙂
As always this was lovely.
Hugs and chocolate to you! 😀
I was yearning by the end, wondering why things must change, realizing they must, but not happy about it. I would read on in a second. A is for Agua. Wonderful.
Thanks Joylene! I appreciate it! 🙂
This is beautiful Michelle, I love the yearning and nostalgia. What a great kick off to A to Z, I’m looking forward to seeing what else you have for us this month!!
Thank you Celine!
I also enjoyed your childhood story… what a nostalgic theme… 🙂
I do love the photo, great idea for a theme, looking forward to some more spectacular writing.
Thank you Rosie!
Great prompt from that photo. I loved the symbolism you put in, but I stumbled at the chair/rope pairing. Suicide?! Noooo!
Actually suicide hadn’t even entered my mind….. and the rope was used to suspend the chair, which has since been taken down. I don’t think I explained clearly enough. These are rough pieces… not really polished. 🙂
Really raised images in my mind of the places my childhood friend and I used to play for hours and hours.
Glad it evoked some pleasant childhood memories….. 🙂
Michelle,
I love this idea and your use of imagery. The last sentence especially conjures up an intriguing mix of feelings and wondering if the promise was/will be kept, in what sense, and then whose promise it ultimately is.
Anne
I love your analysis, Anne!
Thanks for popping in.