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

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.

70 Comments

  1. Fran on April 1, 2015 at 9:23 am

    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?

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:00 pm

      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… 🙂

  2. Nilanjana Bose on April 1, 2015 at 10:03 am

    ‘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

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:01 pm

      Thank you Nilanjana! 🙂
      I’m glad you enjoyed it.
      I’ll pop by your blog shortly.

  3. Hilary on April 1, 2015 at 10:33 am

    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

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:04 pm

      Diane is am amazing photographer!
      I love your response to my nifty nugget!
      Thank you! 🙂

  4. J.L. Campbell (@JL_Campbell) on April 1, 2015 at 11:22 am

    In a word, poetic. Lovely picture too! Have fun, Michelle.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:05 pm

      Hey Joy! *waving*
      Let the madness begin! 😀
      (You know I’m all about fun!)

  5. Rachel on April 1, 2015 at 11:38 am

    Love the picture and the short piece, Michelle. Thanks for a nice read this morning 🙂

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:06 pm

      Thanks for the visit, Rachel! 🙂
      I’ll get to your blog shortly…

  6. L. Diane Wolfe on April 1, 2015 at 11:40 am

    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.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 1:07 pm

      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.

  7. AJ Lauer (@ayjaylauer) on April 1, 2015 at 1:30 pm

    Ooh I love your last line! What a fun theme! Good luck 🙂
    ~AJ Lauer @ blog.ajlauer.net
    an A-Z Cohost
    @ayjaylauer on Twitter

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 3:36 pm

      Thank you AJ!
      I love your interactive theme. Such fun!
      … can’t wait to see the direction your story goes…

  8. Diane Burton on April 1, 2015 at 1:36 pm

    Love the word “sploosh”–so descriptive.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 3:37 pm

      It IS a lovely word… such a visual & aural appeal… 🙂

  9. Mary Aalgaard on April 1, 2015 at 1:40 pm

    Aw, it’s a wistful memory. Sigh. Moments do slip away like raindrops, as does childhood, both ours and our kids’.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 3:39 pm

      Well said, Mary.
      That’s why you always say that we should PLAY, and have as much fun as we can…

  10. Alex J. Cavanaugh on April 1, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    The ripples grow and time passes. Excellent piece, Michelle!

  11. Elise Fallson on April 1, 2015 at 1:45 pm

    I’ve missed your poetic and descriptive writing style. Love this!

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 3:41 pm

      Nice to see you back… even if it’s only for a short while, Elise! 🙂
      Don’t go missing for too long, you hear?

  12. Patricia Lynne on April 1, 2015 at 1:48 pm

    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

  13. Murees on April 1, 2015 at 4:16 pm

    Beautiful words, Michelle. Definitely got my attention.

  14. Christine Rains on April 1, 2015 at 4:37 pm

    Marvelous piece to start off the Challenge. Each sploosh makes an impact for sure. Good luck and have fun! 🙂

  15. Lisa Buie-Collard on April 1, 2015 at 5:00 pm

    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

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 9:50 pm

      What a lovely response. Thank you, Lisa. It means a lot to me. 🙂

  16. C. Lee McKenzie on April 1, 2015 at 5:08 pm

    A perfect combination: your beautiful words and Diane’s amazing images.

  17. Shawn Griffith on April 1, 2015 at 5:17 pm

    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!

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 9:52 pm

      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. 🙂

  18. Silvia Villalobos on April 1, 2015 at 5:31 pm

    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.”

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 9:53 pm

      Thank you, Silvia!
      I really appreciate your words… they are really encouraging. 🙂

  19. Elizabeth Seckman on April 1, 2015 at 6:02 pm

    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?

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 9:59 pm

      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! 🙂

  20. Mary Pax on April 1, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    This was really emotional for me. Great writing.

  21. Nadine Feldman on April 1, 2015 at 6:23 pm

    Poignant and sweet. A beautiful beginning to an exciting month.

  22. Meghana on April 1, 2015 at 6:29 pm

    lovely write up there!! as its said – you never step in the same waters twice!! but yes childhood was wonderful!!

  23. moondustwriter on April 1, 2015 at 8:14 pm

    Beautiful prose. Much to soak in of life. Happy A to Z

    underneath eyelids
    drops suspend in my mind
    ripples sooth my nerves

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 10:02 pm

      A beautiful response.
      Your words are really calming, therapeutic…
      Thank you! 🙂

  24. Beverly (@Bevimus) on April 1, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    Beautiful prose! Especially that last sentence- just stunning!

  25. Emma on April 1, 2015 at 8:56 pm

    This is brilliant. Can’t wait to see what else you write as the challenge progresses.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 1, 2015 at 10:05 pm

      Thanks for your vote of confidence.
      Greatly appreciated! 🙂

  26. Sylvia on April 1, 2015 at 9:40 pm

    Great way to start this challenge!

  27. Paula on April 1, 2015 at 9:46 pm

    Love prompts like this. Little gifts of beautiful writing.

  28. Laura on April 1, 2015 at 10:28 pm

    I like your theme and the picture. As well as the short piece with it. Awesome!

  29. Shelly on April 1, 2015 at 10:59 pm

    As always this was lovely.

  30. joylene on April 1, 2015 at 11:29 pm

    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.

  31. Celine Jeanjean on April 2, 2015 at 12:28 am

    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!!

    • Michelle Wallace on April 2, 2015 at 11:46 am

      Thank you Celine!
      I also enjoyed your childhood story… what a nostalgic theme… 🙂

  32. Rosie Amber on April 2, 2015 at 8:01 am

    I do love the photo, great idea for a theme, looking forward to some more spectacular writing.

  33. Alex Hurst on April 2, 2015 at 9:10 am

    Great prompt from that photo. I loved the symbolism you put in, but I stumbled at the chair/rope pairing. Suicide?! Noooo!

    • Michelle Wallace on April 2, 2015 at 11:48 am

      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. 🙂

  34. Susan Gourley on April 2, 2015 at 1:14 pm

    Really raised images in my mind of the places my childhood friend and I used to play for hours and hours.

    • Michelle Wallace on April 3, 2015 at 10:53 am

      Glad it evoked some pleasant childhood memories….. 🙂

  35. Anne on April 2, 2015 at 7:42 pm

    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

Leave a Comment


Notice: Undefined variable: user_ID in /home/writerintrans/public_html/wp-content/themes/bb-theme/comments.php on line 69