Charred letter fragments wafted into the tree canopy. Good riddance.
Vee smeared the ash residue on her hips while waiting for the outdoor shower to warm. She stepped in as a cloudburst spattered the wood deck. Cool rain mingled with scalding water. Never good at finding a happy medium, the truth was the torture of contrasts made her feel alive. Like ash on pale skin. Wrong and right.
Was this right – “You will love again the stranger who was yourself”? Could this sparkling stranger beaded with water be her? Maybe?
The shower erased the ash smudges.
Cattle and wind shushed through purple loosestrife and between clouds the sun winked at her. Cows’ lowing harmonized with grasses stroking their hides as they ambled to the adjacent field. She stretched out on the deck, sky-scoured, tuned in to their hymn.
“Hi. Nice to meet you, stranger.”
**
Written in response to a prompt from dVerse to use a line from a Derek Walcott poem called Love after Love. The line is “You will love again the stranger who was yourself.”
Writing Bites 
Intriguing. This could be the beginning of a novel!!! I’d read it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Judy. I’ll give that some thought. She’s a much loved character I created in 2015 and she keeps popping back into my consciousness. Could be a sign, eh?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Could be.. And my message part of that sign?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like how contrasts torture and still not being able or willing to find the happy medium. And the description of meeting oneself again as stranger.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Frank. I appreciate that astute comment very much. It was a great quote to work with and a great poem to discover through dVerse. Thanks for all your work with that site.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That was intoxicating language. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gorgeous imagery, I love the ash symbolism and the message of the piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My goodness, you pack a lot into a few words! My favorite part is the two sources of cleansing water and the extremes needed to make her feel whole.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Kerry. I like writing to a form sometimes. Although constraining its also stimulating to figure out what are the bare bones needed to tell a story.
LikeLike
How lovely! Your imagery here is just fantastic; I love how you’re able to put so much effective emotion into your imagery. Always a treat to read! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Crystal. Flash/micro fiction/non-fiction is so much harder to do than long-form, in my opinion.
LikeLike
Susanne: this I 💘: “the torture of contrasts made her feel alive.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love when Vee pops in for a visit. It’s always a sensory delight!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had written this w/out giving the character a name and then I thought “Hmm. Being somewhere where there was an outdoor shower sounded like a place Vee might be.” Maybe this was pre-Harry? Things to ponder.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This has a nice open ending. And you managed to get the words in so they made sense! (K)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it was a bit of a struggle to get the quote in but it was such a great line (and poem) that it was worth the effort.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heavy.
But excellent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Sheila. Sometimes I don’t know why my mind takes me to these places but I really loved this line of poetry and it kind of sung to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice! Great use of sensory words. [grin] Sorry ’bout that. I’m slipping back into teacher mode.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for being a good teacher, Josh. I learn a lot reading your stories and posts.
LikeLike
I love the ceremony of ending and using the ashes and water to find herself again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Bjorn. And thanks for doing so much with the DVerse community. I follow but this is only the 2nd time I’ve contributed. Such a great group of engaged poets!
LikeLike
Great images and descriptions!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not sure if my comment went on, so I’m posting it again.
Very nicely done, Susanne! I like the charred letter fragments that become smeared ash residue – the end of a relationship, I think – and I love that the shower erased the ash smudges to leave a sparkling stranger. And what a great ending, chilling out with the cows!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooops. Looks like I missed replying to you, Kim. My apologies! The location is a real place in the Gatineau Hills in the Canadian Province of Quebec. I’d been dying to use it in something and lo and behold dVerse provided the opportunity.
LikeLiked by 1 person