Friday 1 April 2022

NaPoWriMo 2022 - Day 1

 April 1, 2022 - Today's prompt is based on Robert Hass’s remarkable prose poem, “A Story About the Body.” The idea is to write your own prose poem that, whatever title you choose to give it, is a story about the body.

Two Bodies and a Bench

As I sat on the park bench feeding the birds she sat next to me, a little too close for comfort. Our thighs touched and I could feel the heat from her body. Apparently unaware, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a small bag of sunflower seeds and began to toss them on the ground in front of us. Her hand was weathered and her fingers so curled and arthritic the seeds spilled through them like sand through an hourglass. We said nothing as the chickadees and sparrows flitted back and forth, coming closer to reach the fallen seeds. After a while she reached over and placed her cool papery hand on mine. "You're sitting in my late husband's favourite seat. I come here from time to time to be close to him, his spirit. Thank you for humouring an old woman". Her grey watery eyes sparkled with tears as she rose and slowly walked away. The warmth from her thigh persisted until she was out of sight.

2 comments:

Leon Stevens said...

Based on real events?

Lisa said...

Nope... but I thought it was believable.