Jaisalmer Shadows cast, on desert sand Rippled dunes, unspoiled, unmarked Rays of sun, orange and pink Tinkling bells, round camels' necks Cups of tea, cardamon and ginger Branches gathered, soon a light Striped blankets, thick wool for warmth Gaze upon the disappearing sun, ushering in darkness The stars are coming, bundle up
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This is from our first writer's group meeting of 2016! We each wrote down ten words and chose a prompt at random.
My words: 1. turquoise 2. silence 3. love 4. watch 5. purpose 6.travel 7. sit 8. listen 9. temple 10. song My prompt: State of the Union Address Good evening my fellow community members, I'd like to thank you for coming out tonight, per our request, without prior knowledge as to the purpose of this meeting. Gathered here under one roof this night, I invite you to listen with your eyes, and see with your ears. As you sit, I hope comfortably, for the duration of the event, please watch the screen behind me as it transitions smoothly along the color spectrum all the way from turquoise to, well, never mind you'll see. Remember, I want you to pay attention to the way you take in the information you receive tonight. We could all use a crash course on how to properly use our senses. Many of you, I dare not say all, but I would conjecture the majority, have been conditioned to use them in the way society deems proper. What do I mean by this? Of course eyes are for seeing, ears and for listening, the mouth is for tasting, the hands are for touching, and the nose for smelling. That's simple biology, right? Before we continue, let me remind you, not to confuse me for the visual focus tonight. It might be your natural inclination to hear me speaking, and out of respect train your gaze on me as if I were leading you in worship at temple. But I request that you let my words travel to you in a manner that might feel nontraditional or unconventional to you. Forget that I'm here, if you can. Focus on the colors as they beam from the projector. What do you feel tonight – love, hate, happiness, sadness, maybe nothing at all? When you left the house, did you feel calm, anxious, excited, or indifferent to attend our conference this evening? As you drove, did you put a song on the radio, or prefer to let your thoughts wander free, unattached to lyrics or tune? Whatever the case, those are all acceptable states of being, as far as I am concerned. Out of curiosity, and to test if you have been following my directions, I want you to shout out, in 3—2—1, what is the last color you saw? Blue, sir? Purple, mam? Do I hear yellow from the back? Was that mauve I heard? Interesting. Notice the screen. It has went black. Is black the absence of color, or is it the absence of light? Does it represent darkness, or depth, or simply a void, a void which can be filled with whatever you choose? I see your silence, your hesitation to express yourself. Break it, answer me out loud. I don't believe in rhetorical questions. Unless of course, you are bored, or uninterested. I respect that, blackness can dull the brightest mind. Let me turn the screen back on for you. For the others, go ahead. Yell it out. Let me see your answers. |
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