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Wednesday, July 27, 2011

100 words: Myth

As serendipity would have it, this week's prompt, myth, comes from Adrienne Rich's poem "Diving Into the Wreck," a poem that haunted me last week. In fact, my final project for my Shipwreck workshop integrated the poem. And, so, here is a 100 word imagining of a wreck becoming myth. 


When the Gales of November Come Early
A cloudy morning, a forceful gale, an icy drizzle. She wraps her scarf tight around her neck and head, only her eyes exposed, and steps up the ladder to the main deck. Gripping the railing, she feels the wooden schooner heave and sway. Waves splash over the sides, coating the deck with water that will soon freeze. She’s been here before—not on this ship, but on the steamer New Orleans when she collided with the William Linn on Lake Huron. They were rescued before the ship wrecked. This time, she envisions a dark, watery grave. She descends into myth.

100 Words is a weekly writing challenge hosted by Velvet Verbosity. Check out the prompt and read the other entries here

5 comments:

  1. This makes me think of the Edmond Fitzgerald, and I want to know more about this character.

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  2. Anonymous5:32 PM

    I could feel the drizzle. The imagery was awesome. Good entry.

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  3. "When the 'Gales of November' came early" is a line in "The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald" - which is why this struck me so suddenly - and completely - as a disaster piece. And it's awesome.

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  4. You've captured the essence of a storm and the tumultuous feelings someone might have as they recognize their fate

    visiting from 100 words

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  5. I also caught the Edmund Fitzgerald reference, so had that playing in the background of my mind as I read this piece. I love the imagery with the quick counterpoint of a prior incident in the warmth of New Orleans.

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