1,000 Words Each… Part 1
An Exercise in Short Fiction from Days Past.
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The cliche goes that every picture is worth a thousand words, so a while back, two or three years ago, I think, I took it upon myself to try and do something in the way of short fiction which built on that very idea. I took images from artists I knew and wrote some fiction based on them.
I’ve decided to republish the stories here, because it’s a good idea to pass on, but I can’t use the original image inspirations because I don’t have permission. I have tried to approximate using similar images from public domain or Creative Commons sources.
Enjoy.
Tea and a Touch of Timeless Wisdom
It was mid-morning as I lazily began my journey in pursuit of pajama-laden explorations on the meaning of life and the world I inhabit. After crossing the expanse of my wooden-floored sanctuary, I sat down in my comfortable chair with its beautifully patterned cushions and masterfully carved arms and legs. The floor wasn’t usually cold but I habitually wore my soft slippers just in case there happened to be a stray bit of gravel laying about, having been carried in accidentally from the path outside. Slowly I sipped a cup of warm tea as sunlight streamed though the bay of windows to my left. A gentle breeze was moving the trees outside in an almost hypnotic rhythm, though it was not so distracting that I couldn’t pay attention to my book of poetry just opened on my lap. It was filled with wise words and powerfully ornate dissertations on the harmony of life and the joy of living, offering verses such as this -
The bounty of my life, of the world sits before me,
stretched out as a grand feast laid lovingly on a table,
ready for consumption, ready and waiting for my
heartiest expressions of desire, my longing to be satisfied.
I glanced up briefly and saw my neighbor through the window panes, going about his morning chores, snipping a bit of hedge here and there, cutting blades of grass that released a sweet scent as…
