Darwin awoke from uneasy sleep. His eyes searched around him – yes, his room near the forge: travel chest from his journey here long years ago; small table upon which basin sat like grinning cat; narrow bed, linens now moist with rain or sweat. Pitcher, cup, candle. Edged in light from moon through crack in half-opened shutters.
Sure seen a dreamscape through another’s eyes. Grey stone, grey sky, grey air still and unmoving. Spattered water upon window ledge – splattered and splashed from within or without? Windows barred with metal crossings. Contorted creatures clinging to eaves spewing water. Sense of entrapment; of hard struggle for breath in dampness.
He swung legs out of bed, steadying himself against frame. Taxed and taken by dream, Darwin plunged head into basin. Water dripped like rain from his hair and face.
Night man bellowed forge fire; familiar dragon’s puff and flame.
Someone in their cups sang bawdily into the night, stagger and swagger, shaky stream against wall.
Bell marked the hour, deep and echo.
Far flap of sail ‘gainst mast, ship heaving.
If shutters wide, glass unbound set in wooden frame.
Yet, still felt ungrounded, as if pulled back by rough rope from another place. No more sleep this night; up so as to keep wet demons at bay.
(c) Lorraine
writing in the raw for Sue Vincent’s Thursday Photo Prompt: #writephoto inside out (#1)
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May 25, 2017 at 6:05 am
I enjoyed the style of this, the short, terse sentences.
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May 25, 2017 at 10:26 pm
Thanks, Jane. Dragged out of a dream, I think in staccato.
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May 26, 2017 at 9:16 am
:)
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May 24, 2017 at 2:52 pm
I like how you set the pace and tone here – and as you mentioned in the comments, translated that disorientated feeling upon waking and not really knowing, with absolute certainty, where you are. And this translates well here – how certain things, objects, sounds etc. help place a person, and yet they can also simultaneously serve as reminders to other points in time, which adds another disorientation factor. Great use of the grey theme and how that too can really affect the ambiance.
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May 24, 2017 at 11:47 am
How lucky. I imagine the garden is very remarkable! Hope you enjoyed your time there.
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May 24, 2017 at 11:45 am
Michael, I was thinking of how I try to ground myself after waking up from a dream. Sounds and sites familiar make me feel like I made it back to my bedroom from wherever I may have been in my dream.
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May 24, 2017 at 2:50 am
I like how you had description of so many things happening in the night and the wet demons, how intriguing..
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May 24, 2017 at 2:41 am
Darwin has come up a fair bit this week…I was in his grandfather’s garden on Monday.
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