Of Mice and Men
#27 of 31 days of May SCWBI Challenge- A Haiku for you
Childhood friends shared dream
Isolation breeds conflict
Shattered by a gun
Upon reading today’s prompt I had a memory lapse.
Boo Radley came to mind. To Kill A Mocking Bird.
Nope wrong story.
I had to use good old google to help sort my thoughts out.
The story of George and Lennie, Curly, Carlson and the gang all came flooding back as soon as I read their names.
Over time, my memories tend to blur. Names, stories, lyrics, moments, dates all start to merge together.
Geez, I thought, how many times have my mixed up memories given me the wrong idea. Especially in the heat of the moment?
The impact of mis-memories, powerfully felt from a story my father recently told me.
He had been spending some time with his brother. A silver lining from a fall my uncle had. My uncle usually distracted running a large family transport business.
They were close as kids, but as my father was conscripted to the army, life happened in-between and they became distant.
My uncle and grandfather started a business together. Stories of how it all started got blurred. Relationships changed. Kids and family life adding another element in the mix. Perceptions of events were formed based on misinformation/memories.
A story that had been running in Dad’s head for almost 40 years was completely changed after a single 10 minute focused conversation with his brother.
The “truth” changed in that moment. 40 years of what if’s flooding the mind.
An infinite mix of threads and possibilities for interpretation at play. The subjective nature of truth exemplified in all its glory.
The ripples of consequences lasting almost a life time.
A reminder for me that not everything is as it seems.
Other pieces prompted by play
Saloni Joshi beautifully connects an unwinding melody and lyrics with a souls embrace
Bob Jasper unwinds to a peaceful evening with a Haiku
and sings joyfully loud in
Rasheed Hooda gifts a comforting giggle in
Even though this piece wasn’t prompted by play, it takes you through dreaming song lyrics
If I have missed any others that have been prompted by this challenge in the last day, I apologise…please give me a nudge and I will add them to the next prompt. At the conclusion of the challenge I will create an index to all the rippling treasures this prompt uncovered.
“Of Mice and Men” – today’s prompt from the 31 days of May challenge being run by SCBWI West (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) …if anybody feels like participating, join in as you please.
