Sunday 16 June 2013

A Passing Attachment

The Promenade, 1918, Marc Chagall 

It was the end of the war, the Great War, the war to end all wars. The lucky ones, the survivors, were reunited with their loved ones. The others, the unfortunate ones, the bereaved, the deceased, the maimed, were forgotten in the spirit of euphoria that swept through the land. Later would come the harshness of facing up to a splintered future, of trying to re-establish normal life when so much and so many had been destroyed.

I noticed him standing at the edge of the crowd, watching. I moved towards him. Wordlessly, he took my hand and led me through a gate to a meadow. He produced a flask of wine and two glasses and we sat on velvet grass.


I didn’t know him. He didn’t know me. We were lost in the loneliness, the disconnection that follows the ending of a cataclysmic event that absorbed everyone for four long years. We came together for mutual comfort, to find passion and joy, however ephemeral.

You might say he swept me off my feet. 

Thank you, Tess, for this prompt. Click here to see more responses.

22 comments:

  1. Hi Janice .. I love Tess' prompt .. I saw it on Theresa's posting and didn't properly take the reason for the picture in ... but your take is so different and I'm sure so true for so many at that time - and some who would find new hope ... very powerful posting .. Hilary

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  2. Wonderful! Wonderful! A snippet of history, a personal story ... all done up in lovely prose.

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  3. I love that these prompts take us to different spaces, ones that together create a whole dancing collective of ideas, thoughts and dreams.

    Your take is poignant and beautiful. Thank you for sharing it.

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  4. The beginning of an engaging tale Janice, loved it!

    Denise
    An English Girl Rambles

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  5. Ha, I love how the last line works so well with the painting. Your piece reminds me of a memoir by a nurse who served during WWI. It was hard for her to move on, and the next generation didn't understand.

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  6. this is lovely-wonderful take on the quirky image! have a great day!

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  7. I love your interpretation of the painting. Swept off her feet, indeed!

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  8. I went to the link and read quite a few poems about the painting. I liked uneven steven's take on it. I loved your story. It is interesting how chance encounters can stay with us for years and mean so much. It's like the photo of the sailor kissing the nurse in the U.S. when WWll was over.

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  9. Yes, it seems it did sweep you off your feet. :)

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  10. swept off your feet...sure you did.

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  11. Bitter-sweet and very poignant...

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  12. ah end of the war and a positive - uplifting

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  13. Awwww - I identified with many elements of this - memories evoked!!!

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  14. An enjoyable read. Thank you.

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  15. This happened to many people I'm sure. You wrote about it beautifully.

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  16. I don't believe I have ever been swept off my feet. What a wonderful story!

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  17. Where did that come from?
    A deep and unexpected reaction to the prompt, something that makes sense and provokes thought.

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  18. This little story sweeps ME off my feet.
    Just great!

    =)

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  19. I like what you did with this prompt. Well done!

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