From The Vault: “Rag and Bone”
“Now that my ladder’s gone / I must lie down where all the ladders start / In the foul rag and bone shop of the heart.” *
So many partially completed drafts, waiting for their flash of genius; searching high and low for new inspiration. It brings to mind a flash fiction piece I wrote in my early days on Medium; one I think deserves another look.
The prompt was “Dig Within”; a vivid image came to me — but how to bring it into fruition? I started with the end image, and had to work around, building the scene up like a painter. To say anymore would be spoilers — and as the story comes in at 500 words or less, there’s not much room for spoiling!
The other spark I started with is the quote from W.B. Yeats, suggested by the title, from one of his end of life poems: “The Circus Animal’s Desertion”. If you don’t know it, read it now. (Well, after you’ve read my piece.) I’ve helpfully added a link to the poem in the footnote below. It represents the struggle of an old wordsmith, searching for his muse. Something many of us may be familiar with, but oh that we are still writing, and with such power, to the end of our days!
This story also goes back to the days when I was ambitiously trying to self-illustrate my work. Once the piece was done, it took me almost as long to whip up a digital painting that somewhat illustrated the image I was trying to convey. And if it doesn’t quite capture it, you can blame my rudimentary digital painting skills. (I’m slightly better with paint and canvas.)
Reading back over the piece, I am also reminded of the people of Medium who discovered this story so early on in my Medium journey, and took the time to comment. People whose writing I now know well, and love. (I’m looking at you, Stephen M. Tomic, Jack Preston King, Elizabeth Helmich and Lori McCray. Thanks so much for your encouragement so early on; it means a lot to me.) Thanks also to Jake at The Creative Cafe for such a juicy prompt, and for giving this piece a home.
And a quick word about prompts — coming back to writing after a very long hiatus, I’ve found the various prompts and challenges offered by the various literary publications on Medium to be a wonderful way to shake up ideas, open new worlds, and break free of my usual writing groove. So here’s to trying many more, and seeing what the subconscious draws up from its depths!
So, without further ado, click the link for this story: “Rag and Bone”.
