Creative writing - 16.06.2020

Below are a few short pieces I compiled as part of a free creative writing course with the Spread the Word create-write-connect campaign.  #CreateWriteConnect

1. Grounding and freewrite (3 minutes)

It has been a good day so far.  I have been out for a walk through a couple of parks in my area.  The sun has been shining which has lifted my mood and it has been so quiet.  All I can hear are the birds with their cawing and chirping.  It is so nice.  I didn’t want to come back inside.  I enjoyed the peacefulness.  I feel at peace with myself.  I put up a shelf yesterday and I think I’ve done a good job.  I feel happy about my latest DIY achievement.  I am still feeling proud of myself as I walked down the quiet road, past a few cherry trees. I pulled off a couple of the fruits and tasted them.  They were not too sour.  I carried on walking.  Being out and about has been good for my soul.  I feel refreshed and ready for whatever comes my way.

2. A Time I Felt/Feel Free (10 minutes)

It was cold and the moon was full in the sky.  I walked out of my flat onto my deserted road.  I had stayed in for most of the day and now needed to escape from Sunday evening TV to clear my head.  My road was quiet and lined with cars, so I guessed that everyone was in for the evening.  I turned at the bottom of my road and then turned onto the main road.  I walked to the usually busy roundabout and headed onto the high street.  The only shops that were open at this time of the night were the fried chicken shops and off-licences, but even they were empty.  The weather was chilly, and I could hear the breeze rattle through the autumn leaves on the ground as well as the remaining ones on the trees.  I kept walking past the undertakers and shivered but felt good being outside.  I walked past the local solicitors, the hospital and the tall tower blocks with their lighted windows blazing in the dark.  The night air was like medicine as it cleared my head and filled my body with energy.  I had walked a good distance and now decided to head home.  My legs ached from all the walking, but I felt free from all worries and fears.  I was now ready to face another week.

3. Find it Outside You (10 minutes)

I have been working from home for nearly 13 weeks and most of the time I don’t go out during the week because I have too much work to do, so I always look towards my open window and think about the next time I can go out.  I can smell pollen from the overgrown hedges on my road.  The smell is overpowering.  It is lucky I don’t suffer from hay fever or I would have to close the window.  I can hear birds singing loudly.  I hear an occasional car that rumbles past and sometimes there are scooters that speed down the road which make me tense.  I also hear children playing in the park nearby and it feels like a Bank holiday, even though it is not.  I hear a football being kicked against the chain link fence, repeatedly.  I want to close the window but I can’t because I will feel trapped.  I hear the cat going through the cat flap to escape outside into the garden, to freedom.  I want to escape too, but work keeps me tied to my desk.  The open window for now is my only escape until my work is done.

4.    Longer Exercise: Wall of Dreams (25 minutes) - I dream of having another holiday

It is late morning and I step out of the cheap B&B hotel I am staying at in Crete.  It is near the sea and I walk a short distance to the beach.  I find a sun lounger with an umbrella.  I pay my fee and lay back, closing my eyes.  I can hear the sea as the tide ebbs and flows.  I hear gentle Greek music playing in the background from the various bars along the beach front.  I open my eyes briefly and look ahead at the sea.  I see an elderly couple waist high in the water, holding hands and children playing in the sand.  Couples stroll by in beachwear and flip flops.  I hear in the distance the engine of a speedboat as it drags a glider behind it that bobs up and down, high in the air. My skin feels pleasantly hot and gritty and I taste salt on my lips.  The heat warps my vision as I watch birds flying high up as if they are near the sun.  I reach in my bag for water and I  gulp as much as I can.  The plastic bottle crackles as I squeeze it. The ice in the bottle is slowly melting as I shake out the last melting drops into my mouth. The aroma of cooking food hits me and I feel hungry, but I don’t want this moment to pass.