Saturday 7 August 2010

MagpieTale #26

http://magpietales.blogspot.com hosts a weekly writing prompt, write a small vignette or poem using the below photo as your inspiration . . . here's mine. :)

She left it there while she went indoors to answer the phone. The phone had been ringing all morning but she had ignored it, blanking it out and letting the sound of bird song fill her mind as she walked slowly around her rather overgrown garden.

She had touched the new growth on her favourite plants and bent to smell the sweet scents, ignoring the incessant ringing from indoors. She crushed fragrant rosemary in between her fingers and breathed it deeply, closing her eyes and tipping back her head to feel the warmth of the sun on her face. She could hear the bees buzzing and the gentle cooing of doves.

She returned again to the old water barrel, twisted the tap and watched as the captured rainwater rushed into her old watering can. Distracted by the telephone again, as its noise pushed to the forefront, displacing the bird song and gushing water as it demanded her attention. The overfilled watering can splashed her sun brown feet, she jumped back and quickly reached down to stop the deluge. A large spider ran for its life as the rivulets of water meandered down the uneven path.

Picking up the watering can she carried it sloshing over to her geraniums and watched as the gentle stream of water soaked into the dry soil, and dribbled down the side of the shiny cobalt blue pot.

And still it rang.

She pushed past the lavender, relishing in the waft of scent, and put up her arm to move the bending bough of the buddleia so she could pass. In moments she was amidst a cloud of white butterflies, fluttering and dancing in the air before returning to land on the purple blooms. She put down the watering can and reached out to stroke the warm fur of Arabella, stretched out enjoying the sunshine her soft apricot fur glowing against the dark green leaves.

It was ringing again, she took a deep breath and made her way to the conservatory door. She slipped off her old dirt splattered shoes and made her way over to the telephone. It was red and shiny and shrill on the polished surface and seemed incongruous against her unembellished, hard working hands. She stared long and hard at her dirty nails as she rested her hand on the receiver, until suddenly she could stand it no more. . .

Hello.

16 comments:

RLM Cooper said...

Nicely told - but... most phones have a switch to turn off the ringer. I've turned off the ringer to my house phone so I never hear it ring. Ever. I also have no answering machine hooked up to it. So it's like it isn't even there - until *I* want to use it, that is... ;)

Loved the descriptions for foresty flowers and the peace of it all. Very nice.

Brian Miller said...

with the peace you describe at the first, i may just have to unplug the phone unitl i am ready to use it...smiles. nice magpie...

Tumblewords: said...

Lovely imagery!

Lyn said...

Liked the contrast between the lush natural setting, and the intrusive telephone..I would have just turned it off for the day..I really do that!!

Tess Kincaid said...

You've perfectly described me in the garden, interrupted by the reality of life. Wonderful.

Jim Swindle said...

I like your descriptive power. I can really see the scene (though I had to look up budelia, since I'd never heard of it). The apricot fur reminded me of our cat, who's that color.

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

love the way you do it,
reality hits us while we try to immense ourselves in our dreamy garden....

exciting magpie!

Angie Muresan said...

This is so peaceful. And the imagery wonderful.

Paul Andrew Russell said...

Isn't it always the way, that something interrupts you when you're gardening?

Nice story. :-)

Kathe W. said...

what a wonderful description of a summery warm day and everything in the garden giving scents, colors and beauty...the heck with the phone!

signed...bkm said...

Nice write, you can sense the nagging of that ringing phone...I hope it was worth answering....bkm

Nakoah said...

Depending on my mood the phone may have gone into the filled watering can. I have others and it would make me feel so good.

Kavita said...

so well narrated!!!
And the description of the garden elements was lovely!! And those intermittent phone rings... phhhewww
A fascinating read!!!

~T~ said...

Why do people call when I'm at peace in the garden? It's as if they don't know...
Lovely description.

pan said...

Hi everybody! and thanks very much for your comments. :-)

It is great to meet you all - I look forward to next weeks Magpie!

pan x

Anonymous said...

Ah, how rude of real life to intrude on such a beautiful experience in the garden. If I had such a garden I would never answer the phone!

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