Beneath the Ash
by Ronald King
“Darling,” Alex sighed, his hands fumbling over the violent ridges of bark. Without the light of day to guide, he probed the cold, hard edges of the tree. Each eagerly demanded his attention, begged for his touch to unleash their stories.
The ash tree was a brother that had grown and changed in his family’s yard. He knew its stories, knew the hardships and pain that had been endured over the years. He reached past the natural grooves to search for the mark. Gasping, Alex’s finger caught the unnatural edge.
Bodily, he trembled with memory. Passion. Desire. Her arms wrapped tightly around him. A scent of blossoms and warm spring rain swallowed him. A taste as sweet as honey filled his mouth. His arms entwined behind her back, fingers tracing the smooth lines of her back to the grace in her neck. Alex was lost in the crystal blue depths of her eyes again. Lips brushed, teased, embraced and devoured beneath the boughs of ash.
His—their mark remained. “I will wait for you, darling. As I promised.”
The coldness of winter clawed beneath Alex’s skin as he gulped a deep breath. The ash rested solidly against his palm, comforting. Solemnly, he whispered, “I will always wait for you.”
Sunday, February 24, 2008
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17 comments:
Interesting how we all want to personify a tree. I guess we all have known one we wish to honor. Nice example of this.
I found this most interesting, how so many personified the tree and yet I used it for scenery. (and I really love trees ... lol) This was sweet.
I go to the granite city often to talk to the ancient ones. They inturn pass my thoughts along to those beneath the surface. Nice piece.
rel
I thought it was sweet too, and dedicated.
This piece reminds me of the trees of my youth. So many secrets and stories those trees hold indeed...
Is he mourning, is he mad? The reader can draw a number of conclusions here. Nicely done.
I like the idea that one edge of bark can bring back such a vivid memory. Good job with this.
A poignant and intriguing piece of writing with some beautiful lines. I love all these different takes we're seeing - all of which show how closely we identify with trees and how they watch life with us.
Very nicely done.
Wonderful personification of the tree done. Good job!
Very nicely done.. It is amazing to me how we can all take from a picture and see and personalize it in the way the writers are doing.
I like how this one mark on the tree tears open an old, visceral world to Alex. His devotion is stirring.
Very nicely written. I enjoyed his passion.
Thank you all for the wonderful comments!
Beneath ash...there is fire. And it shows in your writing! well done.
You paint the "memory" experience well - so many thoughts and sensations connect with the most subtle clues.
I like that the memory which is invoked is so physical. It's a bodily piece, even though the text is mostly a memory. Nice.
Very sensual. I liked that element. Almost like being blindfolded to increase the intensity.
What a powerful tactile memory! The feel of "their mark" evokes such sensory detail. This is usually experienced through olfactory memory. Nice!
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