Saturday, January 7, 2017

The Yellow Notebook


The yellow notebook was filled with gray lines - contoured into alphabets that said something, meant something. People said that she had written them every single day of the last year. Those words that seemed meaningless, like a forgotten memory, were part of her life each moment of the last twelve months. But to her they seemed like shady shapeless figures, visible now but disappearing the very next minute.... like figures in the foggy mornings of chilly winter months. Each word dispersed an aura of emotions that was alien to her....She could smell not their scent as they looked like flowers blooming bright on the spring canvas that adorned her wall. They looked beautiful but emanated no fragrance.

She struggled hard to gather them up in one coherent chronicle but they fell, like leaves falling in August. She shuffled them, rummaged through them but the rake of her mind worked to no avail. The task became laborious to her. She tried to shrug away the helplessness but it stuck on her like sweat pasted on the forehead in the months of May and June.

Exhausted, she planned to dump them , like some leftovers of the New Year party. But despite the cleaning, the crumbs lay hidden in the corners, on the counter, on the table..... poking her to pick them up as she got up the next morning. She took a deep breath, and opened the blinds to let in the sunlight. Then, very slowly she drew them together. They needed nourishment. She poured them in her lap. Steam rose from them reminding her of steam rising from the cup of simmering tea, her morning companion. She got up, cupping them in her hand. Then, she turned the stove on to prepare her favorite brew. As she dropped tea leaves in the boiling water, she realized it was time to spice things up. She added ginger. The pungent aroma enlivened her spirits. She hugged the words she was holding and then let them fall in the brewing pot. It was time to create a new concoction.


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(My post begins with the words 'the yellow notebook' and 'gray'- I borrowed these from one of the most touching children's books I have ever read in my life. It is titled Serafina's Promise. Written by Ann E. Burg, it is a novel in verse form. I strongly recommend it to everyone....will be reviewing it soon....)

Linking it to Indispire #151

16 comments:

  1. Writing has much in common with the brewing of a savoury concoction. Should we look forward to some of it in the new year?

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  2. So well composed these lines Sunaina.. A nice Prompt and equally too meaningful Post on the Prompt.. Best wishes in your Blogging Area and a Happy New Year!

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  3. What a lovely piece - beautiful writing! Thank you for sharing.

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  4. I so loved the imagery in this - at first I thought you were describing the inner thoughts of someone with Alzheimers - maybe you were, in a way. It was beautiful. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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  5. This is such a beautiful piece of writing! :-) Liked the way you have blend in the months there..:-)

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  6. Beautiful imagery, Sunaina. A brilliant evocative take on the prompt. We all have felt the same sometime or the other in our lives, haven't we?

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  7. Looking forward to reading the review !

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  8. Beautiful writing, Sunaina. Loved reading it :)

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  9. Very beautiful Sunaina! loved reading this yellow book!

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  10. Comparison of words with flowers and seasons. Beautiful imagery! That's exactly how we feel sometimes when words ring in incoherently in our minds, yet we just can't get them in the right combination to form a refreshing concoction.

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  11. Hey Sunaina..very good use of both the words. Lovely story :)

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  12. Ur writing indeed is like the brewing of a concoction.i haven't read serafina's promise... I think I shall do it...

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  13. Very well written. It really is like concocting something good, waiting for the right time and when that time comes, oh such worth the wait.

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  14. such poetic writing- I loved the feel of meandering through the post, daydreaming and wondering what the next words would be. Loved the writing! Kudos

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  15. Beautiful beautiful writing, Sunaina. You sure took me to a magical world with your words. Superb!

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  16. What a concoction of words and emotions! Your brew in spreading it's aroma Sunaina!Loved the way you have put through all the images by comparing your words with seasons and months. Beautiful! :) <3

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