Time to Rest
One grey day the earth decided to sleep. The mighty mountains shrugged their rounded shoulders and sighed a great necessary sigh. The wide seas sucked their liquid breath in and out in deep soothing swells. The earth turned inward. Oil stopped flowing. The flat plains coughed a dry cough and the mantis-like machines creaked to a halt. The ocean floor sneezed a satisfying sneeze and swallowed the drilling platforms whole. People who lived on the planet scurried around noisily looking for shelter, and those who could took flight to new frontiers. Some — the quiet ones — stayed behind, and made peace with the sleeping mother.
Soon, all activity ceased and the only thing audible was the sound of sleep in a world that emerged ecstatic with fragrance and color. Tiare and jasmine shouted happy stories across continents, magnolias made mad love as their roots stretched deep into the wet fertile soil, while sequoia and kauri reached with their arms toward heaven.
And the mighty mountains sighed, and the wide seas heaved.
And the earth dreamed blue-green dreams.
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Author's Note
written for 52|250 Week # 14, Sleep
also written especially for Susan Tepper's OIL group
Environmentalism, for me, is about living with the earth, not leaving it alone altogether. Rest is important, but not abandonment. Does that come across here?
Other stories by Michelle Elvy
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Mm, that is so nice.
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lovely, poetic.
fav
Lovely unraveling of the unraveling. I agree with the above comment, that it's beautiful. Also sad. Sad mythology. I like it lots.
That's how I spell "grey" also. The world will say that you are wrong, but it is THAY who are wrong!
;-)
It’s great to read this and the author’s note together. I think it does come across the way you intended, and there’s something about it that really resonates. Love the term and placement of “the quite ones,” the repetition of “And” at the end, as well as all of the strong images.
oops – meant “the quiet ones” of course
This is IT. I got chills. This is a fervent prayer
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Great, great piece, Michelle. The two paragraph/sentences at the end work so well here. Very imapcting. Good work.
Great use of both the Sleep and Oil themes in one nice package.
If the Micro & Flash fiction crafts have three approaches -- traditional, prose poetry and essay form -- you've combined two in this poetic essay. This avenue is effective because you avoid being "preachy". And it is topical; get it out there!
Love the ending, I think of a spinning blue-green marble. A vision, a dream. I think Susan says it best -- this is fervent prayer. Peace...
Well done, Michelle. I think your intended point does come across here.
This is powerful stuff. It reads like a prayer, as others have said, and it's beautifully poetic as well.
This is beautiful. If only we could make peace with the mother. Fave.
necessary writing
the best kind
* me over
Wonderful writing, Michelle. Rich fabric, tightly woven.
Lovely, Michelle :)!
I don't usually like pieces that are descriptive with no story, but this was truly beautiful. It felt like the beginning -- a prologue -- of a good story.
Thanks so much, everyone, for the encouragement on this piece. My eight year old daughter told me it reads like poetry -- that, too, made my day. I appreciate all the reading and comments. This is such a great community!
Sounds like a Native American prayer. Beautiful.
Tight to me.
Thanks for this
S
you are getting better and better and were already so good. this is simply great. All this work you are doing, is here.
The apocalypse never sounded so beautiful. :) Well written. Fave.
Michelle, well-turned images here that drive home the truth, we do not own this world but merely borrow our small spaces of it for our short lives. Like a long-suffering mother, the earth endures us and may even mourn us as we pass, but for how long? This is lovely.
Love the poetic langauge!
Thanks also to those of you who have recently come to this story: Matthew, Sean, Meg, Matt, Dean, Bonnie... I was not sure this one worked, but it seems it has struck a chord. That is a wonderful thing. Really.
Michelle - lovely piece! Thanks!
wonderful. you very effectively turn earth into a character with a colored unconcious. cool and considered.
Hope, dreams--this is beautiful.
I love this.
This is just amazing. Fave.
I have often thought that the earth one day will shake with fever, then throw off the infection. I just hope that isn't us, and we learn to live with the earth before that happens.