Somewhere in Italy The List Work in progress

The landscape of Sicily rocks on uneven wheels. She reaches down into her bag, pulls the folded sheet of ink stained stationary out, the kind of note paper you find tucked in drawers of real wooden hotel furniture.  Was it at the salt baths in Budapest? Romainia?  The hotel's name is gone from the top, doodled over and smeared.  She unfolds, one by one, the crimped pulp fiber, unfurling to a flag the sheet of her desires.

Cross it off, he told her, When you finish a task. Cross it off, and he jammed her head, slat splat onto the notepad of stationary.

Her memories fan up at her in a rush and a gasp, and she crosses his name off her list. Done.

 

Another version

 

She reached down into her bag and pulled the folded sheet of ink stained stationary, the kind you find, tucked in drawers of real wooden hotel furniture.  Was it at the salt baths in Budapest or was that Romania the hotel name is gone doodled over and smeared?  She unfolds one by one the crimped fibers unfurling to a flag of her desire. Cross it off he tells her when you finish a task, cross it off and jams her head splat flat into the hotelier notepad.  Her memories fan up at her in a rush and a gasp and she crosses his name off her list. Done.

 

 

And poetic version 

 

She reached down into her bag

Pulls the folded sheet

Of ink stained stationary

Out into the light

It’s the kind of stationary you find

Laid ceremoniously in

Drawers of real wooden hotel

Furniture

Was it in the salt baths of

Budapest or Romania

The hotel name is gone

Doodled over and smeared

She unfolds one by one

The crimped fibers

Unfurling to a flag

Her desires

Cross it off

He tells her

When you finish a task

Cross it off

And jams her head

Splat flat into the

Hoteliers note pad

Sharp corners intersecting

Her cheek bone

The memory fans up at her

In a rush

And a gasp

And she crosses his name

Off

Her list

Done.

 

 

Author's Notes/Comments: 

Part of my murderess book

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patriciajj's picture

You have a gift for compact

You have a gift for compact and breathtaking narration: here is an evocative build-up to a gut-punching scene that less skilled writers would have bogged down with rambling description, with much telling and less showing. But you crept shrewdly with lithe style and intriguing details, then pounced, head on, right into it. 

 

Last two lines: exceptional wordcrafting. Your pen strikes gold! 

djtj's picture

Thank you

Thank you always grasp the concept quickly and critique beautifully. I cleaned up some tense problems. 

J-C4113D's picture

I certainly agree with your

I certainly agree with your keen observations in appreciation of this work.


J-Called

djtj's picture

Thanks

It's kinda weird but thanks with agreeing lol? and reading. 

J-C4113D's picture

No problem.  

No problem.  


J-Called