She slept finally, cradled in my arms. I glanced at the clock. 6 AM. Eight hours of crying (her) and cajoling (me). I had heard her twinkling laugh around 10 PM so I went to her room to check on her. I found her standing on her bed, arms high, reaching. I thought it was for me. But when I picked her up, she kept reaching higher and struggling, pushing out of my arms, saying “It’s my time.”
“Time for what?” I had asked. “You’re too young. You don’t know.” So I stayed and held her, whispering words of love and promises. Still, she thrashed, at one point running to the bookcase and clambering up to the window.
At 8 AM, she woke and nudged my arms away. “Mama, I dreamt I was the moon. Let me go tonight. It’s my time to shine.”
Trying a new prompt this week with dVerse – this is Prosery #2 courtesy of SarahSouthWest. The challenge is to write a piece of prose/flash fiction using the phrase “I dreamt I was the moon” taken from Alice Oswald, Oxford Professor of Poetry (UK). The piece must be 144 words or less.
The picture of my shoe and my daughter’s shoe was taken on a funky glow in the dark carpet at Meow Wolf in Santa Fe. She how bright she shines!
©️ iido 2019
your prose is beautifully scripted, I was the tiny lizard creeping along the wall, eavesdropping on this touching scene of mother and child connecting. Through your daughter’s eyes you see a promise of a future you help to mould. The sleepless nights…they pay off big time when she reaches for that dream. Instilling hope and belief in a child is such a wonderful reward to hours of mundane parenting. your heart shines through this one
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I now have several pieces about being sleep deprived – it’s such a central theme in my life as a parent! 😂 I hope the reward will be great, as you say.
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i suffered the most with my Joshua, he had colic, asthma and could not rest for the fist few months. i was a wreck, but then became the sweetest little boy who needed so little attention, they grow, their is pain, but oh the love is immeasurable! i love these sleep deprived ones from you, they are of a higher realm of consciousness!
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Yes, so true! My littlest guys are a lot of work but I do know they love me so much. That gift is truly priceless!
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This story left me wondering…what if?…I love the maternal emotion protrayed – and remember those nights! – but this story has a little more than that. This child has a touch of magic, maybe she needs to shine. This feels like the start of a fairy tale. I’d love to read more.
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Thank you, Sarah! I did feel a fantastical element when I finished writing it – it just wove itself in there…maybe it will lead me to more of its story…
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Such a wonderful, wonderful piece! Soon it will be time for all of them to shine and we will look back at the sleep deprived nights and think….it was all worth it.
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Thank you! I’m hoping that’s the case!
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That will be the case, my dear!
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