Writing group three part picture-based prompt. 1) Photo w/ a caption. Write for seven minutes. 2) Keep the photo in mind. There's a new caption. Write for seven minutes. 3) Edit the two together or bring them together however you want to.
Overall Theme: Relational Mindfulness
1. What secret romance does she still fantasize about?
Wearing matching outfits,
Red plaid flannel shirts
White t-shirts.
Blue jeans and hiking boots complete the look.
They shuffle to their car,
still wearing their N-95 face masks.
She pushes the cart,
He pulls out the key,
unlocks the car,
opens the trunk.
They empty the cart,
loading the bags into the trunk,
Together, no conversation.
They've rehearsed this
hundreds of times.
He brings the empty cart
to the nearby rack
While she gets in the passenger seat
and waits for him to
Fasten his seatbelt,
press the start button,
and get the heat running.
The radio is on the usual station,
Newstalk blasting through the speakers.
She thinks of a sweethearts dance
over fifty years ago.
Glances at his profile
and sighs.
He's the same man
but they're both changed.
She remembers romance,
roses, chocolates, stolen kisses,
how handsome he was in uniform
how she proudly showed him off when he came home.
They had it all, she thought then.
Now she thinks of
what might have been
if she hadn't caught his eye.
Would she have found a different romance
or was this the only one that was meant to be?
2. What insignificant digression does he still feel guilty about?
He sees her sitting in the car,
waiting for him to return,
and remembers the days
when he almost didn't come back.
From the war,
From work,
From a routine errand at a random store,
He felt guilty each time.
He feels guilty now
as he looks at her face
He pockets the key,
presses the Start button.
The engine comes to life,
waits as the cold air blown by the fan
begins to get warm.
A few times, too many times,
he thought of leaving.
He still feels guilty
that there was no reason
other than he felt antsy
and didn't want to stay.
It wasn't anything
she said or did.
It was him.
He came home and wasn't sure
if he could love her
the way he had before.
It seems insignificant now
as they sit in the car
driving familiar streets,
stopping at the same stop signs.
Signaling, turning,
pulling into the cracked driveway.
They park.
3.
There was no secret romance
when they met,
Their secrets came later.
At some point they each fantasized,
but didn't stray.
Bound by vows
they couldn't break.
They thought about it,
shifted and occasionally drifted apart.
Then returned.
Each time they sensed the change
in their partner,
And let time bridge the gap>
Never talked about it.
What was the point.
And here they are over fifty years later,
in matching outfits,
Her in charge of the cart,
Him the master of the car.
Still romanticizing
and fantasizing.
Still together
mind and heart.
© 2023 Sue Schnitzer
