The calligrapher traced with his forefinger, following the loops and curves of her name scribed in black ink, barely touching the fading parchment. Returning to the start of her name he traced the handwriting again, imagining her face, conjuring her soul and knowing her identity. She was there, encapsulated in her handwriting. He closed his eyes and created a vision of her name in the darkness of his mind, following the form of letters she wrote on the parchment. Opening his eyes he selected a pen and wrote her name, breathing life into the ink as it flowed like blood.
Do you really want an answer to the question, ”Who are you?”
I am an English teacher and drummer/percussionist with an interest in literary pursuits, creative endeavours, rhythmic permutations, theological amplifications and comedic outbursts.Here you will find my creative detritus: articles on living a creative life and writing explorations.
And other ideas I have snaffled from the papers stuck on the fridge door.
Twitter: @RevHappiness
Instagram: @handwrittenpagesMy collaborative epistolary novel, "Post Marked: Piper's Reach," written with Jodi Cleghorn (@JodiCleghorn) out now via Vine Leaves Press.
Come and browse through the library; there is no need to be silent.
-
- Follow A Fullness in Brevity – Adam Byatt on WordPress.com
Pages
-
Enough Posts to Make A Fence
- Fiction Friday – The Unmaking Of Miles Black
- Fiction Friday – Neighbours
- Fiction Friday – Cereal Boxes
- Fiction Friday – treading water
- Fiction Friday – Bellbirds
- Fiction Friday – The Prophet
- Fiction Friday – Cheese Toasties
- Fiction Friday – Turning Tides
- Fiction Friday – just out of frame
- Fiction Friday – drought
Minutiae
Tweets by revhappinessAdam Byatt – Writer
The Filing System
- A Little Prompting (16)
- Ars Poetica (197)
- Creativity (269)
- Degenerate DIctionary (1)
- Interview (3)
- Literary Mix Tapes (4)
- Odds and Sods on Board (23)
- Post It Note Philosophy (23)
- Post It Note Poetry (77)
- Short Stories (272)
- The Writer's Life (266)
Looking for Something?
The Filing Cabinet
Oh that was a nice short Adam, very visual that enabled the reader to feel his emotion – well done!
I write about handwriting & calligraphy quite often. It does reveal so much about us and you nailed this absolutely.
Beautiful and brief, and even a little unsettling.
I love calligraphy, and I’ve had weird experiences with handwriting (and automatic writing) before. You really captured a sense of atmosphere here.
What Jen said! I think the mention of blood does the creepiness – not so much romantic love as obsessed love!
Intense and microscopic.. with a dark undercurrent.. My kind of story..!!
Funny, but I hadn’t thought of the dark undercurrent you saw, and Jen and Mazz’s perspective. I had written it as more of a ‘romantic’ concept, knowing someone intimately.
Admittedly, it was a quick composition this morning, and a little tightening might make the intentions clearer.
However, in this post-modern world, the reader makes the interpretation. Happy reading everyone! π
Like in my younger days when I would do the very same thing over her signature in my yearbook, imagining what my life would be like if I could only have her.
Pingback: Postcard Prose | A Fullness in Brevity – Adam Byatt
Much easier to read, and thanks for uploading the bigger image. Very wispy and neat microfiction, Adam.
Beautiful
I keep thinking he’s resurrecting someone long deadβ¦ and what will become of that?