Image by ChatGPT
The Sunday Whirl presents twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.
This weeks words are:
lock, fades, echo, out, voices, burn, show, friends, time, power, hear, second
Echoes of Past Glory
The windows are cracked, dusty.
"Here's looking at you, kid."
Cobwebs have long taken over.
"After all, tomorrow is another day."
The chains on the doors rusty—
"Elementary, my dear Watson”
The locks and hinges too.
"There's no place like home."
Inside is musty, dusty and old.
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning."
The red velvet curtain faded, tattered.
"All the world's a stage."
Posters from the shows
Of the glory days, faded, curled.
"You can't handle the truth!"
Voices from past shows echo
Through the circle and stalls,
"Houston, we have a problem."
Memories from a time long past.
"That’s not a knife… That’s a knife."
But there is no-one there to hear them.
"I see dead people."
Will the powers grant a second life?
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
Will friends come out in support?
"To be, or not to be, that is the question."
Does a candle still burn brightly
For this dead relic of the past?
"I'll be back."
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Oh, wow! ‘Echoes of Past Glory’ is more than just creative writing - it’s an experience! It transported me into a forgotten world, where time whispers through dust-laden curtains and faded memories. The interplay between black and grey text creates a powerful dialogue: the solid present speaks, while the past responses in echoes.
ReplyDeleteThe imagery is so vivid - a crumbling theatre with cracked windows, rusted locks, and tattered red velvet curtains. Once full of life, it now stands empty, yet the voices of its past remain. Iconic lines like "Here's looking at you, kid" and "I'll be back" breathe through the silence, reminding that while places may fade, the stories they hold endure.
The poem beautifully balances loss and hope. Questions like "Will the powers grant a second life?" and "Does a candle still burn brightly?" reflect the tension between decay and renewal. And that final line - "I'll be back." leaves a powerful sense of resilience, hinting that even what seems lost may yet find a way to return.
This is a beautifully structured poem - one that stays with you long after reading. It is a testament to the enduring power of art, memory, and the unbreakable connection between past and present. Well done, and thank you for sharing!
Thank you! I don't know what else to say to that!
DeleteI know exactly what to say to you - you are incredibly talented! “No one ever made a difference by being like everyone else”. And you certainly make a difference!
Delete(The scamp in me wants to say "Thanks Mum!" but that would give the totally wrong impression and I would never do such a thing.) Funny, I don't think of myself as talented, just as someone willing to have a go.
Delete"Here’s looking at you, kid,"
Deletewe’re all stars in the same sky...
"Nobody’s perfect," but we try,
and that’s what makes us fly!
Mainpoint's response to your poem is fulsome and true and in itself a piece of beautiful writing, a review to cherish.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words!
DeleteShe's a good egg.
DeleteAh, those unanswerable questions! Yet we constantly strive to seek answers.
ReplyDeleteI am always impressed by how creative you are in using the listed words to fashion a tale, a picture, a whole world ...
A lot of the responders to the prompt try for brevity, I am willing to add a lot of detail around the words which lets me tell a story.
DeleteWhat a clever poem - I reply joyous in return - Jae
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteA clever poem indeed!
ReplyDeleteI love the response from those famous quotes from the movies! It seems they are the echoes from the past, when these films were screened at this place. Really neat!
"I love the smell of napalm in the morning." How to forget that from one of my favourite films? :)
For the merging idea: I give full credit to a large latte at Santucci's Cafe.
DeleteYour Wordle creation is amazing. The way you've woven together quotes from movies and plays to create a narrative about a faded, old theater is brilliant. I especially loved the imagery of the dusty windows and the cobwebs taking over.
ReplyDeleteDitto what I said to @drsnake1
DeleteThis is brilliant, J! A seamless fabric.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Delete