Image by ChatGPT
The Sunday Whirl presents twelve words for us to use in a creative writing piece.
This weeks words are:
time, hear, lose, world, off, string, life, particles, reel, need, find
The Alchemist
The room is dusty, the air pungent.
Strange liquids bubble and fume.
He sits alone in this unearthly gloom,
Dusty in a dust filled room.
His is a life of relentless toil
To find the secrets once foretold:
The magic process that legend sold
Of turning lead into gold.
He had heard of times, now long past,
Where such changes could be done.
So in this world, cut off from the sun,
He continues the quest, long since begun.
Smoke and dust particles swirled around
He lost all sense of day and night
Driven by a need to win this fight
He toiled away to candle light.
Despite a string of abject failures
He persisted with his chemical tricks
At last he found the golden fix—
He turned his hand to cosmetics.
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There may be some truth in this - early cosmetics were based on white lead.
ReplyDeleteYour "The Alchemist" is a brilliantly crafted piece that draws me into the dim, dusty world of an old dreamer, only to deliver an unexpected, playful twist. The vivid imagery paired with the clever shift in tone reveals both depth and humour. More than a tale of an ancient pursuit, it reflects modern ambitions - the endless search for our own version of gold, whether it’s wealth, beauty, or something else. It’s the kind of poem that leaves you smiling, yet lingers in your mind - a rare and wonderful kind of magic. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteHa ha ha, loved the twist in the tail.
ReplyDeleteWonderful weaving of words that has me imagining there is a touch of orange in that gold.
ReplyDeleteThe persistent Alchemist. Very solid ending!
ReplyDeleteHow delightful! I wasn't certain where you were headed ~ the broad grin on my face illustrated my pleasure.
ReplyDeleteI was not sure where this would lead, but it has a brilliant ending.
ReplyDeleteHa! An alchemist well suited to our times. Although some alchemists out there are busy turning gold into lead...
ReplyDelete