I always look at this type of prompt, hoping that the line of poetry will be one that could possibly be slipped unnoticed into a piece of prose. More often than not, I don’t see it. Merril’s offered line from a poem by Sara Teasdale, though nagged at me because it suggested something that I only understood this morning. 144 words exactly.
You will do anything for me. Always have. Anything within reason at least; I’ve never asked anything truly outrageous of you. But am I just being selfish? I keep asking myself if I doing the right thing. How can I be sure?
I shall see again the world. On the first of May a new life begins for all of us, though I will be the only one to leave. I will take myself and my self-doubts to that shining city I have always dreamed of visiting and build a new suit of armour, but this time, made of sunshine and cicadas.
When I return to the familiar, shabby and humdrum, you will all be here, still, always, unchanged. The old house, children, cats and dogs, the birds and the busy silence, and most of all, you, generous and loving. My immutable magnetic north.
Jane Dougherty Writes 
I did a slight Lieutenant Spock eye brow lift when I read “magnetic north” – it’s a great ending – the thing that pulls us back on course even when the compass needle disorients and spins. It settles eventually but that pole wanders slowly, deviates and declinates over time.
Thanks! I’ll think of it in a purely poetic way then. I’m not a scientist, and ignorance is bliss 🙂
Nice images there of the North, the lodestar, the lodestone. It meanders a lot slower than our frantic human pace.
We don’t look at the stars enough. Too engrossed in our navels.
I forgot to say thanks for encouraging me to upload more of the Word Hoard into the Cloudiverse.
I’m glad you did. It’s a good place just to put the poems where people can see them. If you get positive comments, you know it’s because someone honestly enjoyed what you wrote. Means infinitely more than trading insincere compliments.
I’m glad you decided to come back to this. I like it–it hints of things, and it can be taken on different levels (like a poem). I liked magnetic north, too, and I laughed at the Spock eyebrow raise comment.
Ha ha, yes! It’s a very visual comment 🙂
The words nagged at me.
Thank you 🙂 I think it was that ‘shall’ that kept me thinking. Slightly archaic and determined.
Haha–yes, that’s it exactly!
🙂
I absolutely love this, Jane –
Thank you 🙂 There’s a lot of what ifs and might have beens in this.
I think the quote invites ambiguity. You’ve woven it well. (K)
Thanks. It allowed itself to be chopped into segments nicely.
The line allowed for many perspectives and I love where you took it.
Thank you!