Velvet Verbosity

Home of the 100 Word Challenge - and Other Ramblings

100 Words on Material

November 23rd, 2009 | Category: 100 Words

100 Word ChallengeMy ambitious plans for NaBloPoMo and NaNoWriMo have been sabatoged by illness, a broken bone, but mostly by computer troubles.  My Mac recently crashed and the experts determined it was a hard drive failure.  So, I forked over the dough for a new hard drive only to find that my Mac was still misbehavin.  Tomorrow, my best pal goes back to the experts for some more diagnostics.  All I can say is, I’ll be really peeved if the hard drive was never the source of the problem.  Either way, it’s been a frustrating experience.

Still, the 100 Word Challenge MUST go on.  My pick this week (and it was a tough one this week) is from newcomer Mary. As always, I’m in awe when someone creates poetry from a prompt in exactly 100 words.

Silk Dress

“Come into my room
help me choose the dress.
Is it too morbid of me to ask?”
Your first choice a fuchsia dress
silk, long-sleeved, belted.
“Is it too garish for a funeral?”
You decided:
wear what you liked,
bright color a deliberate
counterpoint to your fading.

Final statement
by a legend of stylish dressing.
“Perfect choice, Mom.”
“Guess what? It’s a size 10!”
We laughed at your perverse
pleasure, loss of weight
even to cancer
size 10, even in your casket.

It had its intended effect.
Mourners said how lovely
your dress was, how so like you.

(Mary H. Warren in loving memory of Mary M. Harvey)

In other words:

That wraps up last week’s challenge.  If you are new to the 100 Word Challenge, go here.  The new challenge is from One Hundred Demons, by Lynda Barry.  Incidentally, this book was given to me by a good friend years ago, and I originally rejected it out of hand because it is a “comic”, but it has since become one of my most cherished books.

Give

Now if you’ll excuse me, my computer needs some rest.

With love,

14 Comments so far

  1. Mary November 23rd, 2009 2:47 pm

    Thanks, VV. I loved writing this poem. Recently I visited my 93 year old father and he gave me my mother’s engagement ring. She wore it every day for 54 years. When I put it on I felt her energy. I liked sharing a little of her.

  2. lceel November 23rd, 2009 5:28 pm

    Excellent choice. I love the way Mary writes. She has so much to give … Yeah. I know.

  3. Patti November 23rd, 2009 7:05 pm

    Clever man, Lou. Only 92 words to go. ;-)

  4. Loraine November 23rd, 2009 11:07 pm

    Tomorrow is the 4th anniversary of one of my closest friend’s cancer- related death. She wore a very comfortable looking blue dress and all her favorite pretty jewelry.

    I wonder how she chose…

  5. tracey November 24th, 2009 4:07 am

    I am going to “give” this word a shot this week… Do I link somewhere that I didn’t see or just leave this comment?

  6. Patsy November 24th, 2009 4:12 am

    No one could possibly find fault with this week’s choice. I love the imagery and would loved to have met this beautiful woman who chose to be buried in a fuschia silk dress and could be excited because it was a size 10. I think we could have been very good friends.

  7. Velvet Verbosity November 24th, 2009 5:19 am

    Hi Tracey,

    I always love the newcomers. :) When you’re done, just come back here and leave a link to your post in the comments. Next Sunday I’ll do the round up and the new challenge. Happy writing!

  8. Patti November 25th, 2009 2:09 pm

    I’m heading off to spend the holiday with family, so before I go… My offering on “Give” has been posted.

    have a good Thanksgiving, All.

  9. tracey November 26th, 2009 3:34 am

    Here’s my Give link…http://tracey-justanothermommyblog.blogspot.com/2009/11/100-word-challenge.html

  10. Jesse November 26th, 2009 7:59 am

    Beautiful writing. Loved it even more with every reading.

  11. lceel November 26th, 2009 6:54 pm

    My effort at “Give” is here.

  12. Mary November 27th, 2009 1:32 pm

    I posted my response to “Give”. http://journeyintoelderhood.blogspot.com

  13. Patsy November 29th, 2009 3:00 am

    Here is my take on give.
    http://whileyoureup.blogspot.com/2009/11/100-words-give.html

  14. Jessie November 29th, 2009 6:57 am

    Hope I made it on time :) My “Give” response.

    http://jessiesven.blogspot.com/2009/11/give.html

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