There are pleasantries and platitudes. A civil, “please pass the salt,” and considerate “would you like some more tea?”
Gone are Sunday morning crosswords in bed, and late nights with Bogart and Garbo.
No hands are held, no tears shed. There are no voices raised, no sweet whispers in the dark.
Conversations are over which toothpaste to buy, or whether dinner should be beef or chicken. They ignore the elephant in the room. It’s too big to look in the eye and be asked to leave.
Uncomfortable strangers who were once inseparable lovers, now living alone together discontent but resigned.
100 Word Song, a writing challenge from Lance based on a weekly music prompt. Give 100 words, not 99, not 101. This week’s challenge is inspired by Damien Rice, “Elephant.”
Oh gosh. That’s always the danger of relationships that aren’t nurtured, isn’t it?
The curse of so many relationships, where you become roommates instead of lovers
SIGH.
My parents were also like this. Must be a painful way to live day to day.
Oh dear gawd…this one stings….I fought over a toothpaste cap just this morning! ;) Awesome play to the prompt
Powerful realism in this post. Nicely done.
You’ve captured real truth here, Tara
Been there. Done that. You would think YOU were there. too.
My experience is more along the lines of collateral damage. My parents were a lot like this at the end of their marriage.
I know several couples living with that exact same elephant (damn it’s big!)
I like your 100 words. The emotions are apparent.
How did you know so much about my first marriage? Poignant but brutally true way that communication breaks down and crushes love. excellent 100.
Beautiful. Sad, but beautifully written. It felt like poetry.
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OH, yes. This song tore me apart when i listened to it and you captured it, every word. “Resigned” is the appropriate word and used so well here.
I really liked this.
What was it about the song that “tore you apart” Kir? Your words make me think I completely missed this song. I just don’t get the lack of cohesion in the lyrics, and found no real meaning in it.
oh, well I felt the seperation of the person he loves to him. I felt him asking her, why are you the way you are and something has to give in this relationship, in this bedroom, in our hearts for me to stop thinking about who I could have instead of you.
I read the lyrics first, (I didn’t like the song…but listening to it, I felt all these emotions with him, like sadness, want, being resigned (Great word for this) )
when he says “with someone else on top, all I could about was him wanting another woman.
does that make sense?
Yes Kir, that makes sense. I appreciate your explanation. I read the lyrics too, but I never saw what you got from it. Thank you :-)
honestly I’m just glad that it made sense, I always feel like “I don’t get it” not with the rest of you….so for once I felt like “Maybe, this time, I understand”.
thanks for letting me explain it, it helped me too. :)
Sad: but very well observed…