Prompt 9: The Conclusion!

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It's starting to seem like transliterations' only has one tradition more solid than selecting freaky-ass clips for our film prompts, and that's me running really late on writing these wrap-up articles. And I quite like referring to it as a tradition, rather than any failing of my own. From now on, for every day that a transliterations prompt runs late you are all to eat fruitcake, wish each other glad tidings and, if feasible, get laid. That way it's something for everyone to look forward to.

Now then! Remember these three paintings?




We asked you to translate the initial visual impression of one of these works into your own piece of literature--whether that be in the colours, the textures, the shapes, the brush techniques or anything else in the style. What you weren't allowed to do was mention the subject matter. No horses, faces or barenaked ladies. It was fascinating to see the different stories that came out of the same paintings in this prompt, from a post-apocalyptic landscape to erotic exploration to childhood memories, and before I move onto the links I want to thank sagittariusgallery, Ellceris and mclague777 for giving us such wonderful creative fodder. You rock like socks if socks wore frocks!

Below are the ten submissions we received for this prompt. Take some time to have a read...


Rooibos TeaBreathe deep the chai haze—
Picasso's djinn,
a muse of eggshells and grandma's lace tablecloths,
cradles the tea kettle to her chest
and abandons Latin words and names—
flotsam and jetsam dribbling
irrelevant among the little red tea leaves;
the driftwood of genus and species bumping
against the shores of the South African scrublands.
She hovers orange and indigo,
a quavering flame of dreams
and drained tea dregs—
divination with a soft-spiced voice
at the bottom of the mug,
never quite gone—
a flock of Van Gogh crows
frozen in their hayfields.
soulpyreflickering
flames from a fire
burning quietly amidst
black of night; crackling with energy
and lustre glowing deeply:
a diamond in the dark.
it is a soulpyre-
mistlike spectres roam
your thoughts,
igniting like vapour;
before dimming
to kindling's embrace.


to Yellow Plumto Yellow Plum (in blue
china bowl):
      
     afternoon's slit of sun slips
     between thick curtains
     & woos you to ripeness.
    
     it chooses you
     not for flecks of honey-russet
     held low in your seam of shadows,
     nor your symmetry & swell;
     but because
     
     you slink in shade, sink
     behind green pear & clementine
     & cannot hide
     from each spear of light
     that ricochets
     through--
     even now
     nested warm
     against these lips
     even now:
     a tea-stain stone
     hugging close
     the trashbin floor.



...and give some love to the news article, if you please!


Transliterations: Prompt 9 ResultsIt's that time again, where I put up a transliterations news article slightly over a week late and everyone stops twiddling their thumbs and starts pretending they didn't notice. Then I promise it won't happen again, you all click on, read and critique every single one of the comments and we adjourn for tea. Earl grey. Hot.
Anyway! In this prompt we gave you three paintings by the supremely talented sagittariusgallery, Ellceris and mclague777 and asked you to capture their essence in a poem or piece of prose--and all without mentioning their subject. There were some objections at first at not being able to write about any psychedelic naked ladies, but in the end we received ten submissions, each one taking something quite different and strange away from the pieces. Take some time to read them and leave your thoughts--you won't get your tea until you do!
So without further ado, here are the:
Submissions
:thumb2593122


Moving on: our third photography prompt will start in the next few days!
© 2011 - 2024 transliterations
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stompompomp's avatar
I think I'll think I'll think I'll participate in the next exercise. These seem interesting. I need excuses to write.