Saturday, March 1, 2008

My Clarity of Night entry

I know many of you have already read my entry over at Jason's for his awesome story contest. But I also realized that since I didn't post it here, some of you may not have read it, so I am throwing it up here also. Now if you haven't gone by Jason's please do, I have read some incredible, amazing writing there not only by fellow bloggers (guys you all rock!), but also by tons of new writers who I am in awe of. Wow there is alot of talent out there!

The contest was based on a beautiful picture of a bare branched tree. Most of the entries were dark, depressing, sad, scary - it was definitely an interesting view into how all different writers interpreted this one same picture. I myself did not go that route, and by now I'm sure you must have realized that if I can incorporate excrement or flatulence into anything I write, I will. I got alot of terrific comments which made me happy. This is definitely a fiction piece because I reworked things all 3 of my kids said and fashioned one precocious little boy out of them. Then I reworked dialogue to flow evenly over 250 words. So it rose out of true conversations but has been reworked to a fiction piece. Thanks to those of you have had read it and commented.

Entry #19

Do Trees Sleep?
by Ello


Tommy stared out the window at the bare limbs of the dogwood tree in the backyard.

“Mom, do trees sleep?” he asked his Mom who was busy preparing dinner.

“Yes, they sleep during the winter. That’s why their branches are bare. They’re hibernating. And in the spring, they wake up in all their glory.”

“Oh yeah! I know about hibernating. Like bears. They eat lots and lots of food and get really fat and sleep all winter long. And their body eats the food they already eated in their fat bellies while they’re sleeping.”

“Er, um, something like that.”

Tommy sat at the kitchen table. He grabbed an apple and began to munch.

“Um, Mom?”

“Hmmmm?”

“Do bears poop while they sleep?”

Mom paused in mid slice. “Uh, no. I don’t think so.”

“But then, where does the poop go?”

“I think they just hold it in until they wake up.”

“But won’t that give the bear a tummy ache?”

“I don’t know…”

“Cause when I gotta go poop and I try to hold it in, my tummy hurts real bad. I wouldn’t be able to sleep.”

“Seriously, I’m not sure…”

“AND they must have the biggest, stinkiest poops in the whole world after months and months of not pooping! That’s really gross!” Tommy howled with laughter as he warmed to his topic.

“OK, enough! I don’t want to hear another word about poop!” Mom was exasperated.

Silence again for several minutes.

“Mom?”

“Yes?”

“Do bears fart while they hibernate?”

13 comments:

Tyhitia Green said...

Ello,
Only you! I love this! It was excellent! Okay, so when you're published, I so want an autographed copy of your book! Seriously! ;*)

I haven't gotten over to Jason's yet, but I will definitely check it out now! :*)

Merry Monteleone said...

I haven't made it over to Jason's yet either, but will do so forthwith...

Awesome story, Ello! Was that an Angus inspired entry?

Erica Orloff said...

ttvczqAll right, Ello . . . this obsession with poop and farts must be stopped. We have to put you in analysis.

;-)
E

P.S. But then, if you were "cured," you wouldn't have these hysterical posts.

McKoala said...

Hilarious! Definitely a different take on the tree!

Lisa said...

You are HILARIOUS -- although, the dialogue is so genuine that I am SURE this conversation has taken place somewhere, sometime ;)

Unknown said...

I thought this was such a great piece, so incredibly real and very funny.

I don't envy Jason having to do all that judging. I struggled enough trying to list five reader's choice nominees.

Bernita said...

This is just sweet, Ello.

Mary Witzl said...

I'll take this over dark, depressing, sad or scary any day. Nothing like a bit of light-hearted scatalogical humor to put a little sunshine in my day!

J. L. Krueger said...

Never disappointed stopping by here! Nice uplift from the gloomy blogs. Your writing is so funny!

Patti said...

enquiring minds want to know!

Charles Gramlich said...

Very good. Hilariously funny as always. I can hear this from your children. Lana and I were just remarking yesterday evening about no matter how mature a person is they still find farts funny.

Lana Gramlich said...

*LOL* Evidently I farted while "hibernating" the other night. Woke Charles up from a solid sleep. Had my head been under the covers I might not be here today, evidently!

Sandra Cormier said...

Again with the poop! That was fabulous!