Last week was very weird for me and 100 word song. Since I was returning from The Mouse, meeting other writing deadlines, and talking to someone about publishing Helene, I forgot to write for my own meme. Tara R did a great job covering the post, picking Jen With A Pen and securing the Dave Mathews Band tune, Grey Street. Reading through the entries, I was struck by my friend Melissa aka Raquel’s 100 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fmsbaldman.wordpress.com%2F&h=DAQF8E2Wn. She really did something different and I wondered how she’d pick the next song to play. Wow did she not disappoint. She’s an Ani DiFranco disciple like I am so when she said, “dude you gotta use Cloud Blood”, we had a religious experience over youtube, and decided Ani had to be it.
Since I didn’t write, yet, for Grey Street, I’m going to break a few rules. Leeroy has granted his robot brother some leeway. What you will read will be my Grey Street interpretation followed by a page break, and then this week’s 100 for Cloud Blood. For both pieces, we go back to Soul To Body and Jake’s hospital bed.
Last time with Soul To Body: http://lancemyblogcanbeatupyourblog.wordpress.com/2012/06/20/pale-blue-eyes/
The nurse’s name tag read Sheila. Jake closed his eyes during her exam to handle intense hurt in his rib cage, neck, and head.
“Mr. Hanna, I know you’re in some pain, but Dr. Pennington won’t make her rounds for another hour. She’ll increase your meds. Try to stay seated upright and keep calm. “
Jake reopened his eyes but found no haven in Sheila’s dead expression, void of compassion. She moved his body around without care for comfort. Talking to her was hopeless. Jake watched the lanky figure with grey eyes walk away; just despair in white tennis shoes.
Violet and Augusta stood fifteen feet from the bed, bickering with each other and glaring at Jake. He heard some of their conversation.
“Vi, he needs to know that my sister, your mother, his wife, is barely in the grave and he can’t act like this. “
“Gus, he’s got broken ribs and a concussion. We’ll deal with the Mallory problem, later.”
Jake closed his eyes again, hoping when he reopened them, Violet and Augusta would be over their anger.
Instead, saw a cloud of blood taunting him with crossed arms and disappointed faces. They were right, he was in trouble.
****blogger’s note***
Raquel’s pick for the week is Ani Di Franco’s Cloud Blood. Anything you need to know about 100 word song and Leeroy is here: http://lancemyblogcanbeatupyourblog.wordpress.com/100-word-song/
See you next Tuesday with your 100 and a new song. Here’s the greatness of Ani and Cloud Blood.
all i saw in the above post was these two words: PUBLISHING HELENE. can i get an amen, people!
amen….i hope
Hope not – AMEN!
Ditto. I lost my train of thought when you said you’re taking to someone about publishing Helene! Yay you!
thank you. can i count on your to buy two copies – one for the home, and one for the car?
“Despair in white tennis shoes.” I’m keeping a list of my favorite lines. This ones on top.
Publishing Helene, it’s about GD time! I see my Christmas orders ( I bought Marian’s book for all my closest friends so I wouldn’t have to share, I’ll do the same for you and Leney!)
now, onto your words, which as always, capture my attention. I loved that line about “despair in tennis shoes” too, how grey really is the color of hopelessness.
and as for the second, I want to write a big long winded reply to this..but I won’t, not here. Maybe we can talk about it through email but the long and short is that I believe that grief shouldn’t be measured in time and what is acceptable to others. My mother dated two months after my father died, I never judged her. She was a woman and she had been a wife…that to me was enough.
I actually love how Violet is becoming more “adult” than Gus, that she knows when it’s time to push and when it’s time to just care about her father. The conflicts in this story are so good.
(and I’m really sorry for the “book” anyway)
Congratulations on getting as far as talking to a publisher about Helene!
I am anxious to see what takes place as Jake gets his bearings, and his issues with Mallory and Violet come to fruition. He has some thinking to do, maybe it’s a good thing he’s a bit bashed up for now… he needs the time to think.
It’s good that Jake realizes he’s in trouble, but I’m interested in how you have him try to get out of it.
Good luck with the publisher!
thank and thanks….
God, how I would hate to be in Jakes shoes, or hospital bed as it were, right now. Or should I feel worse for Vi and Gus shortly?
i think both…thieere’s a lot of talking that needs to be done.
Can’t wait to be the fly on the wall that hears it!
I need to catch up. Good write here though.
eden
catch up! thanks eden
Hey, just wanted to let you know I love reading your blog. I left you an award at mine: http://beckyispassingthrough.blogspot.in/
if you wanna swing by some time and pick it up.
Keep up the great writing!
thank you…i’ll swing by
I don’t know (or don’t remember) a lot of these songs… Though I was a huge dave matthews fan for a while, I’m sure I’d know grey street if I heard it. My head is cluttered with less interesting things, like the fact that I still remember how to find the “secret pixel” in Atari 2600 “Adventure” by using the wall crossing bridge and using it to open the secret room with a message from the programmer. THAT is some important shit.
your comments ground me.otherwise i’m just tell every one how awwesome my music knwledge is and you could flame me at any time…and yes, taht;s important…to you
I followed over from the Kir Corner, since I’ve been reading her 100 word songs for a while now. I really liked “despair in white tennis shoes”. and I think he needs Mallory now.
i love new reaDERS. thank you. maybe so.
maybe its something I’m just starting to notice but I love the subtle way you have of connecting things…like settiing the stage with the grey eyes and following it up with despair in white tennis shoes. That’s quite a talent.
than you…this was hard to write esp since i missed Grey Street.
Awesome news! Love the description and imagery of cold blood taunting him.
thanks sassy kat
Oh my. I think Violet just grew up. I love how he hears her sticking up for him here, calling it a “Mallory Problem” and not acting like a little selfish twit. This is the first time I’ve liked Violet.
Well, since pretty early on.
awesome…thanks…i agree with you
–Been seeing you around
all. over. the. place.
I must catch up, too man. <3
please do…thanks for checking in
Pingback: Purplemoose Gazette » Robert and Angel
I love these little snippits of scene. You pack quite a bit into each of those 100 words. Great job!
thank you. you should join us on tuesday. new song at 7pm eastern,. play!
i wrote.
i was getting worried
oh you were not.
Woohoo this worked perfectly as a follow-up to WOE’s I did.
awesome! i like ti when that happens. thank you.
horribly delinquent for this week. Apologies. I do have something for Cloud Blood but I doubt it will be up in time for this week’s linky.
Next week will be better
Pingback: 100 Word Song – Leave Your Light On « My Blog Can Beat Up Your Blog
Pingback: #100WordSong: Travels | Views From Nature