Wednesday, November 24, 2010

The Sky Was Bright

"As he peered ahead into the great land that stretched before him, the way seemed long. But the sky was bright, and he somehow felt that he was headed in the right direction."

- Stuart Little by E.B. White

As I write this, I'm in Wisconsin and it's snowing outside. Well, technically it's "Lake Effect" as I've been told previously but it's white, fluffy, and is piling up outside around my truck tires and falls from the sky. But when in Rome...

November already. Holy hell. Where did this year go? Where did the time fly?

It's been full of friends and stress and drama all round. It's brought laughter from children and tears from adults and memories good and bad. And it's coming to a close. It feels like a chapter is coming to a close as well.

When I was a kid, I used to sit on the front porch of the valley and watch the thunderstorms roll in. It was usually in early spring so the breezes were warm and brought the smell of mountain laurel and lily of the valley and the wild roses that grew across the hillside. The air smelled sweet and electric and if I close my eyes I can still remember exactly what it felt like.

The clouds would darken and I'd listen to the thunder and watch the sky as it boiled overhead. Then the lightning would arrive and I was enthralled: fireworks streaking across the sky like glints of busted glass.

I'd stay as long as I could before going inside to my room and listening to the rain beat down against the tin roof of the house.

The storm wall would move in and for a while there would be nothing but the sound of the rain, constant and comforting, and then the storm would move on, leaving everything bright and new again.

Outside, the snow is falling down, leaving a white blanket across the world. It looks blank and new again, waiting for fresh tracks to be laid across it.

I've got a lot left I want to do. The way seems long, but I'm ready to lay new tracks. I think the worst of the storm has gone by.

I feel new again. But I think I'm headed in the right direction.

- b

***
Current reads:
Peter Straub's A Dark Matter

Current listens:
Gaslight Anthem's American Slang (kicks ass)

Current writing updates:
Finished a new short story for an anthology - details coming.
Finished first complete draft of Samson and Denial and doing second round of edits.
After that... it's novel time.