Welcome to the Wakefield Doctrine (the theory of clarks, scotts and rogers)
This is the Six Sentence Story bloghop.
Denise is the host.
The rule is six and only six sentences for any story involving the prompt word.
This week’s prompt word:
CLAIM
Moving with the invisible stillness possessed by only the truly immense, our ship crossed from horizon to horizon as the shoreless world approached without movement.
Like twin suns igniting a morning fog, smiles lit our faces as we floated in tandem before the circular view-screen; it’s reflective-brass outer ring transforming the solid-state display into a porthole to the solar system, the human weakness for the frivolous, irresistible.
My expression, etched in bone and flesh, betrayed a savage pride in the triumph of human Will; in silent mimicry of our ship moving over the impossible landscape, the woman offered her own smile, one as immune to simple understanding as the whorls of color cloaking the planet below.
Lighting the space between us in shared celebration, her eyes were distant, banked fires, glowing in the reflection of something I knew I could never see.
Hesitantly, I touched her hand, as the cloudy giant turned below us; what rose from the ever-changing storms found home in her eyes, and the beast within me, left behind in an ancient, earth-dark cave, trembled at my daring.
Captain though I might be, venturing from Earth to explore the planets, I was but midwife, to assist with tools of soulless metal and plastic; a new world awaiting the woman’s claim.
About clarkscottroger
Trying to catch my breath!
thank you for that, M
WoW.
Beautiful “production”. (should be a disclaimer advising music must accompany reading this Six).
TY
A spiritual journey indeed.
Other worldly. Who is captain of this ship?
Good question!
a) …of the Sloop John B
b) Grand Funk Railroad
c) (“exploring the ship, replacing the cook“?)
d) Prometheus rebound
or
Wow, sure appreciated the Captain Kangaroo flashback, but only meant that perhaps this woman is really the one in charge.
Surely there is no ‘perhaps’. (I like both characters. They’re both competent* balanced and secure people. And they accept and acknowledge their different strengths (and weaknesses). He knows she is able to touch things not accessible to him in his world ‘of the bone and sinew’ while she cannot fashion tools and weapons against the need**. Lightness and darkness.
There’s an expression I encountered years ago, have liked, yet wonder if changing views have diminished it’s power. ‘A man does, a woman is.’ (Funny thing, I looked for it online and can’t find a reference to it, much less its origin.
Anyway. Thanks for the comment. Always enjoyable.
PS Beach Boys, ‘I’m Your Captain’ “A Salty Dog’ (Procol Harum) and… god knows
* in the broadest sense of the word
**one can argue that the predisposition towards violence as default conflict resolution strategy guarantees such encounters, but the universe is a big place
Hello there. I left you a lengthy response in response to your response at my place…
Regarding the above mentioned expression- steal it. Rework it, call it your own. Something along the lines of ‘some do, some just are’. Is it about the best action sometimes being (apparent) inaction?
I get it (I think). Thing is, I can’t believe it isn’t a ‘famous’ saying. And weird thing is I distinctly remember (or believe I remember) when and where I heard it. In a timeshare resort sales rep lounge. Marlin (can’t remember her last name) said it… god knows what was the prompt or the context.
Thanks for the feedback, will probably go and create my own profound expressions. Good to have a goal, something to aspire to.
excellent. love the music. perfect for the six.
thank you, Mr Paul
Solaris is one of my favorite books. Movie version not so bad, either. Music excellent.
Beautiful, Six, Clark.
Amazing film (at least the Clooney version) need to look up the book.
Had to come back and read again because I just loved this one!
Stanislaw Lem – chances are your library will have to pull it from the dusty back room of books that are rarely requested. SO worth it.
found it in ‘the Kindle’
Love the music you chose to go along with a perfect six!
Thank you, Susan
Many strong and deep lines, my two faves include: ‘as the whorls of color cloaking the planet below’ and ‘My expression, etched in bone and flesh, betrayed a savage pride in the triumph of human Will’
The Captain and the passenger are two intriguing characters, as is the universe around them.
Thanks.
(Thanks for the capital ‘C’ on Captain… he just got further realized, which with a name and all.)
The Captain and the passenger.
“invisible stillness” grabbed me and your prose took me on an adventure, totally pulled in from one elegant phrase to another. Great six and love the music. Perfect match! This certainly has the potential of another story from your Clark files of the mind.
yeah, I’m glad I found the music, it made the photo all it could be.
funny thing, about that photo? Accidental shot with my phone camera. Looked at it as I sat down to write the Six and…. damn! theys a story there, for sure!
This is a brilliant piece of writing. I agree with Denise about needing a disclaimer to listen to the music while reading it. There are so many lines within your Six that had me going back to just read them again and again.
Thanks, Pat… this was one that between the accidental photo (see Reply to Lisa) and finding the music the words were hiding in plain sight.