Friday, January 30, 2009

Nature



All the observations they have to make are outlined in the official laminated booklet. ‘Look how this tree is growing towards the sun,’ he chants, nodding as she replies, ‘Nature is a wonderful thing.’ Then as instructed, they walk on, keeping their gazes fixed ahead, wondering who is watching them.

5 comments:

Kathryn said...

As the iron, spiked gates anonymously threw themselves open, he waited for the applause, to see a forest of plump, upturned lips singing in praise of his release. He looked skywards, pleading with the thunderous clouds to tell him why there was no yellow ribbon or even a taxi waiting.

Douglas Bruton said...

Some winter Wednesdays the teacher announced, with no warning, that it was time for a run. Cross country. Cross cunt. Glynn hated it. Hated Mr Hallam when he said ‘it’s just what’s needed’ on a sharp-cold day. A cigaratte, hot chocolate and a radiator to hug, that’s what Glynn needed.

Sarah Salway said...

ooo I really like both of these! Want to do mine all over again now, but I do wonder what the original 'enforced walk' was - I took it in Virginia at the university there!

Douglas Bruton said...

Joshua ignored the signs, put there for the safety of all walkers. He strayed from the path. I’ll not be bound by rules, he thought. I'm a free animal. But where Joshua walked now were trip wires for his feet, and low electric fences, and metal-toothed bear-traps hidden under leaves.

Douglas Bruton said...

A quick look ont tinternet, and I fink an enforced walk is one where the walker is forced (usually for their protection) to follow a certain path, and that following any tother path might be foolhardy or unsafe... the enforced walk is like a detour that motorists have to follow, often twisty and turny, and seeming to go away from the place of destination, and a little longer to get to the short distance away that they want.