Last night, I dreamed about the city, the noise and clamour of traffic, masses of commuters streaming from the gaping mouths of the underground, heels tip-tapping, bags swinging, steaming plastic cups of coffee proffered like torches leading the way to work with their bitter aroma. Buses rumbled, horns blared, and exhaust fumes discombobulated rays of summer sunshine into an early morning haze, a morning filed and forgotten many years ago.
This morning, I woke up to silence. No birdsong, no raindrops, not even the odd swish of tyres on the wet tarmac. Older? Wiser? A different person in a different place. I don’t miss the anonymity of crowds or the pace of life, but I do miss the confidence of the woman I’d become. Now and then, we get together in dreams but, after reminiscing, we go in different directions down the imperturbable street.
Kim M. Russell, 8th June 2020

My response to dVerse Poets Pub Prosery Monday: Different Directions
Merril is our host for this Monday’s Prosery, when we write a piece of flash fiction with a beginning, middle, and end, or nonfiction, anecdotes or eshort essays, of no more than 144 words, which must include a specified line from a poem.
Merril has chosen a line from ‘An Aspect of Love, Alive in the Ice and Fire’ by Gwendolyn Brooks:
“We go in different directions down the imperturbable street.”
Oh, I really like how you made this about different versions of yourself.
And the writing is lovely. I love all the sounds in the first paragraph–the scene is so vivid!
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Thank you, Merril!
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Oh, I like what the prompt brought you.. to confront the very different self you are describing. Partly this pandemic has shown me something better than the way I worked before. I wonder where that self is hiding now… maybe the lust for concerts and museums will bring him back.
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I’m so glad you recognised that, and diffident with it.
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I like the thought of coffee acting as a torch leading us on the way.
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Thanks Frank!
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I hear you on this, Kim. The interactive validation humans give each other is important. I can feel it draining away also 😦
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😊
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You put me completely in the scene, feeling, hearing, wonderful detail.
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Thank you, Sascha!
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This is a lovely reflective write, happy she was were able to recognize herself in the dream
Happy Monday
much❧✿❧love
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Thank you, Gillena. Happy Tueday – and much love!
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This is wonderful! I love this take.
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Thank you, Dale!
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Great write, Kim. It reminded me of a conversation with my son this week. I told him there was a time I flew into strange cities and drove rental cars with confidence. Now I find myself intimidated to find my way around our new community since we’ve moved! I used to be a multi-tasker, now I’m one task a day!
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Thank you, Bev. I;m the same. I write a list every day of the things I need to do, tick off the ones I accomplish, and move things that can be postponed to the next day. I don’t know how I managed it all before.
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I read a quote recently that went something like “We live with all the people we are and have been.” Your story certainly echoes that nicely.
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Thank you, Debi!
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Love this combobulation! Skillfully done
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Thank you, Kate!
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welcome!
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None of us are the same now. How will we recognize ourselves once we return to the world? (K)
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I think we must get to know ourselves again.
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Isn’t it amazing how different we become in our ‘becoming’? I love this Kim, and I identify with your words on a deep level.
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Thank you, Linda!
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I really like this!
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Thank you, Mary!
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I love that you managed to use the word “discombobulated” in what is actually a really moving piece. I love the meeting of a past self in dreams, but going our separate ways. Thank you
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Yes. Absolutely.
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😊
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