Summer

[IceQube]

<p>*Sunshine breaches the blinds and floods the room. Songbirds chirp. Car engines sputter to life. I, waking first, glance at the alarm clock. 7:57. Phew. 3 minutes to spare. I quickly unplug the alarm clock as to spare us of an unpleasant cacophony.</p>

<p>Before I know it, she arises. Must be that phytochrome. I'll tell you again, she's special. </p>

<p>Suddenly, a thought hits me. It's the 18th.*</p>

<p>"I can't believe it."</p>

<p>"What?" </p>

<p>"Today's the 18th."</p>

<p>"Ohh, is there something special happening today? I know that you said the 17th of a certain month is a special day .." </p>

<p>"No - it means that there are but a few days left."</p>

<p>"A few days before what?"</p>

<p>"School." I shudder at pronouncing the word. "And you know what that means right?" "I won't be able to see you any more." </p>

<p>"Waa?!"</p>

<p>"It was fun, but I have to go now." </p>

<p>She shoots me a confused look. "I thought you could stay forever .."</p>

<p>"I would if I had things my way. But I must attend this accursed human institution .."</p>

<p>"Will I be seeing you again?" </p>

<p>"Yes - next year. We can pick up where we left off."</p>

<p>She smiles and makes a heart with her hands. You don't know how much I love those. "And the next next year, and the next next next year, right?"</p>

<p>"Yes!" :). The corners of my eyes crinkle at her child-like simplicity. </p>

<p>"And the next next next next year, and so on, right?"</p>

<p>I pause. "Well .. there will come a time, in which I won't be here, at least in my current corporeal state.* </p>

<p>Her eyes boggle. I elaborate:</p>

<p>"I'll always exist, depending on how you define "I," but if you narrowly define "I" as who I am right now - this body, this handsome face, this nice smile, this smooth skin, and this great personality, then I'm afraid that I won't be here forever."</p>

<p>She frowns. Her voice grows raspy as she utters a singular "no." My explanation isn't satisfying. I continue:</p>

<p>"But I'll always exist in a certain way; my component parts will never cease to exist because of the law of conservation of matter, which I learned in school. See, school isn't that bad. It's just a temporal and spatial separation. And our two hearts, having been melded into one, shall endure not a breach but an expansion because of school."</p>

<p>"D'awww"</p>

<p>My heart melts as she makes that sound. </p>

<p>"Yes. It'll be fine. And even when I'm gone, I'll keep hearkening after you, as do the legs of a compass."</p>

<p>She looks puzzled. But I whip out my loyal companion, a compass (the kind used to draw circles), from the bedside drawer. I fix one of the legs and spin the other one. </p>

<p>"Aha. See - one of the legs stays in place. That's you. The other one - me - travels around, just as I have to travel to school. But you see, even as the leg spins, it leans toward the center leg - or you. Even as I go to school, I'll still hearken after you."</p>

<p>She looks into my eyes for a second. I notice a change .. her eyes seem to be melting .. no, those are tears. They're now flowing down her face. Did I say something? </p>

<p>"Was it something that I said?" :(. </p>

<p>"Yes!" </p>

<p>"What? I'm so sorry!!" </p>

<p>"No .."
She stammers.
"What you said ..
Was ..
So ..
Heartfelt ..." </p>

<p>She jumps over and smothers me in an embrace. My posterior pituitary gland starts working overtime.</p>

<p>Muffled: "I'll see you around next year."</p>

<p>"I'll be loyally waiting, as does the fixed leg."</p>

<p>"And when that time comes in which I, not my constituent parts "I," but the whole "I," fails to return?"</p>

<p>"It's better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." </p>

<p>My heart instantly melts .. </p>

<p>I tease: "Poison?"</p>

<p>"No, Tennyson." </p>

<p>I smile and my lacrimal glands start working overtime. What a erudite and eminent literary scholar. :) </p>

<p>"And me?"</p>

<p>"Two shameful misinterpretations of Donne." </p>

<p>Ouch .. and before I know it she's already ran out the room.</p>

<p>"You better apologize for that unless you can defend yourself!!" </p>

<p>I start chasing after her. </p>

<p>:)</p>

[IceQube]

<p>An analysis and reflection on my own writing: </p>

<p>1) At first, the “her” comes off as a one-dimensional - I smile at her “child-like simplicity.” But that’s not the kind of person I like. I like people who are not skin-deep. So she redeems herself in the end with her extensive poetry knowledge. I wasn’t about to short-change her as did Conrad with the natives in Heart of Darkness. </p>

<p>2) Three poetry references. Can you spot them and elaborate on:</p>

<p>a) the poems I referenced
b) why I might have chosen these particular references? </p>

<p>3) One snide attack on a popular band in the 90s. Can you spot it and elaborate on it? </p>

<p>4) A pseudo-intellectual semantic game on “I.” I really don’t know why I threw this in there, but ehhhh … whatever. Make fun of me all you want on it, but I’ve heard it all. </p>

<p>5) Three biology references. Can you spot them and elaborate on them?</p>

[retrohippo]

<p>what even…</p>

[IceQube]

<p>I see that you are speechless. I wonder if that’s a good thing.</p>

[GrammerNazi]

<p>Oh, you can rest assured that it isn’t a good thing.</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@GrammerNazi

Oh, you can rest assured that it isn’t a good thing.

</p>

<p>Ouch. That makes three people I have to playfully chase after. </p>

<p>:p</p>

<hr>

<p>Oh and I forgot to ask this, but does anyone recognize who the “her” in the essay is? My goal, as a writer, is to always write clearly and cogently, so if readers have trouble discerning the identity of “her,” then I know that I have to further polish my writing skills.</p>

[JuniorMint]

<p>“she rises”</p>

<p>She must be your erudite inner-self.</p>

<p>Or, the her is a hermaphroditic literary expression. :)</p>

<p>Or, it is retrohippo.</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@JuniorMint

She must be your erudite inner-self.

</p>

<p>Good guess … </p>

<p>

@JuniorMint

Or, the her is a hermaphroditic literary expression.

</p>

<p>:D … but no cigar </p>

<p>

@JuniorMint

Or, it is retrohippo.

</p>

<p>o.0 - No comment.</p>

<p>Spoiler</p>

<p>“Her” = Summer!!</p>

[dfree124]

<p>No, “her” is retrohippo. </p>

<p>Why you woke up in the same bed as her is beyond me.</p>

[retrohippo]

<p>uncomfortable</p>

[bllbb6]

<p>Retrohippo activates iceqube’s glands?</p>

[IceQube]

<p>Please, discussing other forum users is against the rules, and I would hate for this thread to be closed, and I will say this: “her” is NOT retrohippo.</p>

<p>“Her” is summer (only personified). Hence the title, and the fact that I have to leave “her,” and the fact that I’ll predictably return the next year, and the year after, and the year after that, and so on. </p>

<p>Looking back, wow I did take a lot from Conrad … just as the Director of Companies is “trustworthiness personified,” the “her” is “summer personified.”</p>

[bllbb6]

<p>Ah ok I see, sorry. So her is summer? Clever.</p>

<p>When does school start for you?</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@bllbb6

When does school start for you?

</p>

<p>Soon. In a few days. ;).</p>

[bllbb6]

<p>So i dont see the poetry references.</p>

<p>The biology referenced are pretty apparent though when you talk about glands. I havent taken biology, but i know latin, so im assuming the lacrimal gland controls tears or some sort of sadness.</p>

[GrammerNazi]

<p>Actually, I think the closing of this thread would probably provide the greatest good for HSL, so I’m gonna stick with my interpretation of “her” being retrohippo.</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@blbb6

so i dont see the poetry references.

</p>

<p>1)

@iceqube

“and our two hearts, having been melded into one, shall endure not a breach but an expansion because of school.”

</p>

<p>

@john donne

our two souls therefore, which are one,<br>
though i must go, endure not yet<br>
a breach, but an expansion,<br>
like gold to aery thinness beat.

</p>

<p>2)

@iceqube

“yes. It’ll be fine. And even when i’m gone, i’ll keep hearkening after you, as do the legs of a compass.”</p>

<p>she looks puzzled. But i whip out my loyal companion, a compass (the kind used to draw circles), from the bedside drawer. I fix one of the legs and spin the other one. </p>

<p>“aha. See - one of the legs stays in place. That’s you. The other one - me - travels around, just as i have to travel to school. But you see, even as the leg spins, it leans toward the center leg - or you. Even as i go to school, i’ll still hearken after you.”

</p>

<p>

@john donne

if they be two, they are two so<br>
as stiff twin compasses are two ;<br>
thy soul, the fix’d foot, makes no show<br>
to move, but doth, if th’ other do. </p>

<p>And though it in the centre sit,<br>
yet, when the other far doth roam,<br>
it leans, and hearkens after it,<br>
and grows erect, as that comes home. </p>

<p>Such wilt thou be to me, who must,
like th’ other foot, obliquely run ;
thy firmness makes my circle just,<br>
and makes me end where i begun.

</p>

<p>3)

@iceqube

“it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” </p>

<p>my heart instantly melts … </p>

<p>I tease: “poison?”</p>

<p>“no, tennyson.”

</p>

<p>

@tennyson

i hold it true, whate’er befall;
i feel it when i sorrow most;
'tis better to have loved and lost
than never to have loved at all.

</p>

<p>

@poison

late at night i close my eyes
and think of how things could have been
and when i look back
i remember some words you had said to me</p>

<p>it’s better to have lost at love
then never to have loved at all</p>

<p>[chorus]
i won’t forget you baby …

</p>

[IceQube]

<p>

@bllbb6

The biology referenced are pretty apparent though when you talk about glands. I havent taken biology, but i know latin, so im assuming the lacrimal gland controls tears or some sort of sadness.

</p>

<p>Nice :)! Lacrimal glands are your tear ducts. </p>

<p>The other reference was:</p>

<p>

@IceQube

Sunshine breaches the blinds and floods the room. </p>

<p>[…]</p>

<p>Before I know it, she arises. Must be that phytochrome. I’ll tell you again, she’s special.

</p>

<p>Phytochrome is used by plants to detect light, and plays an integral role in photoperiodism. Phytochrome is NOT found in humans - hence, she’s “special.”</p>

[JuniorMint]

<p>

this body, this handsome face, this nice smile, this smooth skin, and this great personality, then I’m afraid that I won’t be here forever.

</p>

<p>Is this a psychological reference? :)</p>

[enfieldacademy]

<p>hmm there is A LOT going on there. Summer shines in it though with lines like</p>

<p>

“I’ll be loyally waiting, as does the fixed leg.”

</p>