The Barn
We all know what it’s like to lose someone, but how does it look when even The Barn is grieving?
The last time the lights worked in this barn was two years ago—the last time I paid the bill. The cows stopped mooing, the horses stopped neighing, the pigs stopped oinking and the chickens stopped clucking. My husband has been grieving since 1914. I told him to get over it, yet the room is still silent and our hearts are still pitless. I’ll never forget the words he left me with. “Don’t worry Ma, I’ll see you for Christmas”. . . A family picture on the wall is the only gift I have left–the only thing holding us together. No more laughs, just the sound of –what’s left of— our hearts, beating. The potent scent of Lieber Gustav no longer lingers in the air. It’s just stale–like my heart. Emptiness and sorrow are the only ones that keep me company as I look into the dark barn and see no one there.
The cows stop mooing, the horses stopped neighing, the pigs stopped oinking and the chickens stopped clucking.
Process
This was a prompt given by my creative writing professor. The prompt was “Describe a barn as seen by a man or woman whose son has just been killed in a war. Do not mention the son, war or death.” Inspired by WWl, this piece is what I came up with. I didn’t have much in mind with this piece except for making it as realistic as possible. With this being said, I did my research. When it came to the line, “The potent scent of Lieber Gustav no longer lingers in the air,” I had to do some research on colognes that were popular during the early 1900s, otherwise, it wouldn’t have been what I was going for. Overall, I enjoyed experimenting with this piece.
Renisha Conner
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Renisha Conner
As a Creative Writing major in college, Renisha Conner enjoys expressing her deepest thoughts, findings, and lessons through poetry and fiction. She is always up for a challenge when exploring new genres and uses her gift to uplift herself and others. In her spare time, she watches old episodes of Spongebob Squarepants, draws writing inspiration from the world around her, and dances like no one is watching.
