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soundofmusic-favorite things

A week ago, last Friday, I found myself humming this song from The Sound of Music, and as I always like to use what’s ‘alive’ in me when creating prompts, I decided to use it as our warm up that morning, Very simply, for three minutes, write about your favourite things. This is what I wrote:

Singing with friends, hugs that are meant, watching someone eagerly take seconds of something I’ve cooked. Fresh shortbread, being up before everyone else and watching the sky wake. Swimming, foxes, spring, long walks, books I get lost in, writing, words, writing, letters still handwritten and postmarked with a stamp – such precious, rare things in this instant, digital age. Dancing, but I don’t do it often enough. Travelling – this year will be full – and spontaneity; no plans, no intentions, just responding in the freedom of the moment to what wants to happen – now!

I was also asked to offer a few prompts at another writing group just this weekend, when a visiting guest wasn’t able to attend, and again took the theme of Favourite Things, but framed it differently. I asked people to make a list of ten. Unsurprisingly, some of the same things turned up in my list…but some others appeared too.

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Then, I asked everyone to pick one, or several, or expand on the theme however they chose….in a poem. Ten minutes.  This is what I wrote – unedited – in ten minutes:

 

Smells linger

on hands like traces

of a day you can

almost taste

before you’re told to wash

them for tea

 

in hair that’s

trapped layers of air

infused with scents that

stubbornly cling until

you shower them out with

unscented shampoo

which isn’t

 

my hands rarely smell

of horses these days

but if I chance upon one

and stroke its mane

rub its forehead

as it nudges my pockets

in search of

treats I’m not carrying

 

I shrink several inches

Loose thirty years in a blink

 

Then walk away

Back into today

And smell my hands

Which really ought to be

Washed before I eat

 

And I HAVE to finish with the video of the song, because this film is for sure one of my favourite things!

 

 

So, what are some of YOUR favourite things?

If you enjoyed this prompt, then you can find more here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/upcoming-writing-workshops-and-some-prompts-for-you-to-play-with/

and here:

https://wordsthatserve.wordpress.com/writing-prompts-the-elements/