Katharine: Will we be alright?
Almásy: Yes. Yes, absolutely.
Katharine: "Yes" is a comfort. "Absolutely" is not.
--The English Patient, 1996
You see it there, right?
That frantic, unworldly hieroglyph?
Those are the
dark scars left by a
tenacious ivy,
pried loose from the
building's side,
upon its renovation.
In 1969.
Almásy: Yes. Yes, absolutely.
Katharine: "Yes" is a comfort. "Absolutely" is not.
--The English Patient, 1996
You see it there, right?
That frantic, unworldly hieroglyph?
Those are the
dark scars left by a
tenacious ivy,
pried loose from the
building's side,
upon its renovation.
In 1969.
claw marks of someone,
or some thing,
desperate for walls
to crumble,
hungry to get in.
Ivy.
Yes.
Yes . . .
Absolutely.
[Photo of Chubb Hall, campus of Ohio University--
reputed to be one of the most haunted places in
the country. Of course.]
13 comments:
I have been to just one haunted place and it was bombed with graffiti done by ghosts with paint cans.
This one is unique.
N
I love how you pull so many elements together for one writing piece!
Haunted, eh?
I absolutely love English ivy even though it is a destroyer of old buildings. If I lived in an old place, I'd want ivy clawing it up. Great description.
Spooky!
I just came from reading the last part of Vesper's ghost story. And I find this.
Another delicious taste of summer haunting... the best time for it.
Yes.
Absolutely...
:)
PS-- 1969 is not that old, right? Why am I starting to get a complex?
;)
It's good to see you again, Nothingman!! Funny how prolific those ghosts are with their spray paint. ;)
Chris, I'm having fun using the new camera. I think it's going to draw out new strains of thought. This pic immediately conjured claw marks for me...
Beth, I love ivy, too. It really makes a building feel more organic, and imbues it with an air of past life and mystery. Thanks!
A little, Jaye. About as spooky as I get.
Oh no, Aine! Not absolutely. ;) I'll never trust that word again...
And 39 is not old in people years! But ivy footprint years?
Yes.
Just "yes."
;)
I've given it some thought, and I can see that "yes" is a belief, while "absolutely" is a desperate wish.
A belief sounds more comforting.
Now let's see that clawing monster!!
Yes, Jason. Very true.
And I'll work on luring that thing out of the shadows. ;) It may just be a little camera shy during the day...
Lovely piece! I admire how you can draw inspiration from just a few words, Sarah. Though Ondaatje's prose is lyrical enough to inspire oodles of poetry out of us all. ;-)
I'm always so pleased to see you pop by again, Abhinav. :) I hope you're doing well.
And yes, Ondaatje could squeeze a poem out of a flea, I imagine. ;) He's a real magician with words.
the set up of the quote, coupled with your wonderful piece, was a nice daily double!
Thanks, Hotwire! It was a strange conversion. :)
Interesting observation, interesting inference, all nicely tied together in pretty string of words.
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