Yesterday, at the end of a splendid Thursday Morning Writing Circle, we had a few minutes left before noon — so we created a collective "What if ….?" list. Here are some of the things that popped up:
What if my story were written in ink on my skin?
What if we made music together until the sun waved good-bye and sank below the horizon?
What if spiders had jaws and teeth like wolves, and a hankering for human feet?
What if I had potatoes for hands — how would I function?
What if there were no wars?
What if the 1% at the top owned only 1% of the world's assets?
What if the temporary butterfly tattoo I put on the inside of my wrist turned out to be so temporary that it flew away?
What if you were a giraffe but you only had 3 necklaces when obviously you would need at least 174 if you were going to the Queen's Garden Party?
What if your roller skates were made of chocolate and after you rode down Buffalo Street you could sit in DeWitt Park and eat them?
What if we really all do have magic words inside us that make things come true when we say them, but we don't know what they are because they are different for each person?
What if I had stayed in Philadelphia in 1993 instead of moving away?
What if I had moved to Portland, Oregon instead of Ithaca, New York — and what if only the details were different but it was all still basically the same?
What if all carpets were of the flying variety?
What if I'd taken the time to learn to swim?
What if we hadn't left the party separately?
What if you had paid attention?
What if I could fly like a bird?
What if I were a girl?
What if Dad loved me as I am and not how he wants me to be?
What if I could live inside a book or a television show?
What if haiku poets were treated like international rock stars?
What if I could actually open the drawer in my kitchen that keeps getting so stuck I have to remove the drawer above it every time I need something?
What if I planted some vegetable seeds this year (that actually grew)?
What if I changed my living room furniture?
What if there were orchard trees between the street and the sidewalk, instead of maples and oaks?
What if my thoughts are instantly deliverable to the members of my family?
What if I become a cat lady in old age?
What if I up and move to Ireland?
What if we could all go back to junior high school (or middle school as it is called these days), knowing what we know now?
What if I had the chutzpah to e-mail that lovely widower out of the blue and ask him to join me for coffee?
What if when someone says hello to me I say "pistachio" to them, and if they say "You look so nice this morning" I reply "petunia" — what if I only speak in words that begin with the letter P?
What if there were no words "what" and "if"?
Contributors:
Barbara Cartwright
Liz Burns
Mike Schaff
Molly Sutton
Rob Sullivan
Stacey Murphy
Sue Crowley
Susan Lesser
Yanclae
Zee Zahava
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