It should be something inspirational, something to make the piece soar, a fitting climax to the whole movement.
He scratched his head, chewed the end of the pencil, let his fingers dance over a few keys until they ended in a terminal ‘thunk’.
It was no good. He just couldn’t find the right expression of hope when so much was going wrong: the pandemic; rioting and racism; political turmoil – and it showed no sign of getting better anytime soon.
Then there was his own life to worry about: the theatre was shut and redundancies loomed; his mother was stuck in the care home unable to receive visitors, and to top it off he was having to deal with the insurance company after the minor collision yesterday.
He stood and went over to the window. A gloomy, grey, cloud-filled sky greeted him, the perfect expression of his mood. There was inspiration for another deathly doom-laden symphony a-plenty, but that was not what he had been commissioned to compose.
As he watched the sky, high above, a perfect V-shape swooped into view: geese migrating for the summer in the south where they would breed. He watched them swoop past, admiring the controlled formation and order.
He felt a stirring in his mind. Notes in the shape of a dancing ‘V’, up and down, a lilting rhythm that started to build, then fell, then built again. He added strings to the piano notes, then woodwinds danced in and out of the lush, building crescendo.
He smiled and returned to the piano and began capturing the simple notes before they disappeared.
At least he had managed to finish. Whatever happened next could wait.
This is a response to the #writephoto Prompt: Soar curated over at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo. Click on the link to read other stories inspired by the image.
AMAZON.COM AMAZON.CO.UK INDIA CANADA AUSTRALIA
SMASHWORDS BARNES & NOBLE KOBO BOOK DEPOSITORY
GOOGLE BOOKS ALSO AVAILABLE ON APPLE BOOKS
Love hope you used this image in your story.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you so much 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome Iain.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is an engaging, feel good read, Iain. Enjoyed it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 4 people
Thank you so much 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always so good 😊
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thank you Beck, too kind 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very nice! Enjoyed this very much! 🌷
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Artists yearn for beauty and inspiration. Sometimes you have to remember to look above the mud. I enjoyed this very much.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Eugenia – it can be tough going in times like these!
LikeLike
Nice! Inspiration can appear from anywhere; even when times are dark.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Loved your take on this Iain.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you Di, glad you liked it 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I did!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wonderful piece! It told of hope even amidst the chaos!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very welcome! Hoping to read your book this week. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Marvellous, do let me know how you get on with it! 🙂
LikeLike
I definitely will! Hope its selling well for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hope is found in unlikely moments 😉
LikeLiked by 2 people
It’s always there lurking. Thanks Sue
LikeLike
It is.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This was wonderful and engaging story, Iain. It goes to show you that inspiration can come from anywhere. There is always hope on the horizon.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re most welcome 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Out of despair came hope, out of stress came joy, out of depression came inspiration and triumph.
Great piece Iain 💜💜
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you so much 🙂
LikeLike
💜💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
💜💜 a great piece Iain
LikeLiked by 1 person