Saturday 20 August 2011

'If I die young...' - Mrs. Jenny Matlock's Saturday Centus - Week 68

Jenny Matlock



Welcome to Saturday Centus, Week 68, Mrs. Jenny Matlock's writing challenge, where participants are asked to write a PG-rated text to a given written prompt, in any style or genre of writing, with no picture, and using only up to 150 words (this week), not counting the four words in the prompt. This is week 68 and the prompt is: 'If I die young'.

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My text follows here:



'If I die young'



Sanna thought about people she knew who never became old. They died before they turned fifty. Even sixty years old seems too early. Some die so young, like the son of a psychiatrist who died in his twenties. He wanted to go to medical school; but time ran out before he even got started. His sisters always make a point of remembering him.



Maybe that's the only thing left when you are faced with your doom: to be remembered. Sanna's father asked her if she thought that the children would remember him. Sanna said yes, and even promised to talk about him. She herself had fond memories of relatives whom she never actually met, because her parents and grandparents spoke lovingly about them.



Sanna hoped to live a long life. But what if she didn't? She opened her notebook and started writing a poem: 'If I die young, will you remember me?'



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Word count according to WordCalc: 149



Sanna has jotted down a poem here as an extra text:



If I die young, will you remember me?

That I have dreamed of things that could not be?



If I die young, will you speak of me?

To your friends, your children, speak of me!



If I die young, will you think of me?

When winter's clear air lets you breath free?



If I die young, will you be thinking of me?

When sunshine in springtime make you dance with glee?



If I die young, will you think of me?

With all summer's greens: grass, bush and tree?



If I die young, will you think of me?

When the autumn leaves fall, think of me!




If I die young, will you remember me?

That I lived and had so much yet to see!





[Text Copyright 2011 Christina Wigren]



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Best wishes,

Anna








P.S.

When I write a text with the character Sanna Rumsten, it is a purely fictional text, that may or may not borrow content from my own life. This text is dedicated to the memory of a real boy, Jens, the son of my second cousin. Jens died of leukemia twenty years ago. If he had survived and recovered his health, he would have been in his forties now, and had very likely become a doctor. My second cousin tells me that his sisters really do make a point of remembering him.




First Commenter:

Daydreamer Too







To visit other SC-posts for Week 68, please visit this site or click on the image below:



Jenny Matlock



16 comments:

Daydreamertoo said...

We just never know, do we. So, the expression live as if today will be your last is so true, especially as we age.
Lovely centus.

Karen S. said...

I really enjoyed your Centus and the poem is lovely as well! Thanks!

knightsheart said...

Great prose and poetry. I thought they both flowed well and went straight to th heart. Thank you for sharing it.

Sue said...

Just lovely, Anna.

Words and poetry.

=)

Gems said...

Both genres are well crafted and remind us to live life fully all the time :)

Gems xxx

Judie said...

Great writing, Anna. Both the prose and the poetry were excellent!

Jo said...

Wow, Anna ... wonderful!!! I enjoyed both pieces of writing immensely!

Ann said...

wonderful centus and poem. So sad when people die at a young age.

cj Schlottman said...

Anna,

There are no guarantees in life. It is so good to be aware of our mortality so we will remember that of our loved ones. I never leave a loved one or hang up the phone without these three words, "I love you."

Love your post!

Namaste..........cj

Dazee Dreamer said...

Very nice. I think we all feel that way.

jfb57 said...

Really loved the reflectiveness of this. Great!

Nonna Beach said...

Oh, Anna
Excellent and fabulous take on the prompt !

I just loved this line:

"Maybe that's the only thing left when you are faced with your doom: to be remembered."

And your wonderful bonus poem too !

Madge said...

I liked the post, and the poem that followed was beautiful.

laurie @ bargain hunting said...

That poem was beautiful. The grief when someone dies young seems so much more difficult to bear. laurie

Rek said...

Beautiful words from the heart...they never die as long as someone knows their name.
Loved both prose and verse.

Jenny said...

Oh Anna, this was perfect.

I can't believe you thought this was a difficult prompt. You made it seem so effortless!

Just lovely!

Thanks for sharing this.

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