Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Wall

The wall was built long ago, by whom no one is certain. It is known to be ancient, dated to 400 AD. Cherokee legend holds that the wall was built, the area nearby inhabited, by a tall, bearded, "moon-eyed" race of people. Intriguing as these mysteries may be, this wall holds very special memories for me.

As young children, Matthew and I played over and along this thousand foot wall atop Ft. Mountain, devising make believe battles, pitting good against evil, sharing and trading our fantasy roles. As teenagers, we made love here...a small tent pitched at the base of the wall, beneath star-studded skies. Matthew was my first love...a love grown from friendship, evolved, and ultimately a relationship 'broken' by common circumstance. After high school I left to pursue an art degree at a small college in Rhode Island. Matthew left town to pursue...adventure!

Oh, we stayed in touch over the years, seeing one another on various occasions that would bring us back home. Yet, we rarely talked of our shared adventures on that mountain. Now, some 30 years since we left town, we have decided to return to the wall and see what great mysteries might await us there.

The wall was built long ago. For that we are certain. Yet, we are equally as certain that our friendship will remain long after these rocks, this wall, have crumbled into dust.

Jenny Matlock

13 comments:

  1. You are a great writer! With blogger problems it has been a while since I came by! Enjoy your weekend! Anne

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  2. What a great start to this week's Centus. Really evocative vocabulary makes very clear pictures of that wall & those friends!

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  3. Jeff, This piece is laced with love and concrete memories. You brought that wall to life for me, and I could see you and Matthew at your war games. And the idea of maintaining your friendship over the years is so lovely - and rare. My high school sweetheart, with whom I have maintained a friendship over the years, called me while I was in France, and he's coming to see me - all the way from Texas - in 12 days! As ever, you just blow my shoes off with your words.

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

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  4. Jeff, you already know just how much I love your writing! This piece is excellent, my friend.

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  5. Dear Jeff,
    I agree with the commenters before me. What a fine text about a long friendship with some of the different aspects of what time can do or not do to a relationship.
    There are people even in my life that I can meet again after not seeing them for years, and it still feels as if we only were away a few minutes! You have really expressed well some of these mind-boggling ideas!
    The Wall is very concrete and also a metaphor for something solid in an otherwise unreliable universe.
    It is always a learning experience to read your texts.
    Blessings!
    Anna
    The(Garden)Wall-Anna's SC wk 58

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  6. Outstanding and well written story weaved by a talented and true storyteller...BRAVO !!!

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  7. This was quite beautiful, Jeff.

    Thanks!

    =)

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  8. I enjoyed this. Written as if it were a true story. Is it?

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  9. oh my ... this is a wonderful piece Jeff. I agree with Sue, quite beautiful indeed!

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  10. Jeff, this is wonderful. You strike me as that kind of a person...one of loyalty and honor...and a friend to depths of always.

    I thought 200 words would be so many, but they always just seem to run out, don't they?

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  11. This was just lovely Jeff. There is nothing sweeter than a friendship that lasts over years and miles. I loved your use of the prompt. Kat

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  12. This is beautiful take of the prompt. I love the friendship of these two. It's not easy for a friendship to last this long after having been through a lot. I love the way you write too, it flows well. Thank you for stopping by to mine too. Have a great week.

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  13. A sensitive, touching and heartfelt story, Jeff! Kudos for yet another well-crafted contribution!

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