I immediately knew where this story would take me, but find the way was much harder than I anticipated. Welcome to Friday Fictioneers, where this band of international writers struggle to do the same thing: make sense of a photo (contributed this week by Marie Gail Stratford), tell its story, in 100 words or less. Rochelle Wisoff-Fields leads our merry band. Check out her blog, Addicted to Purple, to read more stories or join in the fun. Caution: it’s highly addictive. I always welcome positive, or constructive feedback. Please leave a comment.
© Marie Gail Stratford
I Am Born (100 words)
She’s all I’ve ever wanted… her voice, her touch– so tender and sweet on my skin; the happiest place I know is in her arms.
The sound of her voice, singing only to me–has lulled me to sleep, kept me company, as I waited. That wondrous voice– loving and true, a safe haven in the dark.
For her I face the agony– the crush of air and light; I reach for her.
She rubs me with scented oil, and holds me to her naked skin, singing softly in my ear–promising she will never leave.
And I am home.
* * *
Make me smile: I’d love to see my Tales From the Motherland Facebook page reach 500 likes in 2014. Have you stopped by to spread some fairy dust? Follow me on Twitter, it’s where I try to be brief. Most importantly, if you like a post I’ve written, hit Like and leave a comment. I love to hear what readers think. Click Follow; you’ll get each new post delivered by email, with no spam. If you see ads on this page, please let me know. They shouldn’t be there. © 2014 Please note, that all content and images on this site are copyrighted to Dawn Quyle Landau and Tales From the Motherland, unless specifically noted otherwise. If you want to share my work, please give proper credit. Plagiarism sucks.
TALES FROM THE MOTHERLAND 
Beautiful
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Thanks!
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Being born into the world–what a sensory experience that must be. Love where you took this one. 🙂
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Thanks Carrie. I knew what I wanted to do, but struggled a bit with it. Glad you enjoyed it. 😉
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Awww, I love your words, Dawn 🙂
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Thanks Emily. What a delight to see you here! 😀
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What a life-affirming take, Dawn. Lovely and creative. (Not sure if I want to know how wine bottles got you to this idea, but…) 🙂
janet
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Thanks so much Janet. The lights, the lights got me there! But, I’m sure that a little wine played a role as well. 😉
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poetical!!! congrats
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Thanks for stopping by Tales From the motherland; I appreciate your feedback.
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Awww, it does sound like home, Dawn. Beautiful! No matter how you got there, you got there.
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Thanks Amy. I really appreciate your kind thoughts!
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Lovely story, with so much security and love to mitigate the pain of being given life.
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Thanks so much Joanna, and welcome to Tales From the Motherland. I really appreciate you taking the time to check out my post and share your thoughts!
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Dear Dawn,
If a newborn could speak I’m sure he’d say exactly this. So beautifully written it brought me to tears. I always feel when I drop by that I am home.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This comment has made my day, my weekend! Thank you so much, Rochellle. From you, it means the world.
L’Shana Tova and Shabbat Shalom! xox
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Sweet. Great to see it from the infant’s point of view. I can imagine the lights and sounds being a real shock. And of course, there’s agony for the baby, something I haven’t thought of.
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I think the shock of birth must be one of the true traumas of our life… and yet (hopefully) such a wonderful outcome. Thanks for stopping by Patrick.
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Dear Dawn,
Print this one and file it somewhere where you will find it a long time from now. It is one of your best ever and brought tears to my eyes. The prompt was perfect for it. I can see through the newborn’s eyes and feel her joy. Thank you for bringing me to this place with your beautiful writing.
Aloha,
Doug
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Wow! Thanks so much Doug. You and Rochelle have shaken me this morning. I don’t always have confidence in my own ability to convey what I’m feeling/thinking…and it means a lot to read these lovely comments. Thank you, so much! Mahalo e aloha nui loa!
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Dawn, Just absolutely lovely. We often think of the mother’s ordeal at birth, but not always of the baby’s. Those lights and the new sensations must also be a shock. It must be very soothing when the mother holds them next to her and sees to their needs. This was writing at it’s finest. 🙂 — Susan
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Thank you so much Susan. I so appreciate your kind words!
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What a wonderful point of view.. It must have been like that if we could have remembered…
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On some level, I think we do remember. Our bodies tissue and fascia store every experience… it’s fascinating stuff.
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Beautifully poetic.
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Thanks so much, Dawn.
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Dawn, I have never given birth —- but this story makes me think it must be a wonderful experience!!! Thank you.
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My guess, for what it’s worth, is that it’s a rather challenging and traumatic experience– but given the right family, the final outcome is divine. Thanks so much for your feedback, Alicia; it’s much appreciated!
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At first I thought the story was about love – those special occasions when I remember feeling the way you described. Then I realized you had steered me cleverly into some of what it was like being born. From there I reached a different level of symbolism – that being loved like you described it was like fulfilling that primal desire to relive the most traumatic and most intimate moment once again in some way. Heck, my comment is longer than your story. It must have been good! 🙂 – Mike
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Mike, I love you! This is a wonderful comment and so insightful. I am flattered that this story brought out this much for you. I felt like I missed the mark in the writing… unable to really capture what I envisioned, but it’s wonderful to read that several of my readers thought otherwise. 😉 Thanks!
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Dear Dawn, I think this is so lovely, the words are intertwined to perfection! You are a joy to read each week! Love it! Nan 🙂
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Nan, thank YOU! It is a joy to have you read my work and share such lovely feedback. Thank you!
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What a wonderful way to look at childbirth from the infant’s view point..maybe one day we might figure out how to tap into those memories..
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I think there are therapies that do in fact look into that, Subroto, but I don’t really understand them. Interesting thought though. Thanks for stopping by.
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Beautiful 🙂
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Thanks, Helen! 🙂
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Infant or lesbian fantasy? Is it a good idea to douse newborns in scented oil?
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Ha, Pink! So good to hear from you. I laughed out loud. So, I’ll school you in the area I know well: parenting. Yes, we often use baby oil, or organic oils on newborns for massage or to sooth delicate new skin. The change in environment from in the womb to out is dramatic! That said, I love that this could go either way. 😉 Thanks for stopping by darlin’!
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Absolutely lovely, and just as miraculous coming from the infant’s point of view as the mother’s.
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Thank you so much Tiffany! Much appreciated. 🙂
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You’re welcome. 🙂
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I want to be born again! It sounds so exquisit.
Lily
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Hafong, thank you so much for this wonderful comment; I really appreciate it! And welcome to Tales From the Motherland, I’m grateful for the time you spent reading and sharing your thoughts. 🙂
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This is so beautiful Dawn.LHN
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Thank you so much!
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Such a tender and loving story, the words just kept flowing….Wonderful.
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Thanks so much! Sometimes when you think you’ve missed the mark, others set your straight. I’m glad you liked it.
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Lovely – I have two grandchildren due early next year and this story chimed with my thoughts.
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