GreenishLady

Originally Blogging the Artist's Way. Thoughts, musings, experience of the 12-week course, January to March 2006. And after that?.... Life, creativity, writing. Where does it all meet? Here, perhaps.

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Sunday Scribblings ..... Bed

This bed is an old bed now, yet it was not my bridal bed. For the first few months of our marriage, we slept in what had once been my Grandmother’s bed, arranging ourselves between the springs and lumps, and falling together happily into the well in the middle, shaped by years of single-body use. Then we bought this bed, orthopedic, modern, solid, and it served us a long time. We learnt to make love in this bed, really, over years and years, and then we learnt to be alone in this bed, too. I have lonely nights now, but none so lonely as those last nights we shared this bed.

Sometimes, I wake and there is a breath on my shoulder, and I think it is you. It’s just a draught, just some movement of air, but it reminds me of other nights. I have moved into the middle of the bed, now, begun to create a furrow like my Grandmother’s furrow. On hot nights, I lie spreadeagled, aware that my arms are stretched on “your” pillow.

I stripped my bed this morning, - blue Egyptian cotton sheets gone to the wash, freshly ironed cream Egyptian cotton sheets waiting to be laid across its surface. – My new indulgence, smooth, cool, beautiful sheets under fluffy duvets. But new sheets don’t make it a new bed. This bed holds memories, memories of all our nights and days together, and if I haven’t replaced it by now, it’s because there’s something I’m not wanting to let go of in it. There are memories of the three weeks it was my haven, holding and supporting me while my body and my womb fought out the battle to decide whether my baby would get to live. My womb won. My baby won. We won that time. This bed is the scene of victory, of passion and love, of sorrow and pain. This bed has given its all. Maybe next week, or next month, the replacement will be found. A bed with no memories. A bed with no story. A new bed, a place to begin to grow again.



For more Sunday Scribblings, go HERE

22 Comments:

At 17/6/06 4:26 pm, Blogger Kamsin said...

This is a really evocative piece and a great angle from which to approach the topic of "bed".

 
At 17/6/06 8:14 pm, Blogger Erin said...

Wow. Lovely post.

 
At 17/6/06 8:30 pm, Blogger Becca said...

Such a poignant look at the role your bed has played in your life.
I could truly relate...

 
At 17/6/06 9:25 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wonderful post!

 
At 17/6/06 11:13 pm, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a fascinating piece of writing. Thankyou!

 
At 18/6/06 12:01 am, Blogger Unknown said...

Extraordinary and strong, moving words.

 
At 18/6/06 5:03 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

This left me wanting more. Wonderful job!

 
At 18/6/06 5:33 am, Blogger Jennifer S. said...

the progression of the story of your bed and the way it's such a huge part of life - amazing

 
At 18/6/06 7:05 am, Blogger daringtowrite said...

I loved it all and these parts moved me the most.

"I have lonely nights now, but none so lonely as those last nights we shared this bed."

"I have moved into the middle of the bed"

"But new sheets don’t make it a new bed."

 
At 18/6/06 7:59 am, Blogger paris parfait said...

Such a moving, bittersweet story about your bed's role in your relationship and your bed's role now. Well done!

 
At 18/6/06 11:15 am, Blogger Susannah Conway said...

I have that new bed... this was a wonderful piece. so very poignant. thank you
Sx

 
At 18/6/06 1:42 pm, Blogger Claudia said...

You will know when it´s the right time to buy a new bed - a new bed really is a new start.

 
At 18/6/06 1:54 pm, Blogger Kay Cooke said...

This made me sad, but I could also sense your 'victory' and a sense of strength in the new, while still retaining the old, and finding comfort in the memories. Good for you!

 
At 18/6/06 5:33 pm, Blogger Deirdre said...

Heart-wrenching and hopeful. I remember so well the early days of learning to sleep alone, the body memories that haunted and confused. The middle of the bed can be a good place to make a nest.

 
At 18/6/06 6:53 pm, Blogger Kara said...

Your writing is a treasure. Such a mixture and poignant portrait of a bed and the lives it has held.

 
At 18/6/06 9:36 pm, Blogger kerrdelune said...

How much of our lives we spend in bed, sleeping, loving, dreaming, resting and recovering from ills of body and weary spirit. It was wonderful to read this story of your bed which has been a companion for so long and has performed so much useful and loving service during its time in rank. Is the new bed to be wood, bamboo, wrought iron or brass - a mattress, a water bed or a futon? Lovely stories to come methinks. . . .

 
At 19/6/06 12:35 am, Blogger Star said...

Thank you for sharing this very personal story for this week's Sunday Scribblings. It is amazing the things the bed witnesses--marriage, childbirth, death and all the in-betweens. It was a very touching piece.

 
At 19/6/06 12:58 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh...your words brought tears to my eyes and a lump in my throat. Such loneliness, such sadness...

 
At 19/6/06 3:20 am, Blogger Amber said...

It's been awhile. Nice to see a SS from you. And this one was thoughtful and lovely!

;)

 
At 19/6/06 7:29 am, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Beds are the most personal piece of furniture, aren't they? I wonder how much of our dreams seep down into them, and emanate their vapors back up to us in our sleep, over the years.
For me, your writing always has such a poetic essence to it, that makes me say "Aha! I know that feeling - exactly!" I've missed that, and I'm so glad to read your words again.

 
At 20/6/06 2:28 am, Blogger Annie Jeffries said...

Oh wow, knock me out. I felt that building like a huge symphonic work. Chills. I'd keep that bed forever.

 
At 20/6/06 12:25 pm, Blogger Colorsonmymind said...

The ironed sheets sound so perfect-I wish I had crisp linen sheets and the time to iron them:)

I loved how you spoke about the battle your womb and baby won in that bed. Very powerful.

 

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