In this series, I will take the Word of the Day from Dictionary.com and craft a short piece of creative writing around it. My goal is to embrace the meaning of the word in some unique way, all the while trying out different styles, rhythms and characterizations. It is as much an exercise in creativity as it is an exploration of grammar. Enjoy!
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By Alex Seise
The boeuf bourguignon was nearly complete. The chunks of meat, simmering in a thick, brown gravy seasoned with hearty red wine and all manner of root vegetables, were fork tender; finally. It had been nearly six hours since she started on Sunday dinner.
Six hours, she thought. So much could happen in six hours. A war could be fought and won, or lost, depending on which side you embraced. Women brought children into the world in long, messy births that rarely endured such a length of time. People, she surmised, died with less notice, from accidents or evils or strange medical events that snuffed out their spirits and sent their families into much longer periods of mourning.
But she shook off those thoughts. Six hours was a long time to prepare dinner. But this was no ordinary dinner; it was a grand supper for her husband and children around the dining room table, an occasion that overflowed past life’s brim with pure love. She bedashed the stew with a sprinkle of salt and cracked pepper, then picked up the heavy pot to pour its contents onto the serving platter.
In the battle for supremacy, love would always best time, regardless of circumstances.
