Human Bookmark
Some dreams are strange…
I dreamt that I was a bookmark – a human bookmark, resting between the pages of a book.
Had I remained there, the story would have had continuity – it would have flowed from one chain of thought to another, but as I was resting there, the pink, soft, fleshy palm of a human hand, a hand that had never held a power tool or touched anything abrasive in its lifetime, opened the book and I fell swiftly and silently from between its pages.
I landed between the scratched, wooden leg of an old armchair and a cheap, imitation bronze, magazine rack. The human hand became agitated as it flicked through the book, creasing its pages, trying to find me – and then the book abruptly snapped closed.
The human hand placed the book down next to a dirty ashtray on a coffee table that had cigarette burns tattooed into it like dirty, black, prison
tats – inky, dark teardrops.
From the floor the human bookmark stared up at the book helplessly. It knew that the pages may never be opened again, that the story may never be continued, that the plot would probably never be unraveled. It’s characters would forever remain in limbo. The setting would remain static like a still-life painting. Events would linger frozen in time. The story’s conflict would never reach its climax nor find its resolution.
Nobody would ever know how it all ended…
hellmelon
Reading this was like watching a short silent film in sepia.A quiet drama playing out in the dust filled corner of a softy lit room..Has your muse found it’s way home at long last?
JenniferB replied
It’s semi found it’s way home, thanks flower. :-)
Anne van Alkemade
I can so relate to this. Every so often I get the distinct feeling that somewhere inside of me a page is turning, and less frequent is the feeling that a chapter has closed and another has started. It’s a bizarre feeling but always a positive one. It can happen at any time, not just when an episode in my life has passed. Perhaps it’s something to do with acceptance??? I love this writing Jennifer. It resonates with me big time.
JenniferB replied
Thanks Anne, and yes, we’re definitely on the same wave length. :-)
VelvetGirl
this is oh so beautiful…..and sad. xx
JenniferB replied
thanks VelvetGirl.
Phil Threlfall
Escape to Alaska…. thats the next chapter … cool ice Polar bears….
I dream of going there.
JenniferB replied
Yep, it’d be like escaping to the end of the universe! I still entertain dreams of living on an indian reservation in North America or Canada some place… Dreams are free or so they say. :=)
Phineous Cas...
good stuff
bit ofa treasure =]
JenniferB replied
thanks igo. :-)
Lisa Jewell
Oh wow this is exceptional….....I love the entire metaphor…
Beautiful work, Jen…
JenniferB replied
thanks Lisa! I’m often in awe of your writing and how effortlessly you seem to make words flow, so thanks heaps for the compliment.
Phil Threlfall
feel the air suck it in…...........cool your ears on the breeze….. ... feel the heat on your face…........ you are alive
JenniferB replied
yes, it’s the simple things that we take for granted we should be thankful for, and there’s nothing more potent than nature to remind you that you’re still alive.
Phil Threlfall
K JB xx
JenniferB replied
XOX
Aurora Pintore
You are a great writer Jennifer, everyting you write is always interesting.
JenniferB replied
thanks Aurora. xox
Damien Venditti
congrats on having this featured Jen .. it was an enjoyable read .. dreams some are strange indeed
JenniferB replied
thanks Damien!
aglaia b
so beautiful my girl!!!!!!
yes a strange dream, however it’s so wonderfully presented here by your words. ;
) xox) xoxthis lil holiday has given you something special back, that’s unreal! ;
JenniferB replied
thanks aglaia, yep, the time at the beach was pure bliss, can’t wait to make my way back there again some time. :) xox
headfux
great title!!!! human bookmark….love it!!!!
JenniferB replied
thanks headfux, I have weird dreams. :)
butchart
i’m intrigued by the hand,,,,,,,,,,,,, but that’s another story entirely….... wonderful observations with words…... you are finding your way home…....... b
JenniferB replied
oh, if I wrote a story about the hand it’d probably turn into something like a script for thingy on the Adams Family! lol, thanks butchart and yes, thoughts and feelings are finding their way home again. :)
linifer
brilliant writing and concept.. as always ;)
JenniferB replied
thank you linifer. :)
headfux
weird dreams are good. dreaming is good, i’m forever in a dream world…living the dream lol
JenniferB replied
nothing wrong with that, it’s like a free vacation from reality sometimes. :-)
headfux
yeah i hate reality sometimes and sundays…i get the sunday blues bad! something in the air i guess…
JenniferB replied
I Hate Mondays Much More
headfux
a few weeks back i thought monday was sunday. i was glad to find out monday wasn’t sunday and it was nearly over. tomorrow will be fine though, just need to get over myself!!!
JenniferB replied
I lose track of time too, comes with being unemployed where one day just rolls into another, every so often it’s good to wallow in misery and screw anyone who tells you not to, besides, if you always felt good what would you use as a comparison? The shit days make the not so shit days seem all that much better. :-)
headfux
yeah you gotta have the good with the bad…art helps, i find it therapeutic. but then again when it doesn’t work out how i planned i get pretty mad! it’s a gamble…i’m dossing at my mate’s university tomorrow in her studio so it’s really not that bad! unemployment is the way forward…they sort you out far too well here on the dole ;)
headfux
http://www.redbubble.com/people/headfux/art/2145871-3-benefit
i can’t do the link, it never works for me!
JenniferB replied
yep, poverty sucks,I once had the gas siphoned out of my car because my eftpos card had insufficient funds, it was a small country garage with an asshole of an old man managing it, now that was embarrassing! :-)
headfux
what? he sucked it back out of your car??? hahaha!!! oh no!!! what an ass. oh it’s so rewarding to meet people who are on the benefit from other countries…
JenniferB replied
yep, lol, I had to stand there like an idiot hahaha, poverty is poverty no matter what part of the world you come from, but then again, some people can’t get the benefit at all in some countries and that’s REAL poverty, hell, they wouldn’t even have a computer or the internet… So in some ways we’re not too bad off, even though it feels like it at times. :)
PJ Ryan
clever girl .. brilliant concept .. love it :)
JenniferB replied
thanks! :-)
Shirley Cooper
Hey. This is strange. whilst I was uploading bookmarks you were doing this. Brilliant work.
JenniferB replied
That is strange, thanks Shirley. :-)
headfux
i think it’s good the benefit system here…it’s almost as if they don’t want us to work, because we are better off financially if we don’t. they take care of rent, council tax, money to live on…i don’t intend to be on it forever though. i used to live in south africa and they don’t have benefit there…i’m going back there for 6 months in dec’ so i’ll be working for sure then! will do me good to get some sort of motivation in my life anyways.
i agree with you though, we are very fortunate :)
JenniferB replied
Going to South Africa? Lucky you, well that should give you something to look forward to, oh I agree about the benefit, the system makes it too easy for people to opt out and live on it, I guess it’s just another way of keeping the rich rich and the poor poor… or something like that! :)
Gr8teful
Ooh, I like that ! Very nice! Very symbolic! It’s kindof how we are in peoples lives isn’t? We are pauses, comma’s, periods, exclamation points in their book and they in ours? I like it!
JenniferB replied
a great description Gr8teful, and yep, our lives do seem to punctuate the pages of a book, thanks. :-)
headfux
with the FTSE plummeting and recession and all that my possible job prospects have plummeted down with it… i find it too restricting working for people. i need to be my own boss which i’ll do when i’m back from S.A. luckily it was booked a while back so yeah will be good to get some sun! i will get my shit together when i’m back. you in New Zealand? hot there now isn’t it?
JenniferB replied
Yep, I’m in New Zealand, the weather’s weird at the moment, it’s cloudy and rainy today but I’ve still got a bit of sun burn from two days ago… f@cking weather can’t seem to make up its mind what it wants to do or be… A bit like me! Lol.
C.C. Arshagra
Beautifully written! So self contained. Tight as a drum in the most open-ended way.
JenniferB replied
thanks for your encouraging words C.C.! :-)
headfux
this world is seriously fucking up… summer starts later in south africa these days and we don’t really get summer here in england anymore. must be something to do with global warming (or not warming, just warming the north pole and melting all those poor polar bear’s ice caps away)
JenniferB replied
yep, humanity blindly and selfishly destroys its own habitat day after day…
darbyland
oh fantastic. reckon take the “i had a dream bit out” tho. you don’t need to credit your subconscious. its all you. fantastic work!
JenniferB replied
Thanks darbyland… but it was weird dream. :-)
JRobin Whitley
great writing. i have weird dreams all the time so this really spoke to me. today my own post was about a dream so it was quite um….interesting to happen across this writing of yours….
JenniferB replied
Thanks, I read your dream story, it’s a well written heartfelt piece of writing.
HeatherTS
oooh! the bubble is all over your nuts lately! tell them to quit humpin your leg! “down boys, down!” hahahaha! j.k congrats hun! kix ass really!
funny that i faved it a while ago and then accidently clicked writting instead of community and saw it was featured… sigh i have good taste
JenniferB replied
Ha! Hi heather, it’s good to see you back on form again! Thanks. :-)
Mark Ramstead
Back in the black I would say…
JenniferB replied
The moment has passed and the colour has changed again. :-)
Mark Ramstead
Better than mud…
JenniferB replied
mud…? mud wrestling? haha
Ben Hayden
So much detail in such a small amount of writing,i need more fantasticc:)
JenniferB replied
thanks Ben… wish I had more to give you but I’m feeling a little flat right now, :)
Ben Hayden
Thats fine all your work is still an insperation to meee:)
JenniferB replied
thank you! :-)
Irene Walters
Well done! Irene
JenniferB replied
thanks Irene. :)
andreasphoto
this is marvelous.. I really loved it – and it got featured – congrats..
JenniferB replied
thanks andreas, so can we still get married now? I’ve been celibate for about a month! ;-)
andreasphoto
big smile…
JenniferB replied
:-)
ieneke jansen
Funny how dreams can make us dig deep within ourselves and wonder about all the different chapters in our lives that make our life what it is…I think this was a very profound dream, with much meaning & a clear vision on what is going on inside of you…something we can all relate to on many different levels. This book is far from being finished. I commend you on such brilliant writing Jennifer :)
JenniferB replied
Thanks ieneke, hopefully the story is far from over… ;-)
Jessica Tremp
beautiful.
JenniferB replied
Thanks! :-)
lolowe
How beautiful! You played the soft, emotions of this piece so seamlessly. This was very creative. I hope that the story continues on [literally and figuratively]
:]
JenniferB replied
Thanks lolowe, that’s a real compliment coming from someone who writes as beautifully as you. :)
ufosIsee
This floored me loved it.. Nice flow and had me lingering 4 more..
JenniferB replied
Oops… sorry I missed seeing your comment, thanks ufoisee. :)
ieneke jansen
I am positive it is far from over Jennifer…keep ‘em coming girl!!!
JenniferB replied
thanks ieneke, I’ll try. :)
jomash
Will the next chapter unvail itsself once the book mark has been found?
JenniferB replied
ha, good question Joanne, but no, it ends as is… Kind of lingering. :-)
lolowe
You are too kind. I think your work is definitely different and unique and that’s really enjoyable.
JenniferB replied
thanks lolowe. I’ve come to a bit of a road block at the moment, hopefully I’ll feel inspired to write again soon.
Colleen Milburn
This is brilliant work, Jennifer – the words, phrasing, pathos, yearning, beautifully described, wonderful characters, the bookmark and book – I fell in love with the bookmark! Absolutely wonderful :-)
JenniferB replied
Thanks Colleen, I’m glad you liked the personification I made. :)
Colleen Milburn
I emailed it to a couple of friends, fellow writers, who would love this – well done, indeed :-)
JenniferB replied
Thanks Colleen, I’m glad you enjoyed reading it. :-)
ltruskett
You are a VERY gifted writer…......so enjoying discovering your talent….....
JenniferB replied
Thanks Linda, I love your photographic work, my writing is completely mood dependent, it comes and goes… :-)
Shoaib .
looks like you found ur place in your writing,
I think i ll bookmark a bookmark so i can come read you again with ease
shoaib
JenniferB replied
thanks Shoaib, I’ve added you to my watchlist so that when I get time I can have a good look over your work, this piece was written some time ago, it marked the end of a five year blog.
ltruskett
Keep up the moods…........ ; ) xxL
JenniferB replied
Lol, thanks. :-)
bearpaw
just love this JenniferB… has a haunting effect… dreams are strange…
JenniferB replied
it was a strange dream for sure! Thanks. :-)
justwords
Excellent, enjoyed this very much, love the veiw point, thank you for sharing this.
JenniferB replied
thanks justwords, sure wish I could get into the mindset to write something like this again. :-)
amanda marx
lovely work jennifer . . . i’ve read this a number of times now & the mood you were in to write it seems to have clicked with my mood this afternoon to re-read this. LisaG picked it in 1, no surprises there, she’s a star . . . i love the metaphore you’ve so beautifully evoked . . . i can feel that hand now & the guilty smile that delicious thought gives me . . . wonderful writing sweet lady
xXx
JenniferB replied
Thanks amanda, I was in a kind of introspective kind of mood when I wrote that piece, haven’t felt that depth of feeling since, right now my brain feels numb and uninspired like a slab of meat, it’s so frustrating.
amanda marx
i think that numbness happens to most of us . . . life has a bad habit of sweeping us along in a sea of mundane nothingness on ocassion . . . i’ve recently been reinvigorated by the “everydayness” of the people i see & sit with on the tram, the waitresses at my local cafe/bar/resteraunt . . . i can’t help imagining other lives, other me’s . . . hmmm, probably just early onset dimentia . . .
i can’t imagine you not writing darly thing . . . it’ll come . . . when you least expect it . . . expect it
xXx
JenniferB replied
aww… thanks so much for your kind words and support amanda, you’re so sweet. :-)
Elizium
A wonderfully original piece…I’ll be looking at my bookmark quite differently now!!
Where would we be without bookmarks… It upsets me when people fold the top corners of the page..arrgghh!!
JenniferB replied
Ha! It irritates me to see folded corners on pages too! :
) Thanks Elizium!:)erika15
This is really awesome….a human bookmark...wow….
JenniferB replied
thanks erika… yeah, I’m not quite sure where my head was when I dreamt and wrote that! lol
poeticsoul
wow was i in that dream 2 cuz the way you wrote it made me feel like i was right their i could see everything you said…..really nice….and i don’t think the story ever ends….i once saw a guy say a story or poem never ends it’s just waiting on the next person to add to it
JenniferB replied
I guess that’s true, a poem or story is just an idea, which triggers another, and another… and so on! Thanks for taking the time to read and comment poeticsoul.
wigs
that was a wonderful story….hooked and there, willing the bookmark to be found and returned…maybe that is the next chapter? or maybe not…maybe the bookmark gets put in another book… but thats life, very few can lead life to a plan… someone or something changes the path… great read and looking forward to more of your work….
JenniferB replied
thanks so much wigs… I’m afraid I’ve dried out a bit on the writing front for a while, but hopefully the urge to write again will return… I kind of felt sorry for the little bookmark at the end of this story too! ...lol…
AngelMay
Human Bookmark creates very strong images…wonderful…makes me want to draw one
JenniferB replied
Well I just had a look at your beautiful gallery so I have no doubt if you drew one that you would do it justice! Thanks. :)
Tracey Mac
The visuals I get from this are amazing…........you have a wonderful gift of transporting the reader to a different time and place in an instant. Not to mention the metaphors to contemplate here….....this one’s very special, I love it x
JenniferB replied
Thanks Tracey, this one was written over a year or so ago… I’d love to be able to shift back into that kind of Mind-Set again some time.
Cassidy JK (Ra...
An older write I see. I wonder…did the person ever find that bookmark as it lied in waiting? Absolutely beautiful write, complete with imagery and metaphorical brilliance.
JenniferB replied
yes, this was written some years ago when I kept a blog that I wrote in for self therapy, it was on my Mind to close the blog as I’d come to the end of a chapter in my life and found resolution, and that same night I dreamt this… So I posted it on the blog and it was the last post I ever made before abandoning it forever, I guess I wanted to leave it open-ended should I ever feel the need to return to it.
trwoody
I agree, we are but bookmarks in between the pages of history in the chapters of life. At least I hope we are bookmarks and not small asterich marks. We are in many, many books. Holding place in chapters of close loved ones all around the library. I, as I’m sure you do too, have many human bookmarks in my book of life and I am ever so careful when I flip through it not to loose a single one
JenniferB replied
Thanks so much for your thoughtful and insightful comment trwoody… Oh some of the chapters I’ve been a bookmark in are not quite as soft and poetical… As I’m sure is the case with many of us. ;-)
trwoody
No Jennifer, life is hard and unfair. How we grow with adversity is what makes charactor to become the bookmark in chapters to come. It determines if we stand tall between the pages of fall by the wayside when the pages are fanned.
JenniferB replied
There are many different ways a person can stand tall in Life, my philosophy is, as long as I’m not hurting others or myself, and even better if what I say or do has the ability to make people feel happy, then so be it.
trwoody
Exactly….happy, loved, and accepted