Resurrection CRLC Challenge

Charli’s prompt to use the phrase ‘shield your face’ follows her post about shields in this ongoing pandemic. Responses will likely implicitly or explicitly reflect current events.

Anne Goodwin has written a few posts about the impact of the pandemic on our reading and writing as well as general outlook.

Maybe Charli and Anne’s debate on pessimism and denial continues their past discussions on the hero’s journey.

We are all in caves right now. The prompt led me underground. Dark yes, but consider that a daffodil’s emergence into the light depends on its time in the dark.

Happy Easter.

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The beauty that Narcissus wore like a mask caused such pain.

Would it have made a difference had the blind seer told Narcissus to shield his face?

It might have to those who loved him blindly. Enamored of his countenance but scorned by his narrow heart, Echo lost her self, could only voice others’ words.

Narcissus was most lost of all, never knowing himself, not even when he finally viewed his own likeness.

Unless Narcissus reflected at that shallow pool; maybe he did not perish of thirst and longing as is told. Dark and light mirror. Beauty refracts depths.

***

Demeter wondered should she have warned her daughter to shield her face, hide her beauty? But Hades was already smitten. As Persephone bent to pick a narcissus flower, the Earth split and the maiden was taken below.

As queen of the Underworld, Persephone enjoyed welcoming new arrivals. She was torn with desire for her mother’s green world and this dark world of Hades, her husband; she could not shield her sadness from him. Lips blood red from the pomegranate seeds, Persephone returned, bringing life and light up from the depths of the Earth. Each winter she renews her vows.

***

 

April 9, 2020, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that declares, shield your face. It can be a knight of old, a doctor, or a senior citizen. What is the circumstance? Who makes the declaration? Go where the prompt leads!