the purr of a feline
How do you write a tear? Can you possibly convey the burning sensation as it wells up at the rim of your eye? Sometimes they dissipate with no flow. Other times one or two spill over the limit and trickle onto your cheek.
Late at night when I lay in the darkness hearing the silence broken only by the even breathing of my husband I have been suddenly overtaken by sobbing and within minutes the surge has past leaving me empty. The next morning when I awake there is a crystallization of dried tears beneath my eyes. They have the feel of grit which I suppose must be salt.
So again I ask, “How do you write a tear”? Is it the moisture in the eye, the flowing onto the cheeks, the wretched sobbing that aches in the chest, or the dried salt?
All I know is every stage is painful and comes from a place as elusive as the purr of a feline.
The truth is, laughter always sounds more perfect than weeping. Laughter flows in a violent riff and is effortlessly melodic. Weeping is often fought, choked, half strangled, or surrendered to with humiliation.
— Anne Rice
31 Comments
Michael Rawluk
May 17, 2011That is so beautifully done.
Arnd
May 17, 2011A touching bit of prose to match a perfect, complimentary image.
Zing
May 17, 2011Beautiful shot of the water drop, nice composition!
yiannis krikis
May 17, 2011very beautiful image
John Prior
May 17, 2011Nice, simple and tasteful.
george
May 17, 2011Writing a tear maybe difficult – but you’ve made photographing it it appear effortless.
yz
May 17, 2011beautiful
Otto K.
May 17, 2011really lovely image, very nice.
....peter:)
May 17, 2011I love your tear drop Kala….and your prose is most tasteful…. but now you will have to describe tears of joy for us…:( …:)
Thank you….peter:)
rian
May 17, 2011well, sometimes it comes because of happiness too, right? :)
Christopher
May 18, 2011Beautiful shot and words Sherri–lovely
fabrizio
May 18, 2011fantastic delicacy…. exelent work
Marcie
May 18, 2011Oh…your words are absolutely beautiful. How DO you write a tear?? So hard to describe that feeling..that emotion. You’ve done it masterfully!!!
Rob
May 18, 2011No idea how you write about tearing. Maybe we can not accomplish this because we spend so much time avoiding that emotion. Beautifully captured image!
Terry H.
May 18, 2011You have long pointed purple finger nails. :) Wonderful writing and photograph!
crash
May 18, 2011so delicate! very cool!
Andy
May 19, 2011Wow so beautiful but your words even more so!
Bob Towery
May 19, 2011I think you just did.
Elaine-
May 19, 2011oh good heavens sherri , you are tooooo goood, now i feel like crying too… and it’s not passing that quickly, beautiful post my friend
Kala
May 20, 2011Beautiful narrative to match this lovely image.
Fritsch
May 20, 2011What a beautiful & meaningful post, Sherri! What a brilliant frame to go along with your writing. Most excellent!
All the best & safe travels,
Fritsch.
John Maslowski
May 20, 2011Lovely feeling from this wonderful image along with the beautiful writing.
shoreacres
May 21, 2011“…elusive as the purr of a feline.” A perfect description, especially for the tears I experience these days. They simply come, and go – a surplus of emotion welling up and overflowing soundlessly. It’s as though my heart just springs a leak. ;-)
Alexandra
May 21, 2011A purrfect image to go with thoughtful words.
Andrew Graeme Gould
May 23, 2011Beautiful work…
Frida
May 23, 2011Oh Sherri this is beautifully done!
dustin
May 23, 2011You’re a terrific writer and photographer.
scarlet
May 24, 2011words and image just mesh perfectly!
Robin
May 26, 2011Beautiful image with powerful words.
Marc
May 29, 2011Such an evocative image, with beautiful words…
joshi daniel
May 30, 2011nice and perfect timing!