Harvest Time

 

Photo of irrigated wheat field in Zambia used as a prompt for a micro fiction story
Irrigated Wheat Field, Wikimedia Commons

A gust of wind against sheathed blades of wheat conducted an orchestra of swooshes and scratches, accompanied by booms of pollen grains crashing as they set sail to germinate or wreak havoc with hay-feverish humans. Like listening to a drum beat from within its hide and metal enclosure, my senses were overstimulated, sound compounded by sight and smell, with the distinct musk of earth and vivid shades of greens, browns and blues swathing field and sky, cognition that made me certain I was me.

SWOOSH, SCRATCH, BOOM, the blades continued to sway. When the tip of one folded back on itself, a lifetime of recognition and knowing came to me. My consciousness had transmigrated.

I was Wheat Leaf.

I held on to my conviction of the worthiness of my sacrifice, to rescue humanity via doses of glutinous products fortified with cognizance, but I had no idea Iā€™d feel and know. As the imposing harvester cut its destructive path on approach, I felt a terror Iā€™d not known in my previous incarnation. It was then I understood the movement of the other blades for what they were, and joined in their screams, a vain attempt to alter our collective fate.

 

199 words inspired by Jane Dougherty’s Microfiction Challenge #7 . This is a follow on from my most recent flash fiction story featuring Dr Woodrow. Critical feedback from Jane or other readers most welcome and appreciated.

45 thoughts on “Harvest Time”

      2. No idea but I have a vague recollection of moses standing on a mountain top with the commandments. Maybe that gave him the vantage of the red sea? It’s been a while since my Sunday School days. I did go to a Catholic girls high school but the standout from religion was an assignment I did in yr 9 on Prince Siddhartha, with the Wikipedia of the day (Encyclopedia Britannica) as my source of truth šŸ˜‚

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      8. There was the Exodus with the parting of the Red Sea, and then the Ten Commandments. I have no real religious background or bible reading, but I’ve read some because every year we do a weird family Passover play during our family Passover dinner. šŸ™‚

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      10. I’m Jewish, but my husband isn’t. None of my siblings spouses are either; nor our daughters’. My family was not religious at all. We celebrate the major holidays (mainly by having big dinners). For Passover, our kids used to do a puppet show during the “Seder,” then it evolved into a play with everyone taking a part. Our daughters started writing the play. Well, they’re really skits. I think the last one was “Whose Passover Is This Anyway?” based on Whose Line is This–with some improv scenes. It’s totally silly. I’ve written about some on my blog. šŸ™‚

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      6. Oh no! sounds like you really do need some. Do you like karaoke? That is the best idea I have come up with to suggest here. Get some friends together, pick a decade and dress like a star of that time and sing sing sing…If that hasn’t fixed you, come back to me in a few days for another consultation šŸ™‚

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      8. Friends are people who’ll go to karaoke with you when you’re in need of fun- you don’t have to actually KNOW them- just ask strangers if they’d like to go…šŸ˜Š

        I’d go if I was in LA šŸŽ¤šŸ’ƒ

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  4. I had to read this again after Sonya’s three line piece. I get it now! At first I thought the ‘blades’ were the blades of the harvester. Is that a deliberate word choice? We call them ears of wheat. It’s a really interesting concept and I hope you’re going to write another episode. The picture you conjure up is quite terrifying.

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    1. Thanks Jane. So glad you went and read the other one too. I think blade is used for the individual leaves and the stalk (?) with a bunch of separate leaves is the ear? not sure. And well spotted! Although I initially hadn’t thought it, as I had written ‘blade’ before the harvester even came into the story, after finishing I realised there was ambiguity there, but you know me- I love ambiguity! šŸ™‚ So not deliberate initally, but it was during re-read and edits. I’m glad I conveyed the terror enough for you to pick up on it. I was thinking of taking about a month-ish or maybe a little less off my blog as I need to get my novel writing to a point where I am happy to get some more tuition time, so not sure when I will write here again, but who knows, you and Sonya might make it all too tempting to make a quicker return- like next week haha. Hope you are having a good week šŸ™‚

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  6. This piece can truly stand on its own – the prose and point of view are so refreshing. It’s very meditative to contemplate the sensitive consciousness of Wheat Leaf. Still I feel like going back to catch up on Dr. Woodrow!

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    1. Thankyou so much Leslie- I feel so honoured to get such feedback from you. Really enjoyed your writing and content in your last 2 posts. I have been meaning to go back and read when not rushed.

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  7. This is an excellent work. You do feel the terror, indeed. It isn’t known where Mt Sinai actually is, for sure, though there’s an interesting documentary by these guys who make a good case for it being in Saudi Arabia. I forget the names of these guys, but it was interesting.

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    1. Mt Sinai- of course, that is it! It is strange how much of those sunday school lessons so many years ago have stuck with me, but not necessarily in the right order – just fragments here and there. Thanks, I appreciate your feedback šŸ™‚

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