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Previous Challenge Entry (Level 4 – Masters)
Topic: GRADUATE (08/01/19)
Singing Rocks


He meandered through the hills of the farm as he had so many times before, and his father before him, and his father before him, back through the generations. Idly, he plucked a piece of the long grass, and chewed on its sweet stem, letting his mind wander as his feet took him down well-worn paths towards the far-off rocks where a strong, hot sun caused mirages to form and dissipate, and a soft wind played indolently through the gaps in the towering boulders.

“Those rocks can sing and cry out, my boy,” his father once told him, on one of the rare walks they’d taken together. He had never heard them, but he wouldn’t doubt it. The way they tumbled together, a series of graduating heights, colors and textures, belied the fact that it was a natural formation. Like so many others before him, he was drawn to them, to their height, to their majesty, and to the solitude they provided. One could get lost in there, and sometimes he’d deliberately hidden amongst them to avoid farm chores.

Today was one of those “I want to be alone with my thoughts” kind of day. After a hectic morning helping with the ranch responsibilities, he’d made his escape. No one would miss him for a couple of hours and he could lie against one of the rocks, relax and contemplate everything, and nothing.

One good thing about being part of a large family was that sometimes you’d not be missed for hours. Of course, the bad thing about being part of a large family was that sometimes you’d not be missed for hours! He recalled the time his entire family left him behind at home because, “I thought he was with you?”

The rocks loomed in front of him now, and he quickened his pace in order to find a shady place to rest. The breeze had picked up and a soft hum emanated from the rocky outcropping. He sank to the hard ground and leant back against the tallest boulder, his favorite. With its variegated colors it stood out, and the huge cleft in the middle had housed more nests than any other rock in the formation.

As he closed his eyes, he heard a voice, shrilly calling from the bottom of the knoll. “David? David? Where are you?”
He pretended not to hear, but the urgency of the voice quickened, “David! You must come back to the house, now! Your dad needs you.”
Slowly David stood, and waved so the farmhand could see him. “All right! I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

He made his way down the hill, and picked up his pace to a gentle jog to see what was so urgent that his father sent out one of the farmhands to find him.

The wind whipped around the formation, and when David was out of earshot, the rocks began to ‘sing’.

At the house Samuel waited, oil in hand, to anoint the future King of Israel.

*************************************************
There are several rock formations throughout the world, Israel included, where because of the graduation (placement) of the rocks, as the wind blows, the rocks ‘sing’ or ‘cry’.
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This article has been read 489 times
Member Comments
Member
Date
Rachel Burkum
08/08/19
As I neared the end, I wondered if perhaps you were leading towards this very real Bible character! I really liked the whole piece - you write in such a way that I'm right there the whole time. My favorite line was, "Of course, the bad thing about being part of a large family was that sometimes you’d not be missed for hours!" I read it twice, then laughed out loud.
Laurie Glass 
08/09/19
This piece stands out given its unique take on the topic. Creative thinking. Good job.
Barbara Culler 
08/09/19
This gave me goosebumps! I think of the rocks along ocean jetties and how the wind sings through them. I've been reading 2nd Samuel and about King David's life. This really brought it to life for me.
Verna Cole Mitchell 
08/10/19
This is beautiful! I did not think "Bible story" till the end, but it falls into place so naturally, it's easy to connect it to the original story. I'll be thinking about this for days to come.
Betty Castleberry
08/12/19
This had me wondering almost until the end who this "farm boy" was. Creative take on the topic, too. Kudos!
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/13/19
This is lovely. I enjoyed the fresh take on the topic. I wondered if it might be David. You did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life.
Joanney Uthe 
08/15/19
I also kept wondering who the farmer was. David came as a surprise. I enjoyed the different take on the topic. (I love homographs for Challenge topics but am usually afraid to go with the less obvious definition.)
Corinne Smelker 
08/15/19
I will confess that for the first time in years I am disappointed that I did not place for this topic. Obviously I was too far out of the box, although I thought the graduation of David from shepherd to king was strongly implied with the final sentence of my piece.

Having said that, I LOVE my piece and congratulations to all the winners! :-)
Shann Hall-LochmannVanBennekom 
08/15/19
Congratulations on ranking 13 overall. Happy Dance!