For the month of April, fellow author, Thea Atkinson is streaking through 30 blogs and flashing us a piece of fiction. Please read the story she brings to us today, An August Day in Pompeii.
And be sure to follow the links at the end of the story to see who Thea flashed yesterday and who she will flash tomorrow. Feel free to leave a comment to let me know if you enjoyed the streak, and you are welcome to tweet it or share it on Facebook.
Herculaneum is only a day's ride from here, and yet I don't visit. My father refuses me entry into the home I grew up in. He says I could have been an artist in my own right, laid tiles of obsidian for pupils, marble pebbles for the glint in Bacchus' eye. I could have been something—but for the unfortunate happenstance of being born a girl.
Instead I ply the art of the flesh, and he thinks it has no value that in ten years, 10 months, 10 days, the beauty I weave will have no meaning. But he had false hopes anyway. What woman could be accepted in the art he values? None. Mosaic making is for men, while we ladies merely act as muse or mother--sometimes whore. Never artist. And so I dance and dress in gold, my face painted to mirror Venus, my legs strong as Diana's, ready to wrap themselves around torsos and hips. My mind as quick as Minerva's. And it's an art to be certain, to allow a soldier weary of dusty roads and battle to forget for moment he is a man, and think for a spell that he is a god in company of a goddess.
It is an art to be sure, but not one as fine as my father's. He paints the gods, pieces them together from the stones they forged, while I merely become a god, if only for a while.
But Father's right in a way, I suppose, his tiled floors and mosaic walls will undoubtedly outlast time, while I, humble daughter of an artistan, will be gone in a moment, my dust mingling with the earth and disappearing forever.
For more stories visit:
Jarret Rush--April 15
Seb (Murder Mystery) April 17
And be sure to check out Thea's books: psychological and historical fiction
And be sure to follow the links at the end of the story to see who Thea flashed yesterday and who she will flash tomorrow. Feel free to leave a comment to let me know if you enjoyed the streak, and you are welcome to tweet it or share it on Facebook.
An August Day in Pompeii
Herculaneum is only a day's ride from here, and yet I don't visit. My father refuses me entry into the home I grew up in. He says I could have been an artist in my own right, laid tiles of obsidian for pupils, marble pebbles for the glint in Bacchus' eye. I could have been something—but for the unfortunate happenstance of being born a girl.
Instead I ply the art of the flesh, and he thinks it has no value that in ten years, 10 months, 10 days, the beauty I weave will have no meaning. But he had false hopes anyway. What woman could be accepted in the art he values? None. Mosaic making is for men, while we ladies merely act as muse or mother--sometimes whore. Never artist. And so I dance and dress in gold, my face painted to mirror Venus, my legs strong as Diana's, ready to wrap themselves around torsos and hips. My mind as quick as Minerva's. And it's an art to be certain, to allow a soldier weary of dusty roads and battle to forget for moment he is a man, and think for a spell that he is a god in company of a goddess.
It is an art to be sure, but not one as fine as my father's. He paints the gods, pieces them together from the stones they forged, while I merely become a god, if only for a while.
But Father's right in a way, I suppose, his tiled floors and mosaic walls will undoubtedly outlast time, while I, humble daughter of an artistan, will be gone in a moment, my dust mingling with the earth and disappearing forever.
Jarret Rush--April 15
Seb (Murder Mystery) April 17
And be sure to check out Thea's books: psychological and historical fiction
4 comments:
Suzanne: thanks so much for being such a great host and letting me flash you as I streaked by.
Interesting flash this week, Thea. I've loved your posts.
Great flash, Thea. Thanks for stopping by!
I really like this one, Thea. :)
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