Playing with Prompts ~ #possibility

by Kayce Stevens Hughlett

#possibility

The writing prompt was to use a line from Emily Dickinson’s “I dwell in Possibility.”

It’s a practice, a struggle, a journey ~ starting at the page, spreading wide my narrow hands, and opening to possibility. Where will my pen lead me today? Perhaps into the mysterious valleys of poetry or maybe high into the ancient forests of my life as a pilgrim?

The possibilities call and beckon to me like a sheepherder standing in the glen of Connemara or the Cuban tobacco farmer overseeing his drying leaves. They are too infinite to count.

It is this way with stories and words.

They taunt me in my sleep. They dance through my dreams as French cowgirl’s conjugating verbs. It all seems so easy in the dark, but then I awaken and the phrases scatter like creatures in the Viñales night when the first light of dawn bursts through the window. They hide, these possibilities. Sometimes they giggle like schoolgirls tucking notes in the pockets of their plaid uniforms. Other times they scream at me to get away and leave them alone like the frenzied florist in Paris who tears the heads off his roses and throws them at my feet.

A story. One simple perfect story. I would travel the world to bring it to the page, gathering glimmers of the Mediterranean Sea like fairy dust in a children’s tale. The colors of the characters tucked inside my weathered knapsack ~ azure, lime green, Pepto Bismal pink, and gray, all the shades of gray. That’s really what stories are…

Gathered up pieces of here and there, then and now, tossed inside an open suitcase, then jostled around by baggage handlers and customs inspectors. The owner of the bag gets to decide what size and shape and which articles get included. But where to begin when a closetful of memories stretch before you?

It’s a practice, a struggle, a perfect journey ~ placing one word after the next, deciding what is true for you, noticing how imagination blends with reality and reality shows its face as something we can never truly grasp.

Still… I dwell in possibility. 

During the month of March, Sharon Richards and I (the creators of SoulStrolling) are sharing 31 simple words to help you connect and collaborate with your world. (Click here for details and to download the words. No sign up and it’s FREE!)

Ponder the word for the day. Notice what arises in your mind. Free-write. Set a timer for 3 minutes. Make art. Dance it. Snap a photo. Use it as a walking meditation. Slow down. Take your soul for a stroll. Be present. What captures your eye? The ways to play are infinite!!!

Where might you experience #possibility in the world today?

Share your findings on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, your blog... Use the hashtag #soulstrolling + the prompt for the day (ex. #possibility) I'd love to know if you're playing!