The Golden Star

Chapter 3 of Where The Wind Takes Us

Okay.

This one feels a bit more vulnerable.

I’ve spent very little time editing this chapter compared to 1 & 2. I’ve left the stanza structure and punctuation exactly as I wrote it, and I’ve left some parts I’m not totally happy with. I want to experiment sharing drafts that are more raw and imperfect. After all, this is one of my intentions with Unfinished. Please share your feedback: how did it make you feel? Are there any parts that didn’t land or that seem to be missing something? Are you working on something of your own that you’d like to share or collaborate on? Know that my inbox is always open.

Thanks again for being here. Enjoy!

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End of Chapter 2

By now Red was so tired
She had stretched herself thin
She felt lost and deflated–
"When will my life begin?"

Chapter 3

The Golden Star

By the next day
Red had dropped to the ground
Her sadness kept her low 
Shrinking her chances of being found
Then a young woman came down the aisle
And Red’s luck turned around

It was a February day Red will never forget
She felt the softest touch when she least expected it
A hand reached out, lifting her up with ease
And gave her shiny latex a gentle squeeze

Her curve fit perfectly in the smooth, warm palm
Fingers drumming against her side
The red glow doubled in the woman’s eyes
Like two bright suns burning in the sky

Red perked up as if brand new
Then let out a squeak of relief
At last, she was chosen just as she was
No extra fluff, tricks or frills

She held on to the handle
Of the woman's shopping cart
It was full of other red things:
Streamers, garlands, 
Sweets shaped like hearts. 
"This must be where I belong"
She thought as the woman carried on.
The closer they got to the checkout line
The more she filled up with pride.

Right before they leave the store
Red is surprised with a golden star–
Not the kind you might imagine,
Now she can’t go very far.
If she tries to float up or soar 
She’s jolted down to the same spot
A heavy weight she’d never felt 
Tugs sharply at her knot.

At first she didn’t understand
She’d rather be in the woman’s hands
But outside she saw the wind
Shaking the treetops and scattering leaves.
A strange feeling stirred inside, 
But she pushed it away quickly
"I’m sad the woman let me go,
But this way surely I’ll be safe"
She convinced herself the weight was okay
"This way I‘ll never fly away."

They finally cross the threshold 
Red’s moment has arrived
Her dream is now fulfilled
She swells up to say goodbye:
"So long, Libertee! 
I'll see you on the other side!"

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Reflection Prompts

“At last, she was chosen just as she was…”

1. One of Red’s primary desires is to be shown free love and acceptance. Though you might already have people who love you for you, what would it look like to give yourself 1% more of that same kind of love?

“Red is surprised with a golden star…now she can’t go very far.”

2. Describe a moment when you got exactly what you thought you wanted, only to realize it wasn’t the answer you’d imagined. What did that teach you about the difference between achievement and fulfillment?

Red sees the force of the wind outside, and feels “a strange feeling stir inside.” But she pushes it away.

3. What whisper of truth have you been ignoring? What is it trying to tell you that you haven’t felt ready to hear? If you allow yourself to just listen, without the pressure to act on it, what would it say?

Red convinces herself “the weight was okay…” “This way I’ll surely be safe.”

4. What compromise or restrictions have you made peace with too quickly, perhaps rationalizing it as safety? What are you telling yourself is “for your own good” that might actually be holding you back? And what is that sense of safety actually costing you?