Thursday, September 21, 2017

Fireblossom Friday : "The Distorted Lens"

Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic in "Jane Eyre."
Hello, poets. Fireblossom here with another Fireblossom Friday writing challenge for you. This time we're going to put our faces right up to the eyepiece and look at things through a distorted lens.

What happens if we can't trust our senses, or our mind's ability to interpret what they convey? Sometimes an illness or a brain injury can result in some very peculiar states of mind. Oliver Sacks reports about a man who believed that everyone in his life was an exact--yet false--duplicate of the people they pretended to be. It turned out that the pathways in his brain that connected facial recognition with emotional response had been compromised. As a result, this man saw faces he knew, but did not feel anything about them and so concluded that they had to be fakes.  

A stroke victim may lose "right" or "left" altogether, depending upon which side of the brain has been damaged. In her book "Left Neglected", Lisa Genova--author of "Still Alice"--writes about a (fictional) woman who has completely lost the notion of "left." Half the world ceases to exist for her.  

Mental illness can also certainly distort a person's understanding of the world around them. Such conditions as depression, paranoia, schizophrenia and dementia, not to mention alcoholism and drug addiction, can turn the world into a dark or absurd landscape.

So, your task is to write from the point of view of someone who is seeing reality through a distorted lens.  New poems only. No haiku because I have a deathly fear of Oriental forms. Enjoy. 
 

16 comments:

hedgewitch said...

Thanks for such a very original and tantalizing prompt, Shay. I have sort of twisted it a bit to the supernatural side, as I have been getting a touch of the All Hallows spirit--but then, they say all our demons are inside our own minds, don't they?

Sanaa Rizvi said...

Loved the prompt, Shay💕 sharing my poem 'Among the aspen trees' .. hope you like it! Happy Thursday, everyone!💕

Kerry O'Connor said...

A fascinating topic, Shay.

Magaly Guerrero said...

This prompt tickles the brain. I can't write anything today, but I will definitely catch up on Sunday. This is too good not to explore.

brudberg said...

I might have to dream up something here... but I will write something.

brudberg said...

Shamelessly I borrowed from the master himself in this ... Franz Kafka.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Yay, I wont have to look far for THIS prompt, lol..............good one, Shay. I have a wealth of material among my family members, as you know........

Anonymous said...

Great prompt. I have decided to play with the Fire in this Fireblossom Friday prompt. ;)

Outlawyer said...

Shay, I'm posting a poem that is all too literal in terms of distorted lens. It is a terrific prompt and I've not done it justice in terms of its breadth. k.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Hmmmm.......maybe this subject is too close to home. I wrote a poem, but am not sure I can post it.

Vivian Zems said...

Thanks Shay! This was fun😊

Jazzbumpa said...

Well

I did something.

Not sure what to make of it.

Cheers!
JzB

Susie Clevenger said...

Well, I went dark with mine. Halloween has come early to my muse. Great prompt!

Julian said...

Thanks for a great prompt on a topic that so often gets side stepped. I'll return tomorrow to read.

Angie said...

distorted, absurd you say? so, the usual? i'm probably off, but what else is new?

Gillena Cox said...

Posted late, went to Nursery Rhyme land for this one

much love...