Summer Cherries

Task: Write a diary entry pretending you are Blanche. In the diary, explain why you didn’t want to let the newspaper boy go; whom he reminded you of; and why you kissed him. 

 


 

3796b Dear Diary,

 

Of all the kisses I have had, there is something about the sweetness of that dear little newspaper boy’s lips that make this among the most innocent and sincere. He didn’t quite kiss back, but he didn’t pull away either, and in that moment of genuine connection, there was a dissipation of bliss into the room. I hadn’t been kissed with such boyish charm since…well never mind the time. Such charm is why I kissed him. I needed to be reminded of what it means to catch a boy. After all, I’m after one now. I’ve spent so long chancing men with rough, demanding hands, that I’ve almost forgotten how it is to love with rose petal lips and the euphoria of simplicity.

That’s the difference between kissing boys and men I suppose. Men are looking for what follows most of the time, but boys are just content with the moment. They’re happy to just drink in all the adolescent wonder that comes with kissing. Not to say that boys don’t kiss without want of course, but their want is solely to kiss and be kissed. Such darling simplicity! How long has it been since kissing was that simple? Even in marriage, I believe my young husband, my Allen, was looking for something in our kisses. Of course, he was a boy too, but he wanted to believe he could be a man, so he tried to kiss like one. He searched desperately for some sort of emotion or feeling to cling to, hidden in my lips. Sometimes I wonder if such a thing even existed within me, and if he spent what precious time he had searching in vain.

This boy however, he wanted nothing me other than a moment of my time and a press of my lips. streetcar-3He didn’t want to put me under bright lights, or silk sheets, or examine me as though I were a bug under a microscope. What a relief it was to just simply exist without thinking of such fears! He wasn’t much in way of technique, or even enthusiasm, but there was something irresistible in his cherry taste. It was as though I was kissing childhood summers personified! If I didn’t know better, I’d say his lips were a blend between ocean spray, ice cream under a noon day sun, and the rosy colours of dawn all rolled into one. By his kiss I was seventeen again. Only for a moment, but what a moment it was! It was summer, and all the frost that seems to have enveloped the world these past few days thawed. I could by no means call it a search light, but it did remind me how sparks feel. They feel wonderfully warm! Who could have ever known that fire burns with the taste of cherry? When it ended, there was still a tingle on my lips and no clouds came to steal my summer sun away. I suppose that’s the power of a chaste kiss; you get all of the validation and pleasure, but none of the regret that follows. I was sad to see it end, but I knew if I let it continue, it would be sullied, and then I could treasure it no more.

 hqdefaultOf course, not all kisses can be this way. I know that. There can be no future for people who only in the moment, and I am in need of a future. This doesn’t mean though that I don’t cherish the such wonderful moments as the kiss I had today. If I could, I would string those moments together and wear them as though they were a rope of pearls. How they would put all other jewels shame, for nothing can shine brighter than the happiness I have felt in those moments. Nothing flatters me more, makes me feel younger or  fresher or as beautiful as when I am adorned with such wealth for only adoration’s sake.

  That is why I do believe Mitch and I could make it if we tried. We’re both so lonely, and he looks at me as though I were Venus herself. He’s no Lancelot of course, but the way he looks at me is enough to make me weak in the knees. He kisses like a man, but I don’t mind. I know what he is searching for and that makes all the difference. I can become a bride for him, so long as all he wants is to love me in low light.

Humbly Yours,

Blanche DuBois

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4 thoughts on “Summer Cherries

  1. Dearest Megan,

    Your diary entry was absolutely stunning. It was beautifully written, as all of your pieces are, and the way you articulated Blanche’s emotions and feelings set a very realistic tone to the piece as a whole.

    There’s not much I can say in terms of improvement, however I would recommend reading over your piece a couple times more to check for small errors, such as forgetting the word “live” in “there can be no future for people who only in the moment.” Then again, that’s just me being picky.

    Just on a side note, my favorite aspect of your blog was the recurrence of symbolic objects and ideals that were introduced in the play. My personal favorite was– ” I can become a bride for him, so long as all he wants is to love me in low light.”

    Your brilliant Megan.

    Yours truly,
    Sania

    1. Dear Sania, Carmen, and Rehman,

      Thank you for your feedback. It truly is appreciated. I’m flattered that you all think so highly of me and my work, and I’m even more flattered for all the constructive feedback I’ve been given. I understand that isn’t always easy to approach a senior student with, so the fact all three of you would offer something to me is a gift. Thank you.

      Sincerely,
      Megan

  2. Dear Megan,

    My, oh my, what a wonderful work of literature! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to thank you enough for writing this magnificent piece of literature. Not only was it entertaining, but it also bought forth something which I had been longing for ever since I first finished reading the play; a glance inside the mind of Blanche DuBois. I was able to understand the other characters to a certain extent, but my own mind was unable to grapple with the character of Blanche. After reading this piece, I feel that I’ve been able to enter an elated state, as I’m finally able to understand some aspects of the play which I was unable to comprehend prior to reading this! As I was reading this, I thought of an actual Blanche reading this letter out as she wrote it; in fact, by the time I reached the ending, I was contemplating whether or not you and Blanche were one and the same.

    To be completely honest with you, the name Megan has become synonymous with the word genius. Your connection of the difference between boys and men was honestly something that I had been thinking over in my head since we began reading SCND, and I’m not exaggerating when I say that you’re ideas on the subject had me stuck in one place for minutes on end; I’d be trying to understand the essence of the piece, trying to understand how you may have been thinking when you wrote this astounding letter. I’m actually struggling to type this comment in sensible words, because your letter effectively ignited a spark in my mind, and now my thoughts are engulfed in understanding this piece, for all it’s words and phrases.

    Something that left me dumbstruck, was the absence of your own voice in this piece. It’s like I wasn’t reading your beautiful writing, but the writing of Blanche DuBois. The tone was different, there was a difference in stylistic choices, and even the diction were suitable for the character of Blanche DuBois; doing something like that, AND making the writing entertaining is something which I had originally thought to be nearly impossible, yet you were able to do so, weaving words and phrases together to suit Blanche…you never cease to amaze me.

    If I dare to go so far as to criticize this piece, in all it’s glory, I’m not surprised to say that I’m actually struggling to find something worthy to point out as a mistake. Partially, it’s due to the fact that I’m unable to critically analyze this complex piece due to the level of analysis that it presents in the eyes of Blanche. The other reason is because of the level of mastery you have in combining your strong level of reading, and your expertise in writing, to create a delicate piece that has the ability to send readers into a deep abyss of analytical thinking. If I were absolutely forced to give critical feedback, it would to add a slightly stronger emotional tone to the piece, adding Blanche’s terrible emotional state, or perhaps her desperation? (Yes, I know, very lame constructive criticism). The reason I say that is not because of a lack of it in your writing, but because I feel that doing so would add an interesting dimension of emotion in this already elegant piece.

    I’m actually very sorry for making this comment as long as it became, but I believe that I got swept up in your writing. I’ve honestly learned so much from it, as I always do whenever I read your writing or hear you speaking. This extraordinary piece has become crucial in my understanding of this play, and I can’t wait to add my interpretation of it into my journal! I truly hope that you continue to write, because not only is it entertaining to read, but it’s also extremely thought provoking.

    All in all, I’d like to thank you for writing this piece. for expanding my understanding of Night, of Antigone, SCND, and various other texts we have read. Thank you for being a teacher whom I can learn from. Thank you for being someone I can look up to and aspire to be like.

    Thank you, Megan Wilson, for being an inspiring individual who has influenced the most positive changes out of myself since the day I first heard you speak in AP LA.

    Sincerely and Yours Truly,

    Rehman

  3. Dear Megan,

    I would like to start off this comment by letting you know how much of a pleasure it is to read your work! Although this is (sadly) my first time commenting on your blog, I have read all of your posts; they are truly amazing, Megan. There is a certain fluency and decorum in everything you write, which I find extremely pleasant.

    A major bravo to you in regards to the flow of this piece – it was a simple, yet utterly powerful, way of expressing a side of Blanche. I love how you wove little snippets of symbolism (as Sania said). It really helped to amplify the connection to the text. I can only dream to have such effortlessness in the flow of my own writing.

    Just one of the many instances where I felt this connection to the text was in this line: “I’ve spent so long chancing men with rough, demanding hands, that I’ve almost forgotten how it is to love with rose petal lips and the euphoria of simplicity.” For me, this ties into that description of her tainted image. I got the notion that it contrasted the idea of her stained innocence against the purity of an untouched child, – a child not yet exposed to the dirtiness of the world. I would love to hear your thoughts on this contrast, or if this observation simply was me over-analyzing (which I do a lot!).

    There are no corrections or constructive criticism that I can offer you – this piece was just too perfect, it seems! 🙂

    Thank you so much for allowing myself and everyone in our class view your work – it truly is something to look up to!

    Sincerely,

    Carmen 🙂

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