In Beauty & the Beast the prince is offered a rose as an offering of thanks for his shelter. He did not give this shelter and so a welting flower marked his doom for when the petals fall he will remain a beast. Unless he loves, always a catch with gifts. I mean the guy doesn’t want someone in his house and in return she curses him because she didn’t get what she wanted in a test she made for him without his knowledge. I can think of a good allegory for this but, err, not a fan of rotten produce.

Instead think of a playground swing. Everyone’s relationship with a swing is lifelong and plays out in stages. You run to them and pump those little legs trying to gain the momentum needed so you don’t need to be pushed. Then it’s not cool to be pushed anymore. By the time you have the power to go over the bar it ends up as a hangout spot. A place to sit and talk of teenage angst. Maybe that angst changes to taking in life while eating a meal deal on your lunch break. Then it becomes time you can push. Then you swing alongside but your knees ache and the danger of a fall isn’t worth it. The seat is uncomfortable, the users too rowdy. It’s worth just leaving it.

We never know when those stages end, we don’t know our last push, the last pump of our legs or moan about the world. We don’t know when we flip over the top bar becoming the pusher. But we know those days will come and all the days that have been. Life tapestry through rusted strain. One object seemingly insignificant to our day to day lives but always there just the same.

A swing isn’t like a slide. A slide has a cut-off point where you can’t use it anymore. It doesn’t loom of what could be. You build up with a swing, it’s an achievement, a rite of passage.

How many other objects can hold that significance? A red rose symbolises love but is it something the Beast cares about as those petals fall. I guess the point is that eventually yes he does even if it seems insignificant to start with, as things develop it does become significant.

Which brings us to this week’s poll –
A phones declining battery – 15% charge and she still needs to call everybody she ever knew.
A looming computer update that will force a computer restart – Can she break the code in time or will the code break her?
Tara’s growing confidence – poetic.
Mocha dripping out of the cup – Caffeine, the productive people’s battery.
Slowly burning lethe’s bramble – She lit the flame but can she extinguish it?
A rose gaining petals – Losing petals seemed to work out well for her.
A complete play through of Doogie Howser, M.D – Will her fanfiction idea’s run out without canon content?
Cherry pie lady’s penis head going through the meat grinder – It’s a meat process.
Each page corner in a book being dog eared – We’re talking top and bottom. Even the book sleeve!
Old faithful stops squirting – The geyser.
Other – If you can magically shove it in a bell jar, it’s good to go.

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Cherry pie lady’s penis head going through the meat grinder. What a display piece and I think one of the only actions of Willow’s that she actually acknowledges traumatised her. Yet still inflated her ego. Insufferable.

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