Spiraling

  Poets and Storyteller United #163 

"Your optional prompt this week is to rewrite one of your not-quite-working pieces by transcribing it backwards, and then following wherever that leads you."

I went with the prompt and took an oldie but not goodie that was going nowhere.  I transcribed it backwards, which I took to mean the last line became the first, and the last word of each line became the first.   That sure didn't make it any better!  Then, pulled out words in that order, making some sense, but not much. I tried.

What I ended up with was this... 

spiral galaxy image

Time. 

Past days end at the center.
Drop smaller and smaller
in spiral nothingness.

Flung ‘round and ‘round.
Life ceaseless.

Nights longer 
follow 

days long. 

©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved

The backwards transcript:

Time biding

waiting inertia

caring past long

passed have days the

end the at center the into drop to

smaller and smaller, in spiral

nothingness

into out flung

when, tail the

end the reach

‘round and ‘round goes life

center in born

spiral ceaseless

become life’s my what are

nights longer by

followed

days long