dailyprompt-1886 – Olivia's Atelier

Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite type of weather?

I’m not very good at cooking.

I usually keep my meals simple. I prepare food that is easy and does not need a lot of time or attention. Cooking has never been something I enjoy. I find the act tiresome. The heat, the standing, and the continual movement in a hot kitchen. It wears me out quickly.

But today was different. I decided to prepare something special for the family. It was more than just a meal this time, a little more considered. I took my time, slicing the vegetables: eggplant, okra, and long beans. I observed the knife’s path, the way it transformed the surfaces as it went. Usually, I don’t focus on such details. Today I did.

The kitchen was hot. The heat was not only coming from the stove but also from the long, hot day. The sun was dazzling. The air felt still. As I stirred the pot, I could feel the heat descended on my skin and stay there. It made me feel sluggish.

I dislike this weather. If I could, I would always pick something cooler. Rain or a cloudy afternoon with gentle light and lighter air. My body moves more effortlessly on such days. Less clutter in my head.

Today was not one of those days. It was bright and sunny outside, and I was preparing something spicy in a warm kitchen. The combination felt strange. The heat from the stove, the heat from the weather, and the heat from the food layered on top of each other. I stirred the curry and watched it thicken. The aroma and the warmth mixed as they spread through the room.

The heat persisted when I finally sat down to eat. In the air, on my skin, and in my food. The curry was delicious. A little spicy, but not too much. The veggies kept their form. The broth wasn’t overly thick.

I took my time eating. The spiciness stayed on my tongue. The warmth remained in my chest. Outside, the light had not softened yet.

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Daily writing prompt

What is your favorite type of weather?

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My favorite weather is right after it rains—when the sky turns clear and blue, and the air feels cool against my skin. There’s something about that moment that always makes me think of him.

This poem is my response to the blogging prompt “What is your favorite type of weather?” For me, it’s not solely about the weather but the memories it brings back: the cafe we used to go to, neon reflections in rain puddles, our walks by the riverside, his glance when I turned slightly toward him, then looked away. And that one moment I’ll never forget—when love became something sacred between us.

I wrote this to hold onto all of that. Maybe you’ll feel a bit of it too.

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After the Rain

After the rain,
a sky reborn in blue and cool air—
where I miss you most.

I remember the café,
between raindrops and neon on puddles—
pink, yellow, red, blue—
of cooled steel and second chances.

You were always most beautiful in that light—
when the clouds shifted
to make way for clarity.
There you sat, gazing through the window.
I nodded—
and we stepped outside,
two shadows in the wet streets,
to the path along the riverside,
where children raced their scooters,
wild, unburdened joy.

Your hands in your pockets.
I turned just enough to meet your gaze,
then looked away.

And then,
in the aftermath, unbound by the gentle drizzle,
I found you—
on bended knees,
where I was both altar and sinner,
reminding me that love,
in its truest form,
is its own sacred weather.

Do you remember
how even the storm became a confession,
and every clear sky
revealed the beauty
of our impermanence?

I still wander in the clear wake—
a pilgrim of rain and neon dreams,
and every breath of cool air
carries the wonder of you.

Tag: dailyprompt-1886

The Heat Stayed

After the Rain | When He Returns—in the light, the puddles, the sky