Project 6: Creative Writing: Do pictures read us?

FLOATING SAUSAGES

This is a picture in which we see three men attempting to save their pigs from the flood.

By   Iñigo Lowe

This is how these men have to transport their pigs from the danger zone to a safe place. This action means a lot in itself, it is an attempt to save that which is most precious to them, their own lives. The reason why they do this is not because of any type of affection towards these animals- as could be the case with a dog- but because these pigs are their only means of moving ahead in life now they have lost everything else. These animals mean food. All we can capture from this scene is what is shown to us by the camera, but who knows what they are leaving behind- notice the resentful look in their eyes- or what they are heading towards- very likely the unknown -. Their houses have probably been flooded with foul water, permanently damaging their belongings, their crops destroyed, as seen in the background, etc. For these people, everything has lost significance. What they are focused on is in surviving, so they strive to keep the boat afloat, which is dangerously leaking, knowing that if they fail, the sinking boat will drag into the water, not only the pigs, but their own future down with it.

Project 5: Creative writing

Two companions

I still don´t understand what happened. My wife had never before really cared about Tim, in fact, she was quite oblivious to him. Maybe once in a while she lost her temper with the poor old dog, but that was quite rare. But this time she had simply exploded. There was no stopping her. After Tim´s unfortunate accident- knocking over and breaking a china vase- she stood up suddenly and said in a cold voice: “He goes or I go”. I just sat there, staring, I couldn’t believe my ears. What did she mean by go?
The next few moments where like a thunderstorm. She yelled something about a cat, which I didn´t quite get on the spur of the moment. Thinking back I realize she must have been speaking about the cat she had always wanted to have. I didn´t let her, for the simple reason that a dog and a cat couldn´t live together under the same roof. At the time she hadn´t complained that much, but now I know that she bore that resentfulness towards Tim because of this. I should have realized. I should have kept my eyes open. It was too late now. Before I knew what had happened, she had stormed out of the door, with my seven year old daughter clinging to her hand, not entirely aware of the situation. Of course, she wasn’t going to leave without anything, so half an hour later along comes a van, picking up her belongings which included the bed.
 I still can´t understand. All of this happened because of Tim? Or was it because of the wanted cat? All I know is that I´ve been a week sleeping on the floor, with Tim of course. Just as well there´s carpet!