Here Comes The Sun
Flash Fiction & Personal Essay
Gosh, Rick West couldn’t have timed this week’s Stories from the Jukebox writing prompt any better. It’s been sunny and 75 every day since Here Comes the Sun was published. Spring has arrived at the party — it ain’t even dark yet, and it looks like he’s been day-drinking. He’ll be plastered and draped over the keg before midnight. 😒
Here Comes the Sun is a beautiful song of hope, it represents the end of a cold spell. But when I hear that phrase, I see an unrelenting Sun — and it’s bringing Hell’s fury with it.
I try not to make a habit of it, but I’m combining my submission and blog post this week because they coincided anyway. I was on this train before the Beatles jumped aboard. But boy oh boy did they frame the thought just right.
When I started this essay last Sunday afternoon, on March 1st — The first line being, “Well, leisure time is over. Every waking moment from today, until it is too hot to breathe, will be spent working.” — My Sweetheart was behind the couch vacuuming at the time.
I’ve looked back, and see that I was somehow able to stretch winter into April last year. But my babydoll has put a Dennis Rodman block on that shot — get that junk outta here!
And while most of America, and I guess the northern hemisphere are excited to be able to emerge from their winter dens — the gnats have barely even took a break around here. Sure it was cold for a couple dozen days, but that’s about the extent of winter in Southern Georgia.
Around here, Spring is, “Naw, this don’t count as summer yet.” And Fall is, “Damn if it ain’t summer, still.” And Winter runs from about Dec, 28th to Feb, 28th, give or take a week. So pretty soon, it’ll be impossible for me to put off many of the things around here that I’d rather not be doing.
So, Here Comes the Sun — whether I’m ready or not.
Meanwhile, I’m playing hide-and-seek over here. But to no avail — hell, time even springs forward this week!
So, Here Comes the Sun — I might as well embrace it.
And once I do. After I finally thaw — I’ll be happy that I did. I’ll look back and say, “Boy, you sure made it hard for yourself, MJ.” And yet, I’m still not ready for it…
But, Here Comes the Sun, anyway.
Okay so here is the Flash Fiction piece that was written as a companion to this piece. I think the two-together, do a great job of showing the power of perception. How we choose to frame our thoughts, makes all the difference.
Here Comes The Sun - Flash Fiction
“Here Comes the Sun,” the clerk said. “Brace yourself, Johnny. This’un is all sunshine, all the time.”
“Good morning, gentleman,” MJ said as he entered the feed store.
“Mornin’,” both men replied.
MJ told the clerk he was there to pick up seed for M&M Farms, then went about his business. He was humming along to the tune of Here Comes the Sun, when John approached.
“Peanuts, huh?”
“Yessir,” MJ said, brandishing a big smile. “Ain’t no telling how many trips I’ve made up here this week — we’re planting over four-thousand acres this year.”
“That’ll make for a loong summer,” John said, shaking his head.
“Yeah, but I’m proud to have the work,” MJ said. “There’s lots of fellas that’d kill for this job, I imagine.”
~
“Here Comes the Sun,” the attendant said. “Watch this.”
“Hey Polk,” he said as MJ walked into the station.
“Good afternoon, gentleman,” he responded as he approached the counter. “Hey Ralph, let me get twenty on pump one, and a BBQ sandwich, please sir.”
“Damn pollen’s going to tote us off if we ain’t careful,” Ralph said as he handed MJ his sandwich.
“Yup, I started taking allergy medicine yesterday. It used to not bother me at all, but as I get older I reckon I get more and more sensitive to it.”
Ralph perked up, he thought for a minute he had’em. He seconded MJ’s statement by saying, “It’s just terrible.”
“Oh not at all!” MJ replied, smiling. “The flowers will be blooming soon, and boy oh boy do I love me some honey. So, I reckon I can stand a little pollen for a week or two.”
~
“Here Comes the Sun,” the bartender said under his breath as MJ entered.
“Good evening, Sam,” MJ said, smiling, and pulled up a stool. “Lemme get a Stella draft, please sir.”
Sam, being a professional, asked him how the planting season was going. Though, he wasn’t really up for MJ’s constant light today. After all that he’d been through in the past week, the last thing he wanted to do was pretend that everything was hunky-dory.
“It’s going well, Sam. We’re a little behind — it’s been tough, with all the rain and all. You know.”
Sam gave a polite nod, and moved to wipe the other end of the bar again. But Mr Sunshine continued after giving a big sigh.
“I’m worn out to be honest, Sam. The heat is really giving me a hard time this year. I don’t believe it used to get this hot, this early.”
“Global warming,” Sam said, being drawn in now.
“Maybe,” MJ replied.
There was silence for a while, both men were familiar enough with one another that they didn’t have to speak for the sake of it.
Then after Sam’d slid another cold mug over, MJ said, “I reckon the earth goes through cycles, and there ain’t much we can do about that. But as a whole, we could probably do a lot better.”
“Maybe,” Sam replied.
“Naw really,” MJ said, as he took a long draw of the ice cold draft. “Just because things are going sideways, doesn’t mean that we have to help it along.”
Sam thought about this, then said, “Sometimes things just happen, we get caught off guard, right? You don’t think that sometimes we just get swept up in the whole mess?”
“Sure we do, Sam. But most of the time it’s like drowning in a foot of water. We’re so frantic, we forget that all we have to do is to stand up. No matter what happens to or around us, we always have a choice as to how we respond.”
“Mmm, I don’t think it’s quite as easy as that.”
“It isn’t,” MJ conceded with a smile. “Nothing’s easy at first. But it does get easier after we’ve practiced some, right? It’s like pushing a hay bale down a hill. The first couple of times it doesn’t seem to move at all. But once you get it started, it just seems to take off on it’s on.”
MJ held up his half-drunk draft. “Some would say this is half empty, right?”
“Sure,” Sam obliged, as MJ drained the mug.
“And most would say that it’s empty now.”
“No shit,” Sam laughed.
“Well Sam, not me. I say that this mug is primed for another!”😉
“Hahaha,” Sam laughed, despite himself. He took the now hopeful mug and refilled it until it overflowed with goodness…
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I laughed out loud a few times! It's spot on! You said it! You are Mr Sunshine!
Loved it! And the narration! Excellent!
Winter starts early here. By October, it's getting dark and wet. As November rolls around, the rain gets really cold. It's dark by 4 pm. Stays that way until late January. Always raining, always dark. Winter in London is a miserable affair. Then you turn up in late January with your Send the Sun thing. Mr Sunshine himself. You brought some sunlight to my world, and I basked in it. This is what you appear to do, MJ. Maybe life isn't always quite how it seems when viewed on the internet, but I feel your warm energy even over here, where, incidentally, it's piddling down with rain and is as grey as an old mare outside. So thanks for reflecting the light my way. I read that story, read between the lines, and I know how it can sometimes be. Eat a peach.