28 November 2025
Posted by Joanna Barnard
He Was No Longer There
In the first of a series showcasing work produced in the autumn term, I'd like to share this beautiful piece from Writing for Wellbeing participant Maggie Farran.
The prompt was I Am Learning to Abandon the World by Linda Pastan
He Was No Longer There
She felt for his warm body, next to her in the bed. The bed, they had shared for sixty years, but he was no longer there. The space next to her was empty and flat. She lay still in the bed, and her mind was in darkness. Her limbs were stiff, and she pulled the covers up to her chin. She saw everything in grey now. Colour had left her world. She just wanted to stay in bed all day and wait for the time when her side of the bed would be empty too. She forced herself to have a shower and get dressed. She walked carefully down the stairs holding onto the banister. It was a habit, so that she didn’t fall. Why didn’t she just let herself fall now? What was the point of clutching onto life? She boiled her egg and made her toast, as she did every day. She looked across the table at the empty space. On the windowsill was an orchid plant. It was temperamental and only flowered when it felt like it. She looked carefully and there it was in full colour, two bright orange flowers and a pale orange bud. After all the grey there was a vividness in their colours, that overwhelmed her. She felt the memory of his hand on her shoulder and was convinced, that over time colours would be revealed to her again.
Photo by Barthelemy de Mazenod on Unsplash
Archive
Junior & Young Writers: Week 11 - end of term showcase [build a bard workshop]
Junior & Young Writers: Week 10 - Greek Theatre - chorus stories
Junior & Young Writers: Week 9 - Greek Origin Stories - Spring
Rubber Ducks & Writing Festivals
Junior & Young Writers: Week 7 - Greek Hero Stories [the 12 labours of Hercules]
Junior & Young Writers: Week 12 [Wild Words] - Stuff & Things
Junior & Young Writers: Week 11 [Wild Words] - World Building 2
Junior & Young Writers: Week 10 [Wild Words] - World Building
Junior & Young Writers: Week 9 [Wild Words] - Mystery & Choose Your Own Adventure
Junior & Young Writers: Week 8 [Wild Words] - Spooky Sequels & Potion Poems
Junior & Young Writers – Week 10 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Final Showcase
Junior & Young Writers – Week 9 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Editing & Performance Tips
Junior & Young Writers – Week 8 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Cuteness
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Junior & Young Writers – Week 7 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Natural Solutions
Junior & Young Writers – Week 6 (Writers’ Inspiration) – The Language of Fruit and Veg
Junior & Young Writers – Week 5 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Adventures In Space
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Junior & Young Writers – Week 4 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Our Environment
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Junior & Young Writers – Week 3 (Writers’ Inspiration) – Home
Young Writers - Week 10 (The Art of Writing) – Final Week Showcase
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Young Writers – Week 8 (The Art of Writing) – Sequel Stories
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