Thursday, September 20, 2012

ANGEL OF THE HARBOR


Thanks to Madison Woods for posting my Friday Fictioneers photo prompt this week (9/21/12). Below is my story. 



                      **** ANGEL OF THE HARBOR ****

"Teacher, are you sure this Hudson Riverboat is safe? I can't swim."

"Don't worry, Johnny. Class, look to your left. On the Manhattan shoreline. Do you see the white, marble statue on that barge?"

"Yes, Mrs. Ryan." Class answers in unison.

"I see three wings." Billy says.

"She's called 'Angel of the Harbor.' Billy, those are not wings. They're three oars. Two and a spare. Long ago, Native Indians crossed the river in canoes. As the story goes, when one lost an oar, she offered a spare so he could reach the shoreline without drowning.

"She praying?"

"No, Lucy. She's resting until she's needed."

****
Note: 

One can find this stunning sculpture on a retired barge at 26th Street, Manhattan Hudson River shoreline. Enlarge the photo and you will see in the background the Jersey side of the shoreline, laced in colored lights.  She is named "Angel of the Harbor" or "Lady of the Harbor." At first sight, she is large, beautiful and breathtaking; a smooth, solid piece of white, Italian marble.  She sits on a retired 3-level barge facing the river. It has an outdoor restaurant and dance floor. A festive party is held every year as the barge sits at the site of Macy's July 4th fireworks. The artist offered no interpretation, so I  wrote my own.






31 comments:

  1. A lovely story, Lora, and you told it well. Thanks for the interesting photo too. My take on it is here http://anneorchardwriter.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/friday-fictioneers-partys-over/

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    1. Hi Anne: Thank you for your lovely comments. Will visit you soon.

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  2. Aha! I thought they looked like oars! Brilliant story, Lora. As always. Great picture, too. Thanks for sharing it.Also, thanks for commenting on mine.
    Rockstar.

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    1. Rochelle...if you saw oars, you should have joined me and gone in that direction. Everyone else went with wings...which is logical. TKs for visiting.

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  3. I'm still smiling as I type this. What a nice, light-hearted, cute story.
    Randy

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    1. Hi Randy: Glad you like my light-hearted, cute story. Will visit you soon.

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  4. Very interesting interpretation of the statue...I'm ready to believe that this really is the meaning of those three, well, things on her back. I like the way the kids keep chiming in and the teacher is determined to have them learn something from their trip.

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    1. Hi Pillow... Nice to hear from you. I added a follow-up note. Hope you find the time to return and read it. Tks for visiting.

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  5. Lora, that sounds exactly like something a teacher or parent would say (true or just a good story) to calm a child. Well done.

    Love the picture, BTW. What's the back story?

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    1. Hi Janet: I added a follow-up note. Hope you find the time to return to read it. Thanks for stopping by.

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  6. This sounded so plausible that you had me Googling 'Angel of the Harbour'! Well done.

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    1. Hi Dude ~ Sorry I led you astray. Wish it were true but it came from my Muse. Thks for stopping by. Will visit you soon. Oh..I added a follow-up note. Hope you return to read it.

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  7. Lovely take on your lovely prompt! Your photo was a huge inspiration for me, so thank you!

    http://www.lazuli-portals.com/flash-fiction/the-angel-thinks

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    1. Hi Joanna...Glad you like my prompt and story. Thanks for stopping by. I will vist you soon.

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  8. Love the picture, Lora - is the legend behind your story real or did you make it up? Fascinating either way.
    I like how you teach us through the children. Do kids actually say "Teacher" though? I have heard "Miss" or "Sir" more. Also, talking of teachers, my old English teacher would have strung you up for using brackets around "in unison" but I'm guessing you ran out of words to do anything more stylish as the rest is so polished.
    I'm over here: http://elmowrites.wordpress.com/2012/09/21/friday-fiction-breaking-the-backs-of-angels/

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    1. Hi Elmo: It's my own interpretation. Yes, here in NYC, the sassy kids still say.."Teach" or "Teacha." Read Frank McCourt's book Teacher Man..You will get the idea. lol. Thks for the bracket tip...I fixed it. I also added a follow-up note. Hope you return to read it.

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  9. an interesting tale. is that an existing folktale or all yours?

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    1. Hi Rich: It my own. I added a follow-up note. Hope you return to read it. Tks for stopping by. Will visit you soon.

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  10. Lora, I really like this story. It it the real story behind the sculpture? I wondered, as that sculpture is very unusual and one can not always depict what an artist is conveying in their creation. Kind of like us writers sometimes, huh? :) Thanks for reading and commenting on my stories too. Glad I finally got both up for viewing since I was week late posting one on the spider web.

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    1. Hi Joyce: It was my own interpretation. I added a follow-up note. I hope you return to read it. Thanks for commenting.

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  11. When I first saw the photo, I thought they looked more like fish fins than wings and almost turned my character into a Michael Phelps. I love the explanation in your story.

    thanks for sharing your photo. It's spawned some interesting stories :)

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    1. Hi Russell - Oh.. A Michael Phelps...fish fin story. I'm sure it would have your usual witty style. Thanks for visiting and commenting.

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  12. I really like your interpretation of the story, it sounds like a real one! It was a great prompt, brought out a lot of feelings. Thanks, Lora.

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  13. Hi Lora, It really is a striking photograph. I had no idea where this came from. Thanks for sharing it. In my story, I didn't picture a harbor. That probably would have been an entirely different story.

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  14. Hi, Lora. Thanks for the striking photo for the prompt. I never would have envisioned it was by a harbor. But now, I can see it!

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  15. Are they really oars? I know you made up the story, but I'm wondering if the wings are really supposed to be oars or if that's your interpretation of their appearance.

    Interesting information and story.

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  16. Thanks for the interesting photo, Lora. I thought they looked like the fins of a whale more than anything, but wings went better with where my story was headed, so wings I went with.

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  17. This could easily be the story behind the statue, very well written. Thanks for sharing the photo as well.

    Boomie Bol

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  18. This could easily be the story behind the statue. So well written! Many thanks for sharing this photo with us all.

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  19. So nice to know that kind, sensitive teachers still exist and that Johnny can rest easy knowing he'll be thrown an oar if he needs one--nice story. Dramatic photo and provocative prompt. Thanks.

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  20. Hey Lora! Thank you for the photo inspiration and the wonderful story to go with it! Nice to know more about the statue!

    John

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