Surface

This week, I’ve found the word surface for you.

Surface (noun)

An area of exterior or outer layer

Surface (verb)

The rising up of something to the surface

What comes to mind?

When I think of the word surface, I’m immediately drawn to water. The reflective surface of a still pond. The frothy surface of the sea.

There’s a pond near me. When the conditions are just right – light levels, water levels, season – I can just see a few abandoned koi swimming beneath the surface.

Something that lurks in the depths surfaces occasionally. Is that a result of circumstance, environmental factors, or necessity? I don’t know.

I’m drawn to the water’s edge: where the land meets the sea meets the sky. The smooth tumbled surface of stones. The sea-wizened surface of wooden groynes. The sand as it’s saturated again and again. The above becoming below.

Where might this week’s word take you?

Spend five minutes looking at a surface of water. A pond, the sea, a puddle, a glass of water – any wet surface will do.

Over the five minutes, try adjusting your eyes or viewing position. How does it change what you can see reflected in the surface, what’s on the surface and under the surface? Create a list of observations from each viewpoint. Can you then shape what you notice into a piece of writing?

As always, we love to see what you come up with, if you’d like to share. And if you’d like to share it in our weekly Note and Journal, please send it to me.