Willie wanted to sing. To be more exact he wanted to sing opera but who ever heard of an operatic whale.
It all began a few years ago when Willie, while swimming around in the ocean with is family, first got his voice. He didn't know what happened but one day when Willie was playing tag with his friends, sending out whale sounds to the other whales his age, he discovered he could make sounds entirely different then the ordinary high pitched sounds the other whales made. Willie could achieve notes that were so different, so beautiful that the other whales thought he was a little strange. Well, Willie was a bit strange. Willie wanted to sing opera. But who ever heard of an operatic whale
Willie loved to sing and practiced all day and long into the night but he could only sing a few notes. They were beautiful notes but not as beautiful as the ones Willie knew were deep inside his being. The other whales made fun of Willie and shunned his parents for not teaching him the correct way to communicate with each other but his parents knew Willie was special. They just ignored all the teasing and went about the business of looking for their food, swimming around in the ocean and breaching when ever the mood fell on them to show off a bit, as all good whales do.
Time went by and Willie grew into a massive gray whale measuring 75 feet in length and weighing more then several tons. Now that he was older he had certain duties to the family group that he belonged to and he honored all of them and did a good job of keeping himself fit. Still, even with all his practice his singing voice would not let him sing the wonderful tunes he knew were inside him.
As Willie aged his parents grew old and, as all whales do at the end of their life, first his father and then later his mother left him to swim off alone never again to be seen swimming with the group. Willie missed his parents but hoped one day to be reunited with them and to finally reach those high notes when he sang the opera he loved.
Willie spent many years swimming in the ocean singing and making new friends. The other whales did not make fun of him any more. Willie supposed they had finally gotten used to hearing him sing even though it was different then whales are suppose to sing.
One day while singing an especially beautiful song Willie got the sudden urge to swim off by himself. He didn't know exactly what was happening but knew it was what he had to do. Willie swam off as the other whales looked on. Some, knowing what was happening, said good bye right away and others swam along beside him for a short distance but then left him to continue on his final journey alone.
Not long after that the whales were all swimming together when suddenly from out of nowhere, flowing through the currents, coming over the waves and rising from the depths of the ocean they heard the most beautiful singing they had ever heard. It completely surrounded them and they knew instantly it was Willie and they knew he had finally found the singing voice he had been waiting for all those long years of practice. It was as if the angels had come down from the heavens to sing with Willie as he sang his favorite opera.
Willie always wanted to sing but to be more exact he wanted to sing opera. Now Willie, the operatic whale, sings his Aida as all the angels accompany him with their harps and their voices while the other whales listen and rejoice and are glad they knew him way back when.
Author notes
Dang...I ended up with 643 words..more or less...no wonder I can't write haiku
Well, this was the better of the two I managed to write so you can only imagine how lame the other one is...
In a list
A contest entry
- Fiction On AllPoetry? Call Me Rebel! by Yemassee.
875 points, ended October 3, 2008, 11 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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Heavenly
Willie went to Whale Heaven. A charming thought. I sincerely hope we are all so lucky. Best Wishes.
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Your story gave me tears, eh.
I mean... remembering my special friend... he is sick...but he stopped singing, painting/sketching and writing poetry. I love his simple but beautiful poems about pain, love and humor.
Sometimes... I ask myself... why such talents he will just throw away? Then, I will answer myself... maybe(just maybe) there's something wrong with him... maybe he really is very sick and just waiting... waiting... waiting to get better! .... so he can come over here and say to me: "BRAT!" 
I like modern short stories for all ages, especially for kids.
I love all kinds of poetry as long as they are simple to understand... so I can relate.
I LOVE READING THIS ONE!
Summer51
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Came to have another look plus to thank you for all the reading you've done in this and the fiction contest I am running. That was nice of you. It's rare that folk do that. I do try on occasion but not as often as I should. Thanks!
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Hi Yem,
I love reading the different stories and poetry when I am in a contest...I get to go and read different profiles when it is a new person to me and by doing that I find some wonderful information, learn a great deal and is my way of relaxing at the end of a busy day or some times to take a break in the middle...I should do it more often then just contest but it seems that is the only time I take time out for for writing ...shame on me..I need to schedule artist dates for my self...take walks and stop to smell the roses...
So keep having the contest...it helps to keeep me out of trouble...
Right now I am busy getting caught up and getting ready for my sister, catz, to visit for 3 weeks...I am so excited...she has never visited me since I moved here to Florida and I have only seen her once since 2001 when we left Washington...I am throwing myself a 70th birthday party and she is coming...dang...should have done it years ago...
Some of the information I found from exploring profiles has been on Haiku which I have grown to love...and one article on Compression which was wonderful...I think the writer was Micol...will check and give you the correct name...
Have a good weekend...Darlene
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This is so beautiful but also sad. Ah, I really got very sad when he left to swim alone...but then his voice, his sing, finally came as he always dreamed.
I didn't know whales leave their group when they are about to die.
Lovely story Darlene
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How original! Made me smile
I'm not an opera fan myself, but some of my family members are.
(Did you ever watch Saturday Night Live, some years back, when Adam Sandler played a character called Opera Man? )
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I think this would be a children's story that you might give them for a specific purpose, like, if they began to ask questions about death and/or about Heaven. I think it might be too heavy just to give them as an every day read, but certainly if a child began asking questions, this might be the right story for them.
I hope the story is right about finding our voice in eternity because I have a feeling I am a poor Willie Whale and it would be nice to know that one day my operatic skills will come to the fore-front...so to speak.
Thanks for being one of the four brave authors to so far enter.
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You are right...about it being too heavy for a children's story...it is sort of like Willie...doesn't conform...doesn't quite fit in ...
I think we are all in the fore-front of our vocations, our aspiration and our artistic skills but just don't give ourselves credit for the talent we posses. I think we are all intimidated but what we perceive to be better poets, better painters, better artist at large so we keep our talents hidden. Either by design or subconsconiously until eventually we believe it ourselves.
I know I get a lot of positive comments on art work I do and still wonder what is it they see I don't... I look around and think how much more talent the other person has..how much better their poetry is, how much more exciting their stories are...well you get the drift I guess...
Thanks for reading and commenting and thanks for the contest...makes me write instead of sew...now if only some one would have a contest to get me off my butt and get me out for a walk and some exercise...
Darlene
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I think this is a very nice story. It has a lovely theme to it and one of hope through faith in one's self and perservance.
I saw a couple of typos/errors but danged if I can find them now. Oh well, you did good with this wonderful story, Sis and I wish you luck in the contest
love and
Dee
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Thanks. I'll read it tonight. Off to work in 10 minutes and don't have time now. 643 words will be fine. I don't have enough entries to get on my high horse and demand that you cut it to 500.
Will comment tonight after I read.
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I'm looking forward to reading your entry... you're good at writing stories. I don't know how good you are at counting, though so Yem better be on the lookout
Dee
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Sure, as long as it is at least 20 lumps of sugar! I'll give you the applause now...not that I mean to put pressure on you to write a good story! Thanks!
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okay...here it is ..not great but a story...
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