Who Let the Monkeys Out?
a writing prompt for you
Welcome to Writing in Company. This is a community for you, whatever your experience with writing. It’s an invitation to write about what matters—grief, gratitude, grace, and more. Each week I share some words and a writing prompt, meant to be jumping-off points. Use the prompts however you like—to journal, to draft thoughts for your own writing project, as meditation or prayer ideas, or for another creative endeavor. You can always look back through the archive for more ideas. Grab your pen and paper, and let your words loose on the page.
Last Wednesday a news story broke that 43 rhesus macaque monkeys escaped from a research facility in Yemassee, South Carolina. Apparently an experienced employee left a door or two unlocked, and one young monkey slipped out, followed quickly by others. As of this writing, thirty have been recaptured, leaving 13 still at large. Some seem to be hanging out in the trees just over the border fence. News reports say these are all adolescent female monkeys, not (yet) exposed to any diseases being researched, so there is no immediate danger. But authorities are telling people in the area to keep their doors and windows locked, because the monkeys are getting hungry.
My post-election brain has created many connections to this story and the future of our country and the planet. I wrote out a list of them—thoughts about cages, and border fences, and inmates in charge of the asylum—but then I felt depressed and worried all over again. I know that writing is a way to stay focused on what matters in the days ahead, so that’s what I plan to keep doing. If a monkey prompt leads me somewhere I don’t want to go, I’ll keep writing until something else comes out. I invite you to keep writing as well. Here’s where I finally landed with the list inspired by the monkeys:
Watch out for adolescent females. They are fed up, and they are smart.
When I drive to my parents’ house in Florida (which I will do this week), I go right past the exit to Yemassee. You can bet I’m keeping my eyes peeled (and my spirit rooting) for the monkeys.
a writing prompt
What does the story about escaped monkeys bring up for you today?
Maybe make a list of ideas. Let your mind wander like a freed rhesus, outside the border fence.
Or write a story or poem about an escaped troop of monkeys.
Or just write about monkeys—whatever ideas swing in the treetops of your memory or imagination.
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Julie,
This prompt was fun and also very heavy, as it took me to imagining these monkeys wanting to escape due to their desire to experiencing loss and the fullness of their lives in their captivity.
So much there! Thank you!
JoAnne
This prompt has me thinking of the summer I spent in the Amazon rain forest when I was a teenager, and I could see monkeys swinging between the trees very very high above me. But I don’t think I ever saw a monkey up close!