Prolific
by FC Malby
Prolific was the word written on the packet of purple lettuce seeds. She liked the sound it made as she spoke it out: pruh – lif – ik
adjective
1. producing offspring, young, fruit, etc., abundantly; highly fruitful:
a prolific pear tree.
These wouldn’t grow as tall as a pear tree, they would sit well next to the cucumber seeds she had planted in a bucket the previous day. Improvisation was key.
2. producing in large quantities or with great frequency; highly productive:
a prolific writer.
She didn’t know any prolific writers. There was a kind of duality about writing and growing things from seed, a familiarity. There would be a greater frequency of the latter, and productivity depended entirely upon conditions.
3. profusely productive or fruitful (often followed by in or of):
a year prolific of both stasis and change.
How fruitful a culinary adventure or a novel would become could be reduced to pure guesswork.
4. characterised by abundant production:
a prolific year for tomatoes.
It would become a year of prolific lettuce growth and short stories; the one, inspiring the other.
pruh – lif – ik
Inspiration: The idea for the piece came from reading the back of a packet of purple lettuce seeds during lockdown. As a writer, I love words, the sounds they make and word association. I began to look into different descriptions of the word ‘prolific’ and the links with other aspects of life, like writing. The work evolved from there.