It starts with a letter, down the back of the couch, ending, ‘love, always.' I read only the kisses aimed at me - a firing line running off the page.
How long has that letter hidden there? It secreted itself in a corner of the house when I wasn't looking. It curled up in the dark, waiting to sneak up.
With one accidental find, I'm aware of the whole house, nooks like forgotten hands. Lost ties and socks thread through rooms in arteries of memory.
I pull out chairs, sweep dust bunnies before they become wolves. I clear shelves of birthday books, Christmas Russian dolls nesting inside one another, like former selves. The photo's of my father have to go, carsd from my mother.The shed skin of past lovers, is everywhere; I feel each one, breathing, from the snouts of old Valentine's bears.
I ransack alcoves with sacks, strong enough to dispose of severed body parts. I unearth cupboards, drawers, the underbelly of the bed. I strip sheets, grasp teapots, eggcups, photo albums. The sofa grinds out the door with a push as the house gives birth.
Outside, I make a living room for the birds. I lie everything on the pavement, write a sign:
‘FREE TO GOOD HOME.'
I stand in my nightdress and wait. People come. Some look at the woman in bare feet and walk on. Others, entwined couples, father's tugged along by children, stop. Something brightly coloured catshes their eye.They pick through to the bones for something to take home and show me their lives in what they take. I hope they will use them, I hope they will give them memories. I look at the sky, dusk on the almost empty path, the house closing its eyes, as I walk inside.
1
fav |
1146 views
5 comments |
302 words
All rights reserved. |
I wrote this on Jan 1st, after I noticed a grotesque Dracula teapot in my cupboard I hadn't realised was there.
This story has no tags.
"They pick through to the bones for something to take home and show me their lives in what they take."
BAM!
"Lost ties and socks thread through rooms in arteries of memory." Such a beautiful image!! I also think this is so wonderful: "The sofa grinds out the door with a push as the house gives birth."
i like how the dust bunnies have potential to become wolves. also, how the rooms of the house start appearing outside, good. thank you.
So much beautiful language here. I love how you use personification, deliver the unexpected. "I hope they will use them, I hope they will give them (perhaps add "new"?) memories." Brava.
thanks everyone :)
Ethel- yes,adding 'new' is a great idea :)
I originally had this at 240 words for a comp (I didn't win!) then added a litle more, but the odd bit probably has the tight word count hang- up, and now new can make it in :)