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The Unpublished Writer and His Love Interest (The Painter)


by David Russo


The unpublished writer has a love interest who was raised two houses down, but now studies abroad.  She validates his work and he validates her paintings.  Their relationship was a symbiotic exchange of creativity; the painter would send abstracts, the writer would get high and send her prose.  

I'm still not sure who has the better end of this deal.

When the writer expressed with subtle alacrity that he adored the painter, she was flattered and didn't raise objection.  The writer-in his aloof manner, with experienced caution-pointedly wrote a poem directly for his muse.  She never spoke of it, and his curiosity why soon faded.  The news came via a five thirty-two status update.

A gentleman of the town the painter now resided had taken her as his beloved, and she seemed quite happy with this.  Our hero the writer felt his heart shrivel like a dead baby bird left to roast in the sun, and found it difficult to touch his pen to paper-though not for long.

The painter for Christmas brought home the gentleman, who according to the writer had a jaw that looked as if it would shatter immediately if you thumped it hard enough.  

Instantly he began to write down the many ways he would test this theory.
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