Captions
by Scott Garson
This is my house. You park in the back.
This is a picture of flowers and hands.
My brothers Jalen and Jackson used to have puppies. They liked chewing on leather. My sister Annabelle used to have a cat but she died. I'm a cat for Halloween.
I know: an old chair. It's sitting in the grass.
My Daddy is up north. My Daddy isn't here. Why he has only one arm is he is not looking. He's looking away.
A dirty harmonica. Don't blow! You'll get mud in your mouth! You'll get mud all over your tongue!
My Daddy got a shirt for me with gold butterflies. I'm having this be a special picture for him.
My brother Jalen went on the ice and Mommy yelled down. No! No!
Are there mountains up north? What color are they?
I miss my brothers' puppies.
We're going to South Dakota to see my Grandma. Daddy, why can't you come to South Dakota? Mommy, why are you afraid of heights?
My brother Jalen crunched up leaves and stuffed them in Annabelle's mouth. It's okay, Annabelle. Don't cry.
This is a doll boot.
This is a picture of popcorn and birds.
This is me climbing a mountain. Why I like orange is it's kind of like gold.
This is a picture of flowers and hands.
My brothers Jalen and Jackson used to have puppies. They liked chewing on leather. My sister Annabelle used to have a cat but she died. I'm a cat for Halloween.
I know: an old chair. It's sitting in the grass.
My Daddy is up north. My Daddy isn't here. Why he has only one arm is he is not looking. He's looking away.
A dirty harmonica. Don't blow! You'll get mud in your mouth! You'll get mud all over your tongue!
My Daddy got a shirt for me with gold butterflies. I'm having this be a special picture for him.
My brother Jalen went on the ice and Mommy yelled down. No! No!
Are there mountains up north? What color are they?
I miss my brothers' puppies.
We're going to South Dakota to see my Grandma. Daddy, why can't you come to South Dakota? Mommy, why are you afraid of heights?
My brother Jalen crunched up leaves and stuffed them in Annabelle's mouth. It's okay, Annabelle. Don't cry.
This is a doll boot.
This is a picture of popcorn and birds.
This is me climbing a mountain. Why I like orange is it's kind of like gold.
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Author's Note
This one was in elimae last year but filed under poetry. I winced. I don't always read the poetry in elimae....
Other stories by Scott Garson
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I love this story, Scott. I love the drawing, too.
Man- terrific last line. I'm really into the interpretation of children's drawings. The idea of building a story around one is really creative. very cool.(the first and last lines are the coolest)
thanks k an t.
t: mini story behind this: sometimes when I lived in Santa Cruz I'd be early to pick up my kid from her pre-school and I'd walk around w/ my hands in my pockets looking at the stuff on the walls. I was amazed to see that teachers were writing down as captions for drawings just whatever the kids said when they were asked. And some of it was a little personal. Like if it had been my kid and my story I might not have wanted it on the wall....
I loved this too! I imagine it's hard to write in a child's voice. You nailed it.
I like this very much. It's an inspired idea and I agree with Lydia, the voice rings true.
This makes me ache.
thanks, L and C and K!
I really love the voice & the concept. It's like taking the idea that language should paint a picture and then interpreting that really literally.
I've read this many times. It's always different. Magical.
Great stuff, Scott. I had to laugh at your note. My dad reads my stuff in Elimae and says "I love your prose poetry"! I say it's not poetry. Seems like a possible bud light commercial brewing.
thanks t, m and d! i love you guys....
"You'll get mud all over your tongue!"
hahaha
man, this is great! "This is a doll boot." so perfect. i haven't said that in over thirty years. "Are there mountains up north? What color are they?" i'm just going to quote your whole story to you now.
These are v. moving. No tricks. No irony. No bitterness. Just wonder.
w/ some stories it seems like you only get them back thru other people's reads..... thanks so much, ben and pia!
Another one to file under "I wish I'd written that."
I was fascinated by these, Scott, all so innocent and pure "like gold."
The harmonica business and the way she explains the father's "one-arm" is just flat out terrific.
Elimae made a good selection with this one. So many suggestive possibilities--and without photos it leaves one's mind to wander and imagine.
thnx so much Sheldon, Richard, Jared and Jon!
This is very unique and for the record, I love the poetic aspect. And the fact that it seems so human! Nice work Scott!