THE HIDDEN TRACK

The following passages are dedicated to Leopold, to the vernacular, to certain evil women (you know who you are), to certain wonderful people(they know who they are), to soft afternoons and quiet Sunday evenings, to Fall and seeing your breath for the first time since Spring, and to Isabelle Ya Feng ... a soul slipped by like two ships passing in the still, moonlit sea.
-- Abraham Ahmed, the Surfing Beatnik



Four Arms to keep us Warm...

Marsha held me by both of my shoulders. She stood over me and shook me awake, saying we needed to get dressed and leave before the "men" came. This was quite typical; her mind was going; but, I knew to entertain her for fear of her becoming enraged. Before I could collect our shoes, she dragged me by my hand down the stairs and outside through the backdoor. She pulled me aggressively through the yard and into the side field, the late spring frost crunching beneath our bare feet.

When we crested a high spot in our hay field, I jerked my hand loose and started to reassure her of actual conditions. Though, when I turned to make reference back to our farmhouse I spotted the lone van in the drive, its lights off.

We ran into the woodline, far into the hills, and kept running within the concealment of the early morning's damp darkness. We never went back; we never spoke of the house and the life we had there.

No comments:

Post a Comment