Imagine the crash. The conscious mind resurfacing, grasping, outrunning the clutches of Chlorpromazine. There’s a whining child sniveling only four steps from me. His t-shirt smeared with playground dirt and jellybean dribble. His eyes find mine and lock. Click. Somehow, I’m four again.
What if I break for the swings first? I can beat him there, you know. My legs are longer. Sometimes my agility rivals the agile, muscular Cheetah. Sometimes my legs are sunk in blocks of concrete. His mother utters a growled resistance, snatches his greasy, dimpled hand, his sneakers dragging sidewalk.
I stare at my own dingy hands. Drifter hands. Hands for down-bound trains, hands with cautious thumbs for hitchhiking. Hands to extend out for scraps. The roads to nowhere that I’ve gone and lingered.
“Stop it!” the mom screams at lil’ boy, his small hand sticks mid-air in a last, desperate wave. I blink and see for just a moment. The reality of the park, the torridity of the heat, the sharp edges of a metal crepe myrtle it’s peeling paint coloring the dead grass. Then my mind drifts back to it’s safe place to buttercups and looking for angels in the clouds.
I like it. And I love the Doors 😉
Thank you! The Doors rock, I mean, literally 😀
Jolting … simply jolting …
I think it might be just that, Deb 😀
Your words carry us along in the heat and then let us drift to wander in the clouds!
Yes, anything to escape the heat. If we can hold on a few more weeks, Jo, I think we will have it made 😀
I feel like I’m right there, Lana. I’m the chlorpromazine cheetah with intermittently concrete legs seeing the child, the swings, my own hands, the mother, the landscape… And who doesn’t love The Doors? These are always fun, your version of dinner and a movie called “Story and a Song.” 🙂
Oh Joan, you crack me up! Yes indeed, my version of dinner and movie. A chlorpromazine cheetah, that’s exotic for sure 😀
An intriguing piece, Lana. Vivid imagery… really imaginative!
Thanks so much, Iris. Happy weekend to you! xx
And you too Lana. <3
The cautious thumbs for hitchhiking – that’s perfect! As are The Doors! 😄
Ah The Doors, you just can’t go wrong with them! You know now that the format has changed on WordPress, I can’t figure out how to put my matching songs to writing (which is a big thing for me, haha!)