Friday, July 14, 2006

Note in bottle: Relatives


Graciousness has left the building. Reality, that glinty-eyed old shrew, slams the door behind her and huffs a good riddance.

Graciousness doesn’t so much walk away as she flows. And when she leaves, she shimmers, evaporates gracefully, mist in the sun. You stand for a long time, watching the place where she used to be, thinking maybe…

But reality is banging around the place in her unlaced slap-soled shoes, skirt hem safety-pinned up. Her face is a strip mine. She’s gleefully pointing out all the spots you missed. Here and here and how could you not see this? Reality plops herself into a chair, a sack of mortal bones and blubber hitting wood, and demands to know where the hell you think you’ve been? And who the hell you thought you were there with…

I often forget they’re sisters.

Always time for family is my motto.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

was reading through and still reading through that good
OK!
I liked it Thanks for sharing
zingtrial
http://zingtrial.wordpress.com/

herhimnbryn said...

Family. Can't choose 'em.......!
Gorgeous words LJ.

TrappedInColorado said...

Wow. I caught your profile in the comments of The Empty Sky. I will be visiting again. I really like your photo. Did you do it yourself?

Peace

phlegmfatale said...

You failed to mention Reality's irritable bowel syndrome. Great post! She's one ugly bitch, that reality monster.

Oh, I've posted a snapshot of a kind on my blog - an audio post. I'll probably wake up filled with shame in the morning and delete it, so get it while the getting's good.

LJ said...

Welcome Zingtrial and Trappedin..Thank you for visiting. (By the way, Zingt.,I'm guilty of checking my email in the middle of the night.)

Photo is mine, Trappedin...woman gone overboard with the Paint Shop Pro program. Not my best work, but appropriate to illustrate the "family" crowd in my poor demented head.

Herhimnbryn...beading more than making words last few days, but this little bit surfaced suddenly. I used to give this as a writing exercise: Describe an emotion or state of mind as a person. It's a great deal of fun to do and forces you to do what an editor used to hound me about..."SHOW us, don't TELL us."

PF. Irritable bowel. But of course! It was very tempting to go on and on about Reality. She's much more interesting to describe than Graciousness. And damn it all! Are you tormenting me on purpose? The only sound my computer will make is an airline takeoff rumble in the subwoofer and static in the speakers.
And I'd have SO loved to have heard anything you were tempted to yank the next morning. You not being exactly faint of heart that way!

Cate said...

Youtalkenboutmyfamily?areya? Love it, LJ. Love it.

LJ said...

Your family and the family in my head.
Bless their toxic little hearts.