Themes
Cultivating Vice
I leave it to other people to change, she told me. I spend my time just cultivating vices.
Cultural Fable
Once upon a time there was a pig who spoke eight languages & did sculpture with pieces of wood & rusted metal he found on his travels. One day he was out in the woods working on a new installation piece & he met a family from a small town in Tennessee. They had been walking for days. The dad saw the pig & said what are you doing, little piggie? They were all quite surprised when the pig said working with counterbalanced forces using found objects. They all stood around & looked at the piece for a long time. No one said anything. Finally, the dad shrugged & turned to the mom & said I don’t know much about art but I know what I like & then they killed the pig & ate him.
Curiosity
Can I count on you to be there, no matter what? she said & I said no & she said what kind of friend are you? & I said the kind who won’t lie to you any time you want & I think she kept me around as a curiosity after that
Dance Pick
I don’t mind dancing with you, he told her one night, as long as I get to pick the dance sometimes. OK, she said, you pick. So they went home & made popcorn & looked at magazines all night long
Dancing Mailman
Our mailman was a dance teacher at night & I would watch him sometimes to see if he would deliver mail differently than the others. I expected to see him leap over bushes with his toes pointing like arrows, but all he ever did was walk.
Dancing in Church
Doesn’t anybody dance in church anymore? she whispered & her sister said not since the white people took over & the afternoon took a lifetime after that.
Dangerous Thoughts
Filled to the brim with dangerous thoughts & no where to put them since she lives in a small town & everybody’s always watching.
Dark Eyes
Standing in the twilight watching the world with soft dark eyes.
Dark Garden
I once had a garden filled with flowers that grew only on dark thoughts but they need constant attention & one day I decided I had better things to do.
Dark Night
Counted up all the things she was afraid of one night & it took so long she fell asleep from exhaustion
Dark Way
I’m not sure if the world’s all that serious, she said, or if it just has a really dark way of having a good time.
Creature on Fire
This is a creature on fire with love, but it’s still scary since most people think love only looks like one thing, instead of the whole world.
Crossing the Line
I have too much to lose, she said, if I cross that line. Like what? I said. She could not think of anything that day so she said she’d get back to me. Since then I’ve been thinking what I would lose if I cross my line & I haven’t come up with anything either. There’s always another line somewhere.
Control Top
She said these legs have a mind of their own. Once they kicked a salesperson in Nordstrom’s & she felt so bad she bought almost $400 worth of stuff & waited almost a week to return it. She is thinking of sending them to obedience school. Their best trick is a judicious use of pantyhose. Legs hate that kind of stuff so all it takes is one time.
Costume Change
I was going to be the solar system, she said, but I kept getting caught in the trees & bushes.
Couch Explorer
When I was young I always wanted to go exploring in a cave and when I got older I finally did & it was dark everywhere & there were strange sounds like your stomach after a big meal & I couldn’t wait to get out. I figured out later that I mainly liked to go exploring caves in my mind where I could be comfortable & not get dirty & cold. If you read too much National Geographic when you’re young it’s hard to adjust to the real world.
Country Dance
One summer we visited my grandparents, I remember we went to a dance in the country. The band was loud & enthusiastic & there were so many people my glasses got steamed up. After a while, the band stopped for a drink & my ears were still ringing & I looked up & there were strings of white lights scattered like stars all over the ceiling & I wondered if it was this bright out in space where there were no people & then the band started playing another polka & the quiet slipped out to the front porch with all the other old guys.
Couple of Wrongs
I’m not sure if there’s one right place I’m supposed to be, he said, but I know a couple of wrong places I’d give a second try in a heartbeat.
Crapshoot
Whatever you do, she said, don’t wait too long or you’ll have to start from the very beginning & those new bodies are always kind of a crapshoot.
Coming Soon
I know I promised I wouldn’t complain, she said,
but I’m not ready to start just yet.