Friday, October 20, 2006

Diptych

The falling rain could only barely be heard against the roof. Outside the window he thought he might just see the distant lights of the cars passing on the highway. That road had been his lifeline. When that same highway had brought him here years before, he had been single minded in his ambition and already impatient to leave. He had been younger then.

She had changed that, and now here she was for the last time. Here they were together alone with the rain.

On the mantle above the fireplace had been lain a distant memory, now overturned.

The road, his lifeline, took him away from this place.

_____

Here he was again, and again it was raining as if it had never stopped. Some long-forgotten desire brought him back to the same spot where he had stood that night. The headlights passing slowly below crept by the window in an eternal stream. The ravages of youth had not been kind to him.

A fine coat of dust was all that remained on the mantle where once her image had rested, watching, waiting.

She was not here anymore, nor had she been, in spite of her sincerest efforts. She would not come around here again.

On down the road he went, weary and wet. (Joshua Wilson)

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Nice parallels and tone... it's a moving piece overall, I think

4:05 PM  

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