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Open Poetry #25
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The dream
| Open Poetry #25 |
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The dream |
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Duncan Member Ascendant
since 2001-08-07
Posts 5455 |
Jake slid into the smooth wooden table across from me, rested his back against the wall and his boot on the bench. I was watching a girl in the poolroom, little thing, wearin’ little else. Seemed to be cleanin’ up pretty good. Smilin’ like a kitten. Was a fine strategy to see in action. Jake broke my reverie with characteristic impatience saying, ‘Sooner you start talkin kid, sooner you can go say hello to her'. ‘Hell Jake, lemme have a beer. Yer a nag sometimes, ya know it?’ ‘Drink your beer then, I’ll be in the poolroom’, as he slid towards the edge of the bench. ‘Damn it Jake, it’s a dream. Just a stupid, damn dream. I don’t even know what it means.’ ‘You let me worry about what it means, just tell me your dream.’ I nodded, cursed him again under my breath and began… ‘It starts out the same, every time. An old wooden sign, just like in the movies. On it’s written, ‘Buffalo Grove 3 Miles’ and there’s an arrow pointing north. So when I come to the road, I stop and look down it. It’s just a regular old dirt road. Got a lot of ruts in it. Looks well traveled. Beside the road, weeds mostly, overgrowth, just as dry and brown as the road. There’s nothing appealin’ about it. So I turn back west, towards the road I was on, but it’s gone. Just gone. Like the end of a hallway and only one door left to choose.’ ‘First time I dreamed it, I woke up right there. Made myself, ya know? Felt like I was clawin’ to get out of it.’ ‘But the next time, I was expectin' it, so I just turned onto the dirt road like it’d been my choice all along. Soon as I did Jake, the whole damn thing changes. It’s crazy but it’s not bad. I mean, I wanted to be there. I’d have done anything to stay there, just that quick. It was just the prettiest place. I didn’t even feel silly for thinkin’ so.’ ‘You remember that picture Jake, the one that hung in your Mama’s parlor? The one we used to tell stories about?’ ‘You and Konrad told stories about it, not me’, he corrected. I ignored the sarcasm in his voice. I’d stopped tryin’ to understand the bad blood between them a long time ago. Was cuttin’ into my drinkin' time. ‘Right, that one. That’s what it looked like Jake. There were wildflowers everywhere but they looked like they’d been tended, maybe by god’. ‘It was peaceful like that, is all I’m tryin’ to say. Like that picture.’ He was staring straight ahead and maybe rememberin’, I thought. It was true that Jake never made up stories like Konrad and I did, but he sure didn’t seem to mind listenin’ to ours. ‘So what happens next?’, he asked finally. ‘What happens next is I just start walkin’ up this road. It’s still a dirt road. Dusty and trenched. My boots take to it fine and I just keep walkin’, lookin’ around.’ ‘Jackson, is there some point to this damn dream?’ ‘Thought I was supposed to let you worry about that?’ He called the waitress to the table and could barely hide his irritation. ‘Tequila darlin’, bring us a bottle.’ ‘Do you know any short stories kid?’ ‘I’m tryin’ Jake, I swear I am.’ I looked towards the poolroom, hoping she was still there. |
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Darksoul Member
since 2003-01-31
Posts 61 |
This seems more prose then pem but good non-the-less |
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Seymour Tabin Member Empyrean
since 1999-07-07
Posts 31720Tamarac Fla |
Duncan An interesting read, you write well. |
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regards2you Member Elite
since 2002-10-01
Posts 3940California |
Duncan, Wonderful lines. Love the idea of wildflowers being tended by God. I liked this line, though too many to quote, this made me smile re: woman in pool room: "Was a fine strategy to see in action" Great story line, can't wait for the next....enjoyed greatly, Hugs, Pat  ..without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.. |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Yes, I do believe Konrad needs to deal with Jackson and the dream... he remembers, too! |
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Janet Marie Member Laureate
since 2000-01-22
Posts 18554 |
Jake broke my reverie with characteristic impatience saying, ‘Sooner you start talkin kid, sooner you can go say hello to her'. ‘Hell Jake, lemme have a beer. Yer a nag sometimes, ya know it?’ ==================================== ‘You remember that picture Jake, the one that hung in your Mama’s parlor? The one we used to tell stories about?’ ‘You and Konrad told stories about it, not me’, he corrected. I ignored the sarcasm in his voice. I’d stopped tryin’ to understand the bad blood between them a long time ago. Was cuttin’ into my drinkin' time. ‘Right, that one. That’s what it looked like Jake. There were wildflowers everywhere but they looked like they’d been tended, maybe by god’. ‘It was peaceful like that, is all I’m tryin’ to say. Like that picture.’ He was staring straight ahead and maybe rememberin’, I thought. It was true that Jake never made up stories like Konrad and I did, but he sure didn’t seem to mind listenin’ to ours. ================================== I will have to make a note to talk to Jake... short stories are sometimes not enough  I love where you are taking this....even if me mothy muse cant keep up with you... so as I told you before... Take Jake and run with it oouuu eeee oouu ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang ... |
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Cpat Hair
since 2001-06-05
Posts 11793 |
yes...Duncan... you like Sunshine are weaving new dimensions into the family of characters... stories and histories... giving them a depth that makes the read of them..like touching warm flesh... enjoyed... indeed ... now what happened to that Mothy one..... surely she can weave a tale or two... surely she can afford us th time to tell us a story... |
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garysgirl 
since 2002-09-29
Posts 19237Florida, USA |
Oh ywws, they're going to tell us some more stories.... Thank you Duncan, for this one.....I love it, as usual...  "Love makes the world go around" |
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