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Open Poetry #26
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Inkydot
| Open Poetry #26 |
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Inkydot |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass 
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Inkydot Here he comes, Inkydot. He walks by sometimes even yet, between the banks of that dirt road that I can still see, yellow clay all cracked where storm puddles have turned to little drymud hexagons that curl and shimmer in the August sun, just an old man coming up the road, steering for each blue isle of shade beneath the big wide maple trees. I see him yet, the baggy trousers somebody gave him, already old when he got them. Everything about him old then except his eyes, eyes of no time, peaceful old man face, hesitating old man step, coming up out of the woods, along the side of our house, down to the skinny path across the wheat field, disappearing toward Linden for groceries and sometimes a hip flask of Old Crow. Always walked behind the house, never in front. I know why now, like I know a lot of whys now. But I never knew how important he was. Didn’t know him at all, really. No one did, but if you talked to him he’d answer you, and that was enough for a kid. And I never saw his cabin in the woods, though I saw his little crops, bits of corn in the shallow turns by the creek, a few pole beans in a clearing. I never knew a lot of things about him, never asked him the books he carried sometimes, one of them a Bible, the other with no name until I understood, just knew one day a lot of years later, when he wasn’t old anymore. “What’s your real name,” I asked once. “Jus’ Inkydot,” eyes away, the tiny hermit voice a whisper I had to lean toward him to hear. “Inkydot what?” And no answer for a couple of steps, then he pulled that other book half out of his hip pocket, stuck it back. “Clemens.” There were some things Inkydot didn’t know either, even if he was old. That’s how I knew about the book one day, that it was about a kid named Tom, who’d helped another…Inkydot. His last name wasn’t Master, but he was old enough to remember a man who had that name to him, and the man was not his father. Just old enough for that. A man can be too old, I guess. He wasn’t there much, weeks would go by and you didn’t see him. Then weeks went by and nobody saw him. They went to look, and found him in the cabin. Buried him beside it, free of being Inkydot at last. Someone said they did that, but I don’t know. Too young to read the paper, barely old enough to know him. But a boy can be old enough, I guess. |
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| © Copyright 2003 Ed Ratledge - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Ed, my friend...This is touching telling, from boy and man, both empathetic and thoughtful. Lovely, lovely, lovely...and more!!!  |
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regards2you Member Elite
since 2002-10-01
Posts 3940California |
Ed, I am so glad you joined this group. Your knowledge and creativity make reading all you write a joy. This is wonderful! Hugs, Pat  ..without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.. |
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Ratleader
since 2003-01-23
Posts 7026Visiting Earth on a Guest Pass |
Ah, but all I had to do was describe him.... He had to live the life of a boy born a slave, and named by people who cared so little about him that they would call him that....hurts to think of it. ....but I can't imagine how he knew the name Clemens, since Mark Twain didn't use it in his writing. That will be a mystery forever to me. I dedicated Travel At Your Own Risk to him in the book...he lived in those woods. ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸¸¸ºº> ~~(¸¸ ¸¸ºº> ~~~(¸¸ER¸¸ºº> |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA |
Picturing a lad out whitewashing a fence here... This is wonderful, Ed - I'm very pleased to meet your friend, Inkydot... |
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VAS Member Rara Avis
since 2000-11-16
Posts 7450Oregon |
fascinating read, vivid images, loved the drymud hexagons, you have a flare for vivid detail and touching the heart of the reader in a powerful, though tender, way! Whether on the shoal or on the shore, |
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Edder Senior Member
since 2003-04-02
Posts 671 |
brilliant! you've opened a portal in time with this. more please! |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
You've painted such a vivid portrait... I kept picking out favorite parts... and then realized I love the whole incredible write so much that my favorite part is first word to last. He may be free of Inkydot at last... but no one reading this could ever be... I know he'll haunt my heart. Wonderful write is as woefully inadequate as it is totally accurate. *S* |
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
you really took me there...great story here... |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
Times are few when I truly envy a writing... since this is one of them, I'm sending it up for another round. *S* |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
Yep...back again...  |
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serenity blaze Member Empyrean
since 2000-02-02
Posts 27738 |
Smiling atchya... masterful storytelling! I applaud. |
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Edder Senior Member
since 2003-04-02
Posts 671 |
i just had to come back and read one more time! |
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Martie
Moderator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-09-21
Posts 28049California |
Just because I wanted to!! |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
MartieSis~ And am I ever glad you did !!!! Ed~ This is just a wonderfully tender penning~ *Huglets* ~*Marge*~ ~*The sound of a kiss is not as strong as that of a cannon, but it's echo endures much longer*~ |
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wranx Member Elite
since 2002-06-07
Posts 3689Moved from a shack to a barn |
Well I'll be.... Thanks E.R E.R. |
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suthern
since 1999-07-29
Posts 20723Louisiana |
just an old man coming up the road, steering for each blue isle of shade beneath the big wide maple trees. Just that... and yet... so much more. I'm glad I came back to let this touch my heart again... |
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