Thursday, April 28, 2011

Well Wishers



to shelter oneself from chocolate wrappers
and plastic tumblers takes some fortitude
prose that keeps a deep well in perspective

the world has glass someone said, and I opened
both ears sure I had missed something
in my upbringing between changing diapers
and warming siblings bottles

"No, it is not my baby" I told the woman
behind the counter, chubby baby resting
comfortably on my newly rounded hip

"Do you sell glass tumblers?" I asked her
a firm No was her answer you have to leave
this town to get glass.

"Do you sell tickets?" I added. "To get out of town I mean."
No, no tickets sold here girl, no tickets only plastic,
baby bottles and cloth diapers.  Pins are extra.

I left the hipped baby with her father's wife
sold a red calf for passage buying a first flight
across a mooned river that I marked No Return
return deemed life as non-refundable

It was this giving up of plastic forever that moved
me through a looking glass window into a world,
mirroring memories of drinking from a well, un-wishable

bkmackenzie
copyrighted 2011

9 comments:

  1. Loved this piece, return deemed life as non-refundable, nice. Drinking from a well, says it all! Loved your image, too.

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  2. Seemed a wise escape, and then that which is mirrored left me wondering if this was true.

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  3. I love it too. So real and so captivating. thank you for sharing it.

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  4. grew up on well water....and try to steer clear of the plastic, this is a little surreal but i like it...

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  5. "across a mooned river" and drinking from an un-wishable well - very deep, Barbara, and beautifully written.

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  6. You should consider writing a short story about this. I want to hear more :)

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  7. lori, i think it will be my next venture ....a memoir...thank you for stopping by....bkm

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  8. wow, bkm. So much shared here in this short story. An un-wishable well...so life wasn't what she thought it would be once she left that town? Kind of a "grass always looks greener on the the other side" thing? I was really drawn in by this. It must have came from your soul :)

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