Tag: death
-
Remembering the Forgotten Ones
Who remembers the forgotten: the white bicycles that fade in the sun; the crosses and plastic flowers, whose visitors appear on Sundays after church; the dogs and cats left bloating in the sun; living room and bedroom remnants, tossed in the dark? Who remembers the forgotten: the nowhere people who haunt fields and washes, had…
-
Don’t Call Me Late
Marvin wasn’t ever late. He seemed to grumble more than ever at the notion of lateness. Maybe it was his Air Force training, who knows.I went to Marvin’s funeral today.This post might make you sad if conversations about life, death, and all that do so. Not that such is my intention, but that’s how it…
-
It Must Be Love
When Madness dropped the song from which the title of this post came, I quickly made my way to the nearest vinyl emporium (where are my Rio Mall nerds? I know you’re out there) and purchased the 45 RPM. I played it until I wore the grooves off. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmezIIrFQmYYou’re welcome for that pleasurable little jaunt down…
-
Let the Scent Not Fade
I once heard or saw or read a thing … for me, the three are often one and the same.The thing was that humans (and other animals as well) use pheromones for attraction. To bring it down to basics, a person might smell pleasant, smell unpleasant, or seem to have no noticable natural scent. If…
-
It Begins With One Step Beyond
I’m watching this very thought-provoking anime called Shigofumi.A Shigofumi is, as the English titling suggests, a letter from the dead. In the story (no spoilers!), the young woman pictured above is the person who delivers such post; when a person dies, he or she is given the opportunity to write a letter and this woman…
-
Today was the Day
The man seemed happy and grateful. ‘There’s a lot of homeless people,’ he said as he waved his hand. ‘I can share with all of them.’I wiped a dusty wrist across my forehead and squinted into the sun. I had just given away my Christopher’s clothes to two men. This one who had unburdened me…
-
Thank You for Ruining Me, Ms. Darlena
I may have mentioned that I’m presently reading Hearts of Fire. The stories of eight women in underground churches in different parts of the world is amazing. I received it last year but had not opened a single page until last week. I was part-way through Gladys’ story about how her husband and two sons…
-
Life Cleaning
When someone Leaves for the Great Beyond, those remaining must begin, at some point, to pick up the pieces.Of everything:Shards of broken heart.Bits of memories that randomly flutter in like leaves.Tears that fall intermittently like Southern California rain.And then there is the cleaning, the removal of papers, clothes, and various bric-a-brac that no longer fit…
-
That Didn’t Help, Or: The Question I Hope to Stop Getting
It’s strange to get a letter in the post labeled ‘To the Estate of’. They typically come along and require some sort of action or information.The first one I received sat, face down, for about two weeks. Yesterday I opened it again and called the number inside. The person on the other end, a very…
-
Appetites
I popped into a convenience store the other day, desiring something sweet. Chocolate, I figured, would take care of the problem.Chocolate almost always works.I looked up and down at all the neatly lined boxes and tried to get excited about something. Anything.I paused at the Caramellos, one of my all-time favorites: they were on a…
A New Bloom 