Mask looped over ears, sunhat strings tucked under chin, she waves her cane toward the pond. Tanned and unmasked, he follows, muttering, bald head exposed to the threatening sun. They rest silently on a bench, surrounded by black-eyed Susans and faded hydrangeas as a blue heron swoops down to feed. She elbows him, raising her binoculars, following its ballerina walk. He grunts awake as a toad bellows and a family of turtles retreat in unison into the murky pond. She stands, hobbling toward the water as he reaches for the phone in his back pocket to check the baseball scores.
Brian Maycock
27/8/2021 10:31:48 am
Lyrical, evocative. Loved it
Phyllis
27/8/2021 10:30:52 pm
Thank you so much!
Phyllis
27/8/2021 10:32:41 pm
Thanks so much. It's based on my many blue heron sightings here in Massachusetts. :) 27/8/2021 11:09:35 pm
Bravo Phyllis! This is a lovely piece. You paint a rich and vivid portrait of a couple without any dialogue (I love how absolutely quiet it is) and use the natural world around them to convey so much. Masterful!
Phyllis
27/8/2021 11:18:40 pm
Thank you Mary Beth! It was fun to write. Based on Willow Pond at Mt. Auburn Cemetery which is absolutely gorgeous.
Sue Clayton
28/8/2021 04:15:15 am
She'll enjoy park life, Blue Herons and turtles long after he's succumbed to either Covid or skin cancer. Comments are closed.
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"Classic"
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