Nothing disturbed our life inside. But there was a door in the corner. We did not know where it led to, but we suspected that if we opened it we would regret it forever. Today we heard a key turning from outside, a voice said: “Anybody in there?”
Rings
Summer, morning, field, detector, corner, sides, silence, nothing. Autumn, afternoon, field, same, detector, breasts, hollows, silence, nothing. Winter, firelight, yawn, bed, dream, field, same, detector, rings, dozens. Spring, midnight, yawn, bed, dream again, field, same, middle, detector, rings, hundreds. Breakfast, field, middle, detector, buzz, dig, rings, thousands, bronze, silver, gold.
Horseshoe
Mr Wickham was in the kitchen. “Give us a kiss.” I had to get my indoor shoes. “Treasure?” He held out a glass horseshoe. Orange and green. I closed my eyes and kissed his papery cheek, and with the horseshoe digging into my palm, I ran out into the sunshine.
Toothbrush
“You did it again.”
“What?”
“My toothbrush. You used my toothbrush.”
“I didn’t.”
“You did. Look. It’s splayed.”
“You splayed it. The bristles.”
“For heaven’s sake.”
“What? It’s splayed. It’s ruined.”
“It’s not ruined. And it’s just a toothbrush. Karen? What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Has something happened?”
Baseball
It’s the only way to get it just right— I explain. He inspects as I tuck a scuffed, stained baseball deep inside the mitt’s oiled webbing and secure the bundle with rubber bands. I can count on a hand the things you taught me that I’ll pass on to him.
Swan
Even the daffodils turn their gaze on the river. Like me, they see a parakeet dash green downstream, a gull giving raucous chase. Like me, they see two swans drift by, paddling hard to stay still, and the old couple sitting on the bench on the far bank under the alders. They were lovers once when they were young. They are lovers again. The swans cruise towards them, not for bread crusts. They are kindred spirits.
Pig
Pig Pen, my uncle’s black pig, used to suckle the cow. Laying in the grass together, he drank all the cow’s milk. They nuzzled in love. Tied up, they broke free, escaped into the sugarcane. Pig Pen in the butcher’s truck, a black haired body amongst the pink meat pigs.
Cuckoo
Grandad’s gone cuckoo again. Me and Wendy wouldn’t have whipped off our underwear, if we didn’t think the house was empty. She was just about reaching climax, when the door of the grandfather clock burst open, and out lept Grandad, sqawking! Serves us right for screwing on the hour.
Pen
He jammed his signature as close as possible to his wife’s. His L brushed her M. Flipping through the pages of the Visitors’ Book, he wondered how many time-bombs lay behind the closely-signed couples. No one, seeing his and Miranda’s names, would ever guess that he was about to leave her forever.
Onion
To stop re-marriage, do this simple thing: Cut a juicy onion crosswise, select a pearly ring from the centre and slip it onto the third finger of your left hand. From time to time smell the ring of onion that you have wed, weep and remember: Never again!
