LOVE LETTERS
Word Count: 290
There it is, I see it just up ahead, a bright burst of color on a colorless back road that winds and curves too slow for its 35 mph speed limit and too fast for your 426 hp Camaro.
I pull over, just past the bank of flowers and teddy bears and candles and junk. Cautiously get out of the car though traffic at this time of day is random, sparse. I see skid marks which mean you had that instant of knowing. Must have been like a dream where you couldn’t wake up, back off, stop in time. Can’t help it, I look for blood but it’s only the leftover crinkles of red plastic tail-lights catching the sun.
Flowers are drooping, whipped by the wind and rain of the night, the heat of yesterday’s sun. I drop my red roses in the center, like a splash of blood. White patches of letters, words dripping with watered-down ink telling of missing you, loving you; I start to read them, wondering why I didn’t think to write you a final love letter, wondering if I have paper and pen in the car.
Most of these people whose names I can still read I do know. Chas was your very best friend and he survived. I think you’d be happy about that. And Rafael, your little brother; God, how he cried. And Sheryl–who’s Sheryl? She says here she’ll love you forever. I don’t know Sheryl, at least I don’t remember a Sheryl as one of your friends.
I’m sorry we had that argument that broke us apart. Is that why you were driving so fast? I’ll carry that burden forever.
Sheryl. She’ll love you forever. Who, I wonder, is Sheryl?
I love this, which feels like an odd emotion given the content. Some magnificent turns of words here (of course) and I might just play with another collaged poem with, say, “random, sparse” and “wind and rain of the night.” I got here via Steve’s day 59 and his comment on Nicolette’s 57.
Thanks, Sina. I think that midstream in this project we’re making some connections without even realizing it.