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Waiting To Leap



A swift time spent outside, today. One chicken must be flurried from under the car, before the short drive to school. Boy takes his folder of photographs, goes to wave the usual laconic 'bye: one odd insect nestled in the passenger window frowns at the cold air, interrupts. We peer at it. It has that waiting to leap feel about it, as crickets do: is a bland khaki colour; sits still as a carving, big eyes boggle either side of its big head.
'It's going to be one be of those days,' I say.
I forgot the banks open late, so after placing my car at a vaguely parked angle; the insect staring balefully after me; around the tiny cold town I walk. Too cold. Hot coffee will help. One window seat, one Americano. An extravagance, really. Civilised and privileged.
I have money: it needs to be paid to the bank when the doors open.
When the coffee cup is empty, I walk to the bank. When my purse is emptied, I walk back to the car. The insect is elsewhere. It could be anywhere, I think, which reminds me of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle.
Which I understand in a rather basic and creatively misappropriated way.
'One of what days?' I ask of myself.
One of my days.



Comments

klahanie said…
Hi Lily,

Ah yes, I understand such days, well sort of understand them.

Sorry about your comment having to be resubmitted by me on my previous posting you so thoughtfully left a comment. I had some weird problems with blogger. Which kinda' sums up my days. I think that insect is staring at me from my living room window sill :)

Peace be with you, Lily.

In kindness,

Gary
Suze said…
Lils, I read these with my heart in my throat and so often I don't know what to say except, 'I was here! And I read this and I love it!'

(I feel the same way about the Uncertainty Principle. It makes more sense if it's about an insect waiting to leap than about momentum and direction. We have to have bug eyes in our own heads.)
Lisa Southard said…
Gary, it wouldn't surprise me if it did suddenly appear at random yet connected points. It had that other wordly vibe about it! Probably caused an electrical disturbance and messed up blogger! :-)
Suze, nice to think you were there, especially in the cafe. And the image of secretly bug eyed people! x

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