mirror mirror on the wall

A reflection on self in the pursuit of Academia.. email millay_@hotmail.com

Friday, November 25, 2005

Theme Week 12: Post Mortem 3

She folds down the sheets on his side of the bed. Every night. It’s her new religion. Her face is worn, aged beyond what time would have done on its own. So much is different now. The kids are grown or nearly. She missed whole parts of their lives. They missed whole parts as well.

40 just pushed her over. She wasn’t ready for that. She didn’t need any more tastes of mortality. She eats it every time she checks her reflection or turns down the sheets on his side of the bed.

You can tell by the way her lipstick is always a little askew and the clothes a bit too revealing that she’s fighting this wave full force. Holding nothing back for prosperity or pride. Her lines have all changed and knocked out entire belief systems in the havoc that ensued.

There’s a vast distance in her eyes full of indifference and lack in its stead. No further meaning to be derived from the life. It’s been reduced to its lowest common denominator. She treats it like it’s something to be endured.

It shows on her face. It hangs like smoke around her. It turns everything gray and distorted until there is no measure of time other than in the number of years since he died, as if that were her only marker.

Still, she folds down the sheets on his side of the bed. Every night. It’s her new religion.

3 Comments:

Blogger millay said...

These are a few of several that I tried. If one doesn't work for you I can certainly show you another. Post Mortem is actually from another week's assignment that I revived. Let me know what you think and I'll try something more if need be.

Fri Nov 25, 08:53:00 AM EST  
Blogger johngoldfine said...

Looks to me like a sort of bookend for Eventide--kind of a his and hers of despair and pointlessness.

I like the sheets, beginning and end, but must say I overall prefer Eventide. This is working too hard, is too afraid it won't make its points, is too careful.

Fri Nov 25, 09:48:00 PM EST  
Blogger millay said...

This was originally meant to be a character study from that week's assignment. I've wanted to use it because it's such a perfect description of her.

Fri Nov 25, 09:51:00 PM EST  

Post a Comment

<< Home