Showing posts with label Kristen M.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristen M.. Show all posts

Red Canvas Shoes


Guinevere’s maroon shoes were soaked. The cherry material was permeated with a liquid, blending to and transforming the original color to a more saturated scarlet. Her indigo jeans were covered with russet splatters and random wet patches around her calves. She had just sauntered through the automatic doors of the convenience store, burgundy shoes squeaking on the tiled floor. As she strode through the store she was given multiple looks from fellow customers ranging from concern to extreme cautiousness. She approached the cashier with her assorted items. “It’s a rough night outside, huh?” Guinevere looked up at the middle-aged woman and then looked at her nametag. “Yes, Janice, it is. I wasn’t expecting this kind of destructive, tumultuous weather in September.” The cashier looked off guard, as if weighing her next response. It appeared that she chose not to answer at all. Janice looked at the items she had rung up; there was a lemon container of Lysol wipes, violet rubber gloves, and a box of heavy duty trash bags. “That’ll be $10.62, please.” Janice held up her hand warily as she accepted the money from the haggard girl. Guinevere accepted her change and grabbed her bag rushing out of the store. After arriving at her home, she charged through the door whilst ripping open the Lysol container. “Thank God you’re here; I thought the stain was starting to set.” Guinevere’s mother was bent over a mess of red and brown. “Yeah, it was cheaper than I thought, here. Next time you want to use the ketchup bottle, don’t squeeze it while it’s still closed, and if you do, do it away from my soda. My jeans are ruined!”

Grandfather Clock

The old, oak grandfather clock sat abandoned in the damp, decaying basement. The time stopped at a little after quarter past eight. The wooden door was worn where many calloused hands held it open in order to wind up the smooth brass hands.

I am a lake.


I am a lake; shallow at the edge yet deeper as you go. There is no notion of how my thoughts formed. You do not know what lies inside. You’re not aware of what has been tossed into me – what has been added or removed. My surface is shattered when sticks, stones, and other unmentionables are thrown into me. The rain replenishes what has been taken away. I am a lake – darker and colder as you go. I am bottomless – that is how it looks. But the bottom is filled with rocks – I’ve been there. I feel the rocks, brushing against my feet on a daily basis, constantly reminding me of their presence. On the surface I am calm and smooth, but underneath I am a turning sea, floating and moving.