a trail followed. sooty prints from fireplace to rug to telly. a story to be discovered. a wire severed. the cry of a child. teddy with arm detached. violently. trainers chewed. unblemished white blemished. a dirt trail on a duvet. a monkey ripped asunder. the karate dog safely hidden. relief as other teddy remains safe in upper room. a disaster adverted. in the shower, a single clue to visitors. an unpleasant sight. dark and wet. the foxy culprit long since gone.
last night i ate sea urchin. it tasted of the ocean. the body soaked with the tears of whales crying for the lost of their children. the warm fur of a white seal pup before it meets its end to the hand of cruelty. the plastic embrace of a shopping bag around the throat of an artic tern. the urchin cried for its fish brothers. never more would they dart between its feelers searching for food. it whispered to me of lost porpoises trapped in nets raping the sea. it told of sharks too fearful to leave the sunken ships of death’s folly. i heard the boast of old sailors swapping trinklets for lives. i stopped a moment and put the chopsticks down. then ordered another item from the menu. one without the bitter taste.
Almost night. The light dims. The time when the big ones sleep. It is your time. Time to rise and stretch. Take a bite. A drink. To explore. A garden of possibilities.
Not star dark yet.
You sniff the air. Feel the night breeze on your face. Stroking you. A distant sound. Dog calling. Too distant for trouble. A jump. A gymnast on a bar. You dance along. Instinct.
Then sit.
This will be the last time. You feel it. In your paws. In your bones. The coming of the end. No more to watch the flight of falling stars. No more to search among the ground for the exciting. You think back to the loves. The wars. They are gone now. Only you remain.
Silver at your ears. Watching the days. But this the last. No more.
The end of nine.
This came about thinking of a twilight memory. It struck me it would be more interesting if it wasn’t a human but an animal thinking of their life. I chose second person as I wanted to put the reader into the body of the animal. To become the animal. To make them closer to the animal. To increase empathy. I think it works.
SLAMFitzsimons 