We hadn’t talked for days. I don’t remember why; why you threw down the book you were reading, why I walked out. But the flowers I bought at Mr. Higgins corner store, I still see them plain as smog over the city. Daisies. White ones. The black center dark as midnight.
I stood outside our door, nervous as I was for our first date. I knocked even though I had a key. You were wearing the clogs you always wore. The clip-clop getting closer as my hands sweated. I looked straight at the peephole, tried not to blink. For a second, I didn’t think you’d open the door. Didn’t think that both of us liking punk rock and watching the original Star Trek meant we could make a go of it.
But you did. You opened it right up, gesturing me in with a little nod of your head. It’s about time––you said it as if you’d been waiting for me for a lifetime. The daisies lasted two weeks––we lasted a hell of a lot longer.
2 Replies to “Daisies on the Wall”
I keep asking myself what kind of life you’ve led that keeps you exploring all these “places”. Another great vignette…
You remember all the ‘photo walks’ we used to do? I just keep doing them. My family puts up with me always stopping to take pictures wherever we go. I try and take a day or two every month to go downtown and take pictures in random parts of the city. Photography gets my creative juices flowing and that always helps my writing! There’s some strange and wonderful stuff out there just waiting to be found…
Word of the Year-2025
For my 2025 word of the year, I chose COURAGE. I know, it’s not the most original pick—but hear me out. Something about courage stuck with me this time, especially after watching a documentary on The Tragically Hip. For those unfamiliar, they’re kind of a Canadian thing. A band that
Hinterland is Real
They say seeing is believing. I didn’t know what that meant until that night. I was coming home late, later than I should, and I knew I was going to catch heck. Momma didn’t even pretend to be patient when me or my sister wasn’t home in time for dinner.
Deadly Mist
The mist crept closer, slithering across the boot prints she left behind on the soft, moist ground. She urged her legs to go faster over the uneven path. A leafless tree grabbed at the flying strands of her long silver hair as she ran past. They hung like shiny tinsel