Well, said Virginia, no one in Concord is missing a pencil. No, said Ditto, they looked at us like we were crazy. I guess people don’t use pencils anymore, said Virginia. No, said Ditto, I guess not. What’ll we do with it? said Virginia. If we save it, said Ditto, it might become an antique. An antique? said Virginia. Yes, said Ditto, like putt putt boats, cassette tapes, and common courtesy. And people would travel for miles to see it? said Virginia. Yes, said Ditto, and we’d keep it behind glass, and rent headphones to explain its history. So the tourists would know what to think? said Virginia. Yes, said Ditto, and realize how important it is, and not complain about the admission fee. Visitors would come to Concord from all over the world! said Virginia. Yes, said Ditto, they would.
Month: June 2016
“Ditto finds a pencil” (I)
What is it? said Virginia. It’s a pencil, said Ditto. A pencil? Yes, said Ditto. Who does it belong to? said Virginia. I don’t know, said Ditto, we’d better take it to town and ask around.
“Morton’s Pond” (XIII)
“Sights”: Sunshine through the clouds. Silver drops on the leaves and ground. Wet tree bark. Mud and bits of leaves on my hooves and ankles. Patches of blue spilled on the lake.
“Morton’s Pond” (XII)
“Sounds”: Rainfall. Cloudburst. I suppose the cloud got so full with all the things it sucked up, it had to spit them out—the sounds, the colors, the smells. The raindrops gathered together when they hit the ground and began to run around making noises and spreading flashes of color. They ran down my nose and flanks and haunches and tail, and found the holes in my shelter I could only hear before. Rain makes it easy to see holes, and it makes silent things reveal their sound. Like the stone outside my shelter that never made a sound until the rain came and all the nooks and crannies sang.
“Morton’s Pond” (XI)
“Sights” – More clouds. Cloud. Covering the lake…
stealing the blue from the water.
“Morton’s Pond” (X)
“Sights” – Clouds. Lots of clouds. Then one big cloud. A cloud that covered the whole lake and maybe even the world. Everything was whitish grey. It erased the shadows of the leaves and trees. I suppose it sucked them into itself which is why the cloud was dark in spots. It also sucked up sounds. The train wasn’t as noisy, and the birds sang a lower pitch.
“A Blurtso runs through it”
And as you circle from side to side, said Blurtso, feel that a river runs through you… that the tension in your muscles and bones are branches that dangle in the stream, lifting the water in silver spray… and you are the river… and branches, and spray, and grooves of the surface, and hidden currents beneath…
“Frank visits Concord” (V)
Crows are messengers of the dead? said Ditto. Yes, said Virginia, that’s what my uncle said. Dead humans or dead donkeys? said Ditto. Dead humans, said Virginia. Hmm, said Ditto, I wonder which animals are messengers of dead crows?
“Blurtso considers the most difficult task”
People value tasks that are difficult to perform,
but they don’t value the most difficult task of all…
to not value what other people value.
“Frank visits Concord” (IV)
Is that your iPhone ringing? said Ditto.
No, said Virginia, I don’t have an iPhone.