Through a Darkened Pane (page 73)

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Thank you, dear ladies, for the beauty you have lent this thread!

CoCo des Fenetres

I look upon those darkened panes daily,
windows to a soulless dwelling whose
roots sink deep into deadened earth.

The wraiths within gaze out and upward
at an oppressing sky that is no promised
heaven, but its inverse come from below.

All this, since you went away . . .

snowbird

Once more to the lake ...

Sylvia

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SYL:

Blessings and peace.

Love,

CoCo

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I intended never to return.

Then again, there are forces from within, those from without, that pull us in. If we resist the tugs at our minds and bodies, we are, nevertheless, shoved into that realm of darkness we endeavored so hard not to reenter once out.

Why did I return, above and beyond those unavoidable forces already alluded to? Was it curiosity over long-faded memories that kicked up inside my crazy head, pushing me to experience anew what had nearly killed me? If you escape the death trap of a burning building, what could possibly lure you back in, unless, of course, you forgot your beloved pet? No, it's the siren's call that beckons you back, giving you a sure vision that, truly, the building is safe, secure, and intact.

My building is not consumed in flames, and it gives an outward appearance of welcome. The door is ajar. By an unseen hand it swings open, but in protracted slow motion that makes me wonder what is real and what is imagined.

I know what not to do, but since when have I ever been sensible?

compound complex

Of course it was a foolish move, but no one has ever used the word "sensible" in the same sentence with my name.

Lured incrementally towards the house with roots sunk deep into a mire of misery and unalloyed pain, I was helpless to fend off the call of the siren. Warnings gone unheeded were my unfortunate mode of reacting to elders who were more experienced in the consequences of life's greater and more unforgiving contretemps.

Having escaped a few times without any bodily harm during my misadventures, I walked with no little purpose up the curving path. What was within those walls beckoned -- I felt rather than knew -- although there was no seeming menace about the building's placid exterior. The white paint of the lapboard siding was somewhat faded from a brightness that once reflected the summer sun. I recall having to shield my eyes on those warm, languid days, those carefree days when the two of us walked hand-in-hand, dreaming of the day when we would take ownership of the house on the hill . . .

Tara N Seals

Lapboard siding, clapboard, ship lap . . .

Oh, how I miss my little cottage in the deep woods!

Since my abrupt dismissal, my grandson and I have explored the possibility that Earth just may not be a planet after all.

It has been a humbling, reflective, and, sometimes perturbing journey.

Thanks for resurrecting TADP.😘

compound complex

Thank you, Tara, for giving me reason.

There has been little but, nonetheless, appreciated response to my stories and poetry. Still, I have continued to post both regularly, watching them slip silently into the bin of no-response detritus. And here I am, once again, in my favorite mode of wee-hour writing! It's about 3:00 a.m.

I am sorry for whatever it is that has happened regarding your living arrangements. Having moved some half-dozen-plus times in the last 17 years, I feel nothing is permanent for me. I rent a room and have a bath and kitchen privileges; and I have at least another year here. Given the regular house sitting that I do, I'm always moving about, but only within three miles or less of my little overstuffed room. I hope you find peace and contentment wherever you locate.

Love,

CoCo

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The aspect of the little faded house darkened as I approached.

The sky was a hearty, bold blue that enveloped the otherwise tranquil mountains afar and, closer in, the wood undulating in knolls and vales. Strange that each footstep bringing me nearer the house stirred me with an unease the sunny day should otherwise have dispelled. Shadow ungoverned by Nature's immutable laws swelled, doubling its negative expanse over the house and adjacent property.

Through a Darkened Pane

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