The Alphabet of Regret: S is for Security

You could have left a million times before the alarm shattered another glowering suburban morning. Instead, you lie with comfort, your left hand lifeless upon the snooze button while outside the heat, the light, the wind rise beyond the horizon.

Your body twitches. The frayed threads of abandoned desire intertwine in your subconscious.

The offer in a vague Northwestern state you didn't take.

The saxophonist from the bar band you didn't call back.

The converted cold water flat peeking from behind the streetlight starscape you never entered.

You let them all evaporate to trade Malbec-and-Marlboro-Light breath with the American Dream.

So you believed.

So, you believed.

You spring up, a loose plank stepped on for the last time.

The trappings of your life lie before you: the overflowing closet of clothes that match unscuffed shoes, the TV that feeds you nightly, the exhaling lump of covers on your right. So much to fill one's world and empty the soul.

Morning leaks through a blind. You think about chasing it down, running half-naked through the Rain Bird ballet along the manicured sidewalks that this time will lead you rightly.

Downstairs you empty yesterday's coffee grounds into the bin. There are no clean spoons to be found. Tomorrow, there won't be any either.

Comments

[Cheryl Duford]

You right. I know this.

[Deb Rox]

This cuts, cleanly, in constrast to the tobacco and coffe grounds. "Exhaling lump of covers..." in particular. Damn.

[Susan (Trout Towers)]

Another one that hits just right. Beautifully done.

[Jett]

We're so often damned by our choices (at least in our own minds)....you've captured the ache of that so well, so beautifully.

[Homemaker man]

That was right on.

[Mongoliangirl]

I pretty much DID run half-naked out of the choices I made earlier in life. Figuratively anyway. It really does seem to take something drastic to hit the 'restart' button and move in a different direction.
Nice post...made me think of that.

[TwoBusy]

Beautifully rendered, and painfully accurate.

[Mr Lady]

Oh dear god, ouch. In the good way.

[Holmes]

Man, this was incredible.

[ms picket to you]

Wow. I regret to say I didn't think funny you had it in you: the good news, I am wrong all the time.

Printed, saved. Loved.