At night I reach over to your side of the bed – that cold spot with its frozen memories. The warmth of my hand brings them out of their icy suspension. I can almost feel your nipple growing hard between my fingers. Thawed memories and maybe flawed memories begin to mix in with my body’s involuntary muscle twitches and my random mental twitches – until your side of the bed freezes up again.
by Fred Garber of Factory Town
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(o)
This makes me sad – and slightly shivery – every time I read it. A fine piece, Fred.
Dale…. :)
Beth….Thank you for the comment! And thanks to you and Dave for including my piece in the “Short Shorts”. The two of you deserve a lot of credit for your hard work this in editing this series! I wrote this piece 3 or 4 years ago at a time when I was feeling sad and lonely.
This is so human, so powerful.
MB…Thank you very much! When I wrote it my girlfriend had been gone out of the country for a long time. I had been listening to old 50′s and 60′s r&b music. I had been rereading Neruda’s “100 Love Sonnets”. I was hanging by a thread. She eventually came back and we were married.
Wonderfully expressed feelings, chilling and nostalgic, and oh so recognisable.
Thanks! By the way, I like your graphic novel on your blog!