Life As A Sweater

I woke up today, just like any other day, hanging in Paul’s closet, chillin’ by my buddy T-Shirt. Paul had opened the closet door and was going through the daily “PICK”. He’d been favoring black lately (he’d been in a sour mood), but today he had a smile on his face. He shuffled through his shirts until he came to my friend T-Shirt. Paul pulled T-Shirt out of the closet, took him off the hanger, and put him on. He strode to the window, opened it and stuck his head out. He quickly withdrew back into the room, walked back to the closet, and pulled me, Favorite Sweater, out and put me on. I got to go out today! I was jubilant as I hung carelessly on Paul’s shoulders. I got to spend the day with Paul AND my buddy T-Shirt! Needless to say I was elated!

Our first stop today was for breakfast at a gas station next to the school. Paul was in this habit of buying a breakfast burrito and hot chocolate, no matter the weather, for breakfast every morning. Since it was a habit, it was quick and painless, no dawdling in the aisles looking for something else to spend money on. He entered the gas station, grabbed a burrito and stuck it in the microwave. He wanted it warm today, considering it was cold outside. As the burrito was being nuked, Paul picked up a cup, filled it with steaming hot cocoa, put a lid on and stuck a straw in the little opening. By then the burrito was done and he was headed to the register. $4.56 was exchanged between customer and cashier, Paul always had the exact amount, and the journey to school continued. This little ritual only took up 3 minutes and 45 seconds of his day. We got into his car and headed to school.

Paul had Chemistry today which meant only one thing to me. I got to see Jenny. Now Jenny was a sweater that belonged to Paul’s friend Marcy. She was Marcy’s favorite sweater and it was getting cold so obviously Jenny would accompany her to school. We walked into the classroom and my sweater eyes flew immediately to Jenny. She looked beautiful. Her olive green complexion was highlighted by the brown mink fur bordering her hood. Paul and Marcy had obviously gotten closer since the last time I was out because he hugged her! I got to hug Jenny today and my world will never be the same! After the brief euphoria we sat down and class started. I couldn’t concentrate on the lesson; I was too mesmerized by Jenny and her sweet smelling perfume. I day dreamed through the whole class of Jenny and I, and Paul and Marcy, running through a field of flowers with a great big blue sky above us!

The bell rang and we had to part ways. Immediately I became limp and depressed at the fact and we trudged out of the room. That hug would stay in my memory forever. T-Shirt could tell I was sad and tried to cheer me up by rustling in the wind but it did nothing to ease the pain I felt in leaving her. The day continued on, drudgingly going from class to class. Paul slept through half of them and I reminisced on the wonderful event that had occurred earlier. As the last class of the day ended, I decided I was tired of being out and wanted to go home.

And then the most amazing thing happened! Marcy and Paul met in a glade of trees on campus! It had become a new ritual while I had been in the closet. I loved this new daily occurrence more than I loved laundry detergent! Marcy and Paul sat on the grass while Jenny and I made eyes at each other. I was too shy to say anything, as was she. So we just sat and stared into each other’s souls, drinking the moment in. As time went on, the sun came out from behind the clouds and it got warm. Very warm. Eventually Marcy and Paul shed their protection from the cold and laid us together on a rock. Jenny and I were finally alone. We both sighed contently as she leaned on me and we began to talk and get to know each other. Nothing seemed to exist in the world around us except for us two. Life was happy and joyous and I was content to stay here forever.

As we were talking we realized that it had gotten dark out. Paul and Marcy had left us behind! At first we were scared. What would we do if our owner’s didn’t come back for us? Then we realized we had each other and that was enough. If we were together, everything else would fit and things would work out. So here I lie, next to my beloved Jenny, until someday someone makes us leave this place. But for now I will revel in the happiness she has given me and will never ask for a single thing for myself as long as I live.

Three Stages

As I sit under this bridge
of metal and of wood
I think of all the things it's seen
And all the things it would

I see the sky through a gap
So bright against the worn brown
Feet walk across, thud and snap
The noises echo in a round

Water passes under this wondrous work of iron
The water comes and then is gone

A man stands above me
I look at him through a gap in the planks
He stands there searching for answers
Then types something on his cell phone

The heartbeat of Nature skips
As this modern day novelty destroys.
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The worn wood lays still as people walk across it. It's friends nearby moan and groan as the weight of the humans is put on their backs. The humans pass and the planks relax, their knotted smashed selves nailed to the iron prison of a bridge. At the end of the day, each plank dreams of his home. Many were from forests thousands of miles from their present location. Many are from the same mountains as this bridge was made in. There are birch, oak, aspen and ash, all crammed integrated to make these humans lives easier. They each loved the sound of the water's gurgling laughter as it freely floated beneath them. Each plank remembers his won journey. Being sawed in half and chopped up into pieces to make the plank of wood they became. The rest of their tree entity went on somewhere else, never to have a reunion with its counterparts again.
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Tiny pebble in my shoe-
What am I to do with you?
Take you back to your home?
Or leave you here, all alone?
Where are you from? What's your name?
Are you tired of playing this game?
My little friend, how I envy you
To go where you want, to do what you do.
To see the world one crick at a time.
To never worry about a time line.
To show your beauty so people can see.
To live your life as if you were me.

At A Glance

In the 19 years of my life I've noticed something that pretty much every human being does. Ok, let's put you, reader, in a hypothetical situation.

You are walking down a hallway of hundreds of kids around your age. More than likely you are either averting your eyes so no one looks into them, walking boldly staring every person in the face, or darting glances at the girl or guy you think is hott.

People have a hard time looking into strangers eyes.

The hardest situation is when you pass someone on the street or in a hallway and you just glance at them and smile or say hello and look away, all embarassed that maybe they think you're a weird person.

But then if you're the kind of person who says hello to everyone you meet, passing someone who refuses to meet your gaze just aggravates you beyond expression!

Why can't we all be secure enough in ourselves to think that we may have something to offer another human being? That maybe a smile or "how are you?" just might be what you needed that day and yet no one would give you the pleasure of thinking someone cares.

So I challenge you, reader of the day, to smile and say hello to the people you pass in the hallway, at work, or just in life. You never know who will turn out to be a friend!