Standing before me,
The mirror of all I am not.
As I listen to you
The reflection of my life
Turns tawdry and dim:
Shadows of caricatures
Sketched quickly on
Scrap paper
Or twisted like
A funhouse mirror:
The more of you,
The less of me –
Taunting me with
A me that was
Or once could be.
Monthly Archives: October 2015
The Mirror of All I Am Not
Teatime
SMOLDER: I hate to say it, but I think teatime is over.
CINDER: Surely not! You’ve barely even poured the cups.
SMOLDER: I know, Cindy, but I did try to warn you.
CINDER: On the contrary! You objected so long that even agreeing to have tea took forever. And now you say we’re finished without the least reason for it.
SMOLDER: It is nearly 4:30.
CINDER: … yes, and? Do you have another engagement? Is there some-
KNIGHT: Die, foul villains!
SQUIRE: Go get them, sir!
CINDER: How dare you!
SMOLDER: Here we go.
KNIGHT: Stand and fight, fiend!
CINDER: Look what you’ve done! That was our great-grandmother’s! Just how do you think you’re going to pay for this?
KNIGHT: You’re the one who’s going to pay.
SMOLDER: Sir, I wouldn’t advise- …Too late.
KNIGHT: Hey! Let me down!
CINDER: That cup was thousands of years old! Do you have any idea how hard it is to find tea sets in that size?
KNIGHT: Put me down, or I’ll… tea sets?
SQUIRE: Why you beast! Take tha-
SMOLDER: I wouldn’t bother her at the moment. She was very fond of that set.
SQUIRE: Aaaaaaaah!
KNIGHT: What have you done to him? If you hurt him, I swear I shall-
SMOLDER: He seems to have fainted.
CINDER: Well, set him on the couch, for goodness sakes. As for you, I demand restitution!
KNIGHT: Then fight, demon! Or do you only attack helpless damsels and squires?
CINDER: Damsels? What the devil is he talking about? What would we want with damsels?
SMOLDER: I did try to warn you.
CINDER: You can’t possibly have objected to tea simply because… Smo, you didn’t.
SMOLDER: Me? Certainly, not. Cousin Comb, however… umm, well, it seems that he is off his medication again.
CINDER: But he lives two kingdoms over!
SMOLDER: I know. He and Aunt ‘Ferno came for a visit a few weeks ago. He went out for a bit – said he was going to stretch his wings. The next thing I know, these knights started showing up. And they always come at teatime. They’re quite amazingly predictable. I have yet to understand-
CINDER: You explained, surely!
SMOLDER: Well, certainly. I could hardly do otherwise. But you’ve seen for yourself how well they listen! They come in swinging, and that’s that. And when I contacted Aunt ‘Ferno, she refused to do anything about it.
CINDER: Of course. You know as well as I do that she would never admit her precious Combustion could do such a thing.
KNIGHT: Er… Pardon the interruption, ladies, but are you saying that a different dragon took the damsels?
SMOLDER: It certainly wasn’t us!
CINDER: Really, damsels are such insipid creatures. I much prefer tea and biscuits.
SMOLDER: Besides, it’s horribly impolite to eat things that can talk.
CINDER: Quite.
Website Successfully Emigrated & Immigrated
I guess I shouldn’t discuss the site as if it were alive, but it’s not exactly a migrating bird either. Plus, webhosts are really beginning to remind me of different countries – prepare for the language change, and let’s hope you have the right visa.
Anyway, after altogether too many complications for my skill level, the site has been migrated to WordPress. Please, let me know if you come across any problems because of it. I may tinker with the theme more later, but for now, I decided that the rough style suits the rough draft idea of the project. Plus, it’s readable and met all my other qualifications (ever get to the point where you’re so sick of trying different themes that you’re simply grateful to find one that works?).
This experience has brought home how little I know about the code that makes all of these sites work. I am very grateful to have sites like this where I can post and create without needing to know all the intricate details. At the same time, I will be all too happy to get back to the writing part.
After all, that’s what this site is all about.
Warning! Website Emigration Attempt!
I will be trying to move this site to a different webhost either tonight or tomorrow. I hope that it will go smoothly, but I wanted to warn you in case it does not. I’m hoping that it will not screw up anyone’s rss subscription. If you stop getting updates, you may need to go to http://www.twytte.com and resubscribe (if you still want updates…). Thanks in advance for your patience!
The Fields
There was a time when
The crops grew
In full fields of green;
Sometimes, they would burst
Up in rich abundance.
Even in years of need,
There would be enough
To get by.
But each word, each gesture
Of disdain, indifference, or
Worse,
Spread and mixed salt
Through the once fertile fields
Until no clean soil remained.
Until the seeds shriveled and
Never sprouted.
Now,
The crops are a whisper of
Memory in a barren field,
And I cannot bring myself
To care.
The crops grew
In full fields of green;
Sometimes, they would burst
Up in rich abundance.
Even in years of need,
There would be enough
To get by.
But each word, each gesture
Of disdain, indifference, or
Worse,
Spread and mixed salt
Through the once fertile fields
Until no clean soil remained.
Until the seeds shriveled and
Never sprouted.
Now,
The crops are a whisper of
Memory in a barren field,
And I cannot bring myself
To care.
twytte 