ahaikunhoney

fatigue
combined with fury
at her own inability
to say ‘no’
left her dazed
bewildered
irritated
by a wordless radio
yellow lines
blurred trees
endless demands
bitter boss
cocky client
another loverless holiday
an unglamorous chaos
then
there was the view
in the
westward facing mirror
a salmon and lavender sky
that reminded her
of the song
her papa used to sing
about sailors
when they rode home together
at sunset
and the
black limbs on the long trees
spread
across its chest
like a fine lady’s fingers
as if writing her
a letter
reminding her
to be grateful
for
this mediocre obscurity

As most of you know, that know me here, know I have been going through a terrible divorce for the last 4+ years. Well, it has finally all come and gone, I had my stroke, lost all my hair, and had the trial of, we’ll say the last decade, in my little small Southern town. 4 day trial. I won. There was lots of folks there. And the jury awarded me a nice settlement judgment.

Weeeeelll, of course, the time has come and gone, and the X, surprise, surprise has not paid up. Sssssooo, I am preparing to exercise my legal rights… I called the Clerk of the Superior Court yesterday to ask a few questions about the required legal procedure… and it went something like this:

ME: “Hi, Ma’am, I was recently divorced and my husband was required to pay me a large lump sum of money. He hasn’t and I’m gonna do ‘blah blah blah blah’ do I need to do ‘blah blah blah’ or can I just file ‘blah blah’ to carry that out?”

HEAD CLERK: “Weeelll, honey, I just knew he wuun’t gonna do right by you. I just knew. Bleess your heart. I bet he ain’t done right by them younguns either has he??? Looorrd be, baby”

ME: “But, I didn’t tell you my name. How do you know who I am?”

HEAD CLERK: “Honey are you kiddin’??? I know who you are!! I’d recognize your voice anywhere, why, I sat in on your trial and Lord have mercy, baby, you just endured so much. I declare, it just broke my heart to watch you up there on that stand. I tell you what!! I never heardofsuch!!! I just knew, after all that man had put you through he wuun’t gonna act like he oughter”

ME: “So you know me? My story? What I am asking for – are you sure?“

HEAD CLERK: “Yes, darlin, you that tall blonde woman that was married to that foreign feller. Baby, they just think different than men do round here…. but, honey, whatever you do, you let Gail (my lawyer) get it done for you… and we all know who you are up here. We were all pullin’ for you”

...... we continued on a few more minutes, she asked me about my children, how I was doing, how things were for me now, what I was gonna do with my money, and said “bless your heart” I know another 10 or so times….... she is a beautiful, beautiful woman, with an accent perhaps heavier than mine….

Ever get the feelin’ you been talked about????

Usually, when I meet someone, the first thing I notice about them is their hands. I am fascinated by hands- I think they are poetry in motion.

What about you – what’s the first thing you notice?