Excerpt #nanowrimo

The man sits across from me. Rimmed glasses, peeking chest hair, and legs crossed. We've been sitting in silence for at least 30 seconds, we've passed the point at which small talk starts to sound very fake and ice-breaky. The clock ticks. The fan is silent but it's the only thing in the entire room that's moving, so it's very obvious. My mind starts drifting. If someone were to pop in they would have thought they were interrupting something very important and apologize

"How about that weather we've been having?" He says

Goddammit, he did it. I was really hoping he wouldn't 

"Just beautiful, absolutely beautiful" I say

"It's a nice change, from, you know, that cold weather we've had"

"Yes it is... yes it is"

He trails off and looks back at the carpet; yellow shag with visible lint originating sometime in the early 60's. I'm picking at my hands. 

Mom would say that's a bad habit, you need to quit.

Theatre

There's a scene in my favorite movie.

Two lovers holding hands, a sunset

a small house molded to her liking, a quiet beauty.

sapling life a soft vignette.

There's a scene in my favorite movie

the part that makes me weep

his hands grasp the thin bony palm

of the frame of the quiet beauty, asleep

A hospital, chords of fluid, a psalm

There's a scene in my favorite movie

his hands glide along the stone,

the hallowed ground, the grave.
fingers trace the etched-in words
marble as cold as death.

The credits roll.

There's a scene in my favorite movie
Most of the crowds left now
but I know to wait
till the words on the screen have scrolled to the end
and finally you'll see
Two lovers kiss, lips dry and cracked
but only a thought of love.
Together forever no pain, no sickness, no harsh air
that will keep them apart again.