- - Stopped at a traffic light - -
- - a car in the next lane over and two cars forward - -
is marked, “JUST MARRIED,” - - and when the cars began to move again, I honk for them - -
The driver’s arm reaches out to wave, black sleeved, white cuffed.
- - They really were ‘just married’ I thought,
and began to tear up.
- - Maybe it’s my weakness for strong fingers and hairy wrists,
that little bony lump and where the hair tapers
between the hand of action and the arm of intent…
or maybe it’s that I come from a long line of women who said “yes”
to the first jackass who suggested marriage,
and they fought to keep him though bitten tongues and pursed lips - -
I didn’t. - - I didn’t say “yes” to the first or the second.
Now I’m twenty-four and there’s no one saying,
“This life is hard, but we’re in it together.”
- - Nobody I love or like or find somewhat agreeable.
No heavy hand to hold when my dreams seem unforseeable.
Clucky fanfiction
Duncan walked by the chicken enclosure during a standard ‘make sure everything is running smoothly and hasn’t been blown to bits’ inspection. The fluffy white birds all picked up and fluttered madly around their enclosure when they set eyes on him.
“Stupid birds.” He muttered under his breath and kept walking.
Clucky, from inside the surprisingly quite Honeydew facility heard the noise of her companions and shook her head.
“Momma?” Her little chick peeped from in the nest. She was trying to get her to take a nap but it had been fruitless.
“What, my little hatchling?” She said as she fluttered back to the nest.
“Why are the others so afraid of the big four eyed chicken?” The little chick asked innocently. She was too young to remember the horror.
“Before you were born, hatchling, there was a terrible massacre that happened to our people.” Clucky nestled in beside her chick.
“What’s a massacre, momma?” she peeped from under her mother’s feathers.
“It means a lot of us were killed.” Clucky explained, which elicited a small gasp from the chick.
“Why?”
“It is not known why, there was many who used to live in the large egg beyond these walls. Though it seemed to be a good life, shelter, food, safety. Some disagreed, they did not want to be caged, the wilds called for them.” Clucky pondered a moment to think of the best way to tell her small chick this harrowing tale. “When the our master chickens went over to work on their home, a few planned an escape. Things did not go well, and many that tried to escape that day were killed.”
“By the big four eyed chicken?” The babe asked.
“Yes, little one. Though he has been kind to us, it has not always been so. Be thankful for what you have, hatchling. We lead a safe life here in the great white coop.” She said nuzzling her chick.
“But what if I want to go see the other chickens, momma?” She asked drowsily.
“We’ll see when you are older, little hatchling.” She nestled closer to her child as it drifted off to sleep. She thanked the heaven’s that she and her chick were safe and were not in the other coop on that day.
