7766. JUDGEMENT AT MIDDAY

JUDGEMENT AT MIDDAY

The normal nomenclature of waiting is

what we pay off in the end. At this

corner, by the light that blinks, is

Henley's old hardware store. More of

a gift shop than anything now, even the

paint cans are sold as decorative items

to enhance a home or shelf. Old man

Henley himself, having died back in '09,

is just a son's memory now. A cad named

Jeff, he knows not much about anything.

I would bet he probably more wanted to

be a banker than this : handling paint-color

chips to ward off old matrons who want

their bedrooms the color of their husband's

last flush  -  'the face was flush, in our moments

together in ecstasy prime; oh, when we were 

young.' Such gibberish, and these women go on. 

Then in come their daughters  -  'now that's not 

so bad, still  doable, yes, and a desire to be had.'

Henley, oh Henley, I'll have to think about that, 

though I know what you mean. Do you sell a

mirror that still holds the image? Can you bring

back the past old days in those trash cans that

you sell? They look good when new, but oh

so quickly battered as they age.