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Jem & Trucker


Jem.   stumbled, & fell to the ground, weak from hunger.
begging had not gone well that day. people rushed past
her at the train station, to escape her pitiful presence.
strangers without benevolence.

her mother, on her death bed, had told her:
  Jem-marie, wash the smudges off your face, wash
  under your arms, pat down your hair. smile & flutter
  your eyes a little. men will pay you money for 5, 6
  minutes work. spit out the disgust & take the money.
she would not do that, so she ignored her belly’s cries.

Trucker.   he saw her fall, & helped her. he was a big man,
arms & back muscled from heavy labor. shoulders that
supported hardship. he took her to the soup kitchen. they
were given bread, a weak soup with some vegetables, no
meat. the kitchen was serving apple juice that night.
they spoke a little.

he took her to the abandoned warehouse. an old mattress,
a sheet on it that he had stolen from someone’s clothesline.
they only meant to rest. for a reason that was unfamiliar,
he kissed her cheek,

  gently: tinkerbelle kissing the wind…

she responded, welcoming the security in the wrap of his arms.
& something happened,
something so, so right…

emotion. they were charged emotion.
crackling, stinging the air.
they bartered a small portion of the pain
for a little passion.

somewhere, between dusk & dawn,
there is a beautiful stillness;
somewhere in the universe,
there is music…




Written by JohnFeddeler
Published
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