Sweet William
A Novella
Martie Odell Ingebretsen
Sweet William is a tale of homelessness
Calamitous fate
Bad choices
Self-loathing
He breaks like
the cold glass
of the mirror
as his face goes on and on
into the room.
Sweet William is a parable of reversals
Prodigal father
Good Samaritan rebuffed
Wheat flourishing amongst the thorns
A weed, to some
vacant lots of spring,
is another's garden.
Sweet William is a litany of angels
Cherubim with wings of granite beckoning from the gates of Paradise
Departed loved ones whispering encouragement and consolation
Angels of flesh and blood opening their hearts and their hands
Take my hand and walk with me a minute.
I will show you the special places
way back in the corner of the garden.
There is a pond surrounded by fruit trees
used as a playground by raccoons who like to eat fish,
who like to eat fruit. The pond now caged with wire
protects the orange fish touching nose to lip of water.
We'll sit on this bench that is invaded
by morning glory, where all the trees are fruited
and ready to be eaten.
Can you taste it like a memory?
Warm my hand with yours
and watch how the minutes change color
while I feed you spring.
The protagonist of Sweet William--a guy who might be your neighbor, cousin, or friend--shows how we are all just one crisis away from homelessness.
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