!Black Sea brass
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agk's diary
12 August 2023 @ 13:50 UTC
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written on GPD Win 1
in kitchen, sleepy, while fans blow
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I pedaled the truck bike, towed first daughter's
chariot of a trailer to the skate park. June found
us. She took daughter to dance in front of the
stage on the football field to Black Sea brass. She
pushed daughter on the swing.
I tinkered til Ilona arrived, one eye on daughter
and June. June's mom Gabby dropped by, sad June's
bike has a flat and hurt about her ex-boyfriend.
Ilona introduced me to the ecologist, whose date is
a fan of my writing from open mic. We talked about
cave fauna and palma Christa.
Daughter and June chalked the sidewalk with a kid
named Zander. Riley and roommate watched from a
distance. The music ended.
Biking home I pedaled the rusty single-speed truck
bike. Daughter in her wagon sang "Mama & [daughter]
sleep in the woods, sleep in the woods! Monster
baby sleep in the woods, sleep in the woods! Mommy
mama [daughter] sleep in the woods...."
Cicadas rasped loud and rhythmic in the trees. The
breeze from biking so fast blew sweat off my face,
cooling me. I wore a flowered dress the guy at
Valvoline said looked really cool on me; he'd only
seen dresses like it on church ladies before.
Roommate awaited us in the dark as we biked up the
driveway home. I read daughter the beautiful story
about the child lost in lush woods who freed a
rabbit from a trap so was cared for by forest
creatures and slept in the woods.
Daughter ate a bowl of plain yogurt at the table,
sitting on my lap. When she finished she asked,
"More yogurt?"
"No," I said.
Sweetly, quiet, sleepily she exclaimed, "Bedtime!"
I brushed her teeth, lay her on a cloth diaper and
fastened it about her, hit play on the 35 year-old
tape of my grandpa reading fairy stories. I held
her, rocked in the creaky rocking chair.
Grandpa's voice: "...the story of Snow White...."
Daughter sighed, "Story." As she fell asleep in my
lap she whispered, "Snow White, Snow White."
I laid her in her pack-n-play, covered her up.
"Ssh," she whispered. "No talking." And she fell
easily back asleep.
