Summer goin’ that way

A scene at night.

Water splashed into the sink, escaping from one set of pipes into another. The faucet, speckled with dried bits of toothpaste, pale blemishes left by droplets of water, and a few straggling facial hairs, reflected the warped, ugly face of the man leaning above. The tiniest hum of an electric bulb and the plastic peck-buzz sounds of moths filled the room. Pale yellow light shone on the yellow walls, covered by peeling floral patterns unchanged in the last half-century, and a warm, gentle breeze floated through the screens of the windows. These were the kind that operate via crank and open to the side a short ways, which most agree are superior to the vertically disposed.

Perhaps the bathroom occupant was flossing his teeth. The mint-flavored string popped in and out of the gaps between teeth that were never straightened, leaving his woefully unprepared gums red and painful. After a few intervals, he stopped to see what meal-remnants had been recovered. Trying to recall what he had eaten that day, the tastes of cornflakes, a salted ham and cheese sandwich, and lasagna alternately returned to his memory.

Perhaps he was trying to find some sign in the face in the mirror.

He saw a sign that said “Good Vibes Only” and thought that was rather nice.

I saw another woodchuck today.

He ran like a wriggling worm. The tall grass of the marsh never looked so cozy.