7 plays
BARBARA from the collection “Naming Names”
I’m never going to think about Barbara again. I’ll erase her from my mind. I’ll spend my days reading books that she left and circling new words I find. I’ll look them up in the dictionary that I keep by my shelf and I’ll remember them all and forget everything else. I’ll write letters to the newspaper and I’ll point out their partisan slant. I’ll do the crossword until it gets too hard and then I’ll crease the pleats of my pants. Iron all the clothes I own until my room fills with steam and I’ll fold them all until I’m too tired to dream. I’ll visit my mother and I’ll bring her dinner, maybe date that girl from the gym. I’ll ask her questions about her old boyfriend and I’ll rank myself to him. I’m tabula rasa: this is my first day on the world, and for all intents and purposes she’ll be my very first girl. I’ll take her name and write poetry for her, I’ll keep them unread in my drawer. I won’t let her see them, won’t let her know that maybe I love her more than she could love me. She could just go. Then I’ll write a whole book using all the new words I know.
Written & recorded by Ryan J. Tressel, 2/20/10.
RJT: Guitar, bass, piano, voice.
