Post by goldenmyst on Mar 18, 2022 0:22:17 GMT -6
Lorman, Mississippi Blues
Martha says, “This ole house feels haunted Larry. I wish I could go out in the pasture and watch the sunrise. But I don’t have the energy. Tonight I feel like going to heaven.”
Larry replies, “Martha you haven’t left the house in thirty years. You look so frail like a ghost of the woman I married. This ole home’s been here since before the civil war. It is a hall of memories. But you can’t live in the past. You need some fresh air. Walk with me out to the porch. The ole grapefruit moon is out.”
Martha says, “Larry my legs are too weak to carry me out. I’ve been sitting in this easy chair for over a decade.”
Larry replies, “Let me help you to bed Martha. You need your rest. Hold my hand and come with me. You know you’ll die soon if you don’t work your heart.”
Martha says, “I know Larry. But ever since Mama died I don’t have the will to carry on. I suppose this I where I’ll die. We all have to die somewhere.”
Larry replies, “You talk like you’re ready to give up the ghost. Don’t you know there is a future out there? Don’t live in the past. It will swallow you alive.”
Martha says, “Put me down in Maw's bed. I can feel her on the mattress. There now please get me some water.”
Larry replies, “You know I’ll be with you till the end. But I hate seeing you like this. The Lord didn’t mean for folks to go to their grave because their mother did. You’ve mourned too long. Time to let go. But I suppose I’m beating a dead horse.”
Martha pleads, “Sleep with me tonight Larry. I need you too. Don’t slumber in the other room.”
Larry implores, “Martha you know I can’t do that. We come from the same womb. Rest well, honey. If you need anything just holler and I’ll be right here.”
Martha sighs, “I’m not asking for anything unchristian. I’m too old and crippled for that. Just give me the comfort of a man. Just this one night Larry.”
Larry is aghast. “Martha, Mama would roll in her grave if she heard you.”
Martha gets poignant. “Remember that night in the choir loft. I recall it like it was yesterday. You kissed me so sweetly. I felt butterflies all up and down. And then you…”
Larry puts his foot down. “That is enough Martha! Don’t say another word. None of that ever happened.”
Martha swoons. “Oh, Larry my stomach got so round and big after that. And then I lost him. Why would God let such a thing happen? Our son. Gone. It makes me cry. Hold me, Larry.”
Larry is aghast. “Your mind is playing tricks on you. Go on to sleep now. Dream of bygone days when the pear tree bore fruit.”
The sun rises like an orange over the cow pastures. The rooster crows like a Chanticleer to herald the new day.
Larry beams with a substitute for a shared bed. “I’ve got you some fresh eggs this morning Martha. Come to the kitchen and eat them up.”
Martha’s amorous intentions linger. “Oh, Larry couldn’t you serve me breakfast in bed? My legs are weary. I just can’t take one step.”
Larry shifts the subject. “Martha if you were to walk across the house it would do you a world of good. If you don’t stretch your legs they’ll shrivel up like dried snap beans.”
Martha subsumes. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Just this once though Larry. I just can’t make it.”
Larry laments. “Martha this is the way it’s been for the last twenty years. We do this same old play every morning. But you know I’ll do it for you baby. I won’t let you down.”
Martha gives into the weakness of her body. “Larry go out on the porch and check the mail. Be sure to get the newspaper too. Tell me has the stock market picked up since the crash?”
Larry is in chagrin. “Martha the depression was over with ten years ago. I keep telling you that.”
Martha seeks forgiveness. “Oh, I am so forgetful. I keep having senior moments. Forgive me.”
Larry seeks a rainbow of hope. “Darling you just are forgetful, that’s all. It’s probably from not having a routine. You need to listen to the radio programs. You’d keep your mind active that way. Well, I’ll mosey on out and get the paper.”
Larry opens the door and walks into the sea of
sunlight. He hears a buzzing out over the fields. Then he spots a small airplane diving down. It makes an emergency landing just past the fence. He runs back in as he’d just seen Jesus's second coming.
Larry pipes, “Martha! A plane just landed in the pasture. You have to see it. We’ve never seen one of those flying machines. Let me carry you out there.”
Martha downplays, “Larry, you’re acting like Jesus showed up. Why do I care about one of those little winged machines?”
Larry pep talks to Martha. “Martha, come on. This is reason enough. I’ll carry you the whole way.”
Martha gains Larry’s enthusiasm. “Well honey, you’ve done convinced me. Pick me up and bring me. I’ve always wanted to see one of those metal dragonflies.”
Larry carries Martha like a baby past the gate and into the tan pasture. They approach the little propeller plane.
Martha cheerily greets the pilot. “Hey, there mister pilot. Are you alright?”
The pilot offers up a soup of optimism. “Oh, yea. Thank God for this clear stretch of land. Can I use your phone?”
Martha finds her sunny disposition. “Of course mister. We’ll give you some sweet tea. You look a little pale.”
The pilot dizzily wipes his brow. “Well, I am a little shook up. But I’ll be fine.”
Larry cradles Martha in the bowl of his arms up and back into the house.
Larry recruits Martha as the welcoming committee as if she hasn’t already volunteered.
“Martha sit with us at the table. We’ll share some eggs with this gentleman.”
Martha blushes from a happy surprise. “Of course Larry. You know I’d forgotten how refreshing the morning air is. Take me out there again sometime soon.”
Larry invites Martha to come out and play.
“There is nothing better than that dawn air to purge you of your grief. Let’s do it every morning.”
Martha whispers, “Oh the pilot is talking on the phone. We’re not in any rush for him to leave. Let’s have company over too from time to time.”
Larry beams, “Martha your skin is glowing. The color is coming back to your face. Have another egg.”
Martha fondles an oval delight. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Martha says, “This ole house feels haunted Larry. I wish I could go out in the pasture and watch the sunrise. But I don’t have the energy. Tonight I feel like going to heaven.”
Larry replies, “Martha you haven’t left the house in thirty years. You look so frail like a ghost of the woman I married. This ole home’s been here since before the civil war. It is a hall of memories. But you can’t live in the past. You need some fresh air. Walk with me out to the porch. The ole grapefruit moon is out.”
Martha says, “Larry my legs are too weak to carry me out. I’ve been sitting in this easy chair for over a decade.”
Larry replies, “Let me help you to bed Martha. You need your rest. Hold my hand and come with me. You know you’ll die soon if you don’t work your heart.”
Martha says, “I know Larry. But ever since Mama died I don’t have the will to carry on. I suppose this I where I’ll die. We all have to die somewhere.”
Larry replies, “You talk like you’re ready to give up the ghost. Don’t you know there is a future out there? Don’t live in the past. It will swallow you alive.”
Martha says, “Put me down in Maw's bed. I can feel her on the mattress. There now please get me some water.”
Larry replies, “You know I’ll be with you till the end. But I hate seeing you like this. The Lord didn’t mean for folks to go to their grave because their mother did. You’ve mourned too long. Time to let go. But I suppose I’m beating a dead horse.”
Martha pleads, “Sleep with me tonight Larry. I need you too. Don’t slumber in the other room.”
Larry implores, “Martha you know I can’t do that. We come from the same womb. Rest well, honey. If you need anything just holler and I’ll be right here.”
Martha sighs, “I’m not asking for anything unchristian. I’m too old and crippled for that. Just give me the comfort of a man. Just this one night Larry.”
Larry is aghast. “Martha, Mama would roll in her grave if she heard you.”
Martha gets poignant. “Remember that night in the choir loft. I recall it like it was yesterday. You kissed me so sweetly. I felt butterflies all up and down. And then you…”
Larry puts his foot down. “That is enough Martha! Don’t say another word. None of that ever happened.”
Martha swoons. “Oh, Larry my stomach got so round and big after that. And then I lost him. Why would God let such a thing happen? Our son. Gone. It makes me cry. Hold me, Larry.”
Larry is aghast. “Your mind is playing tricks on you. Go on to sleep now. Dream of bygone days when the pear tree bore fruit.”
The sun rises like an orange over the cow pastures. The rooster crows like a Chanticleer to herald the new day.
Larry beams with a substitute for a shared bed. “I’ve got you some fresh eggs this morning Martha. Come to the kitchen and eat them up.”
Martha’s amorous intentions linger. “Oh, Larry couldn’t you serve me breakfast in bed? My legs are weary. I just can’t take one step.”
Larry shifts the subject. “Martha if you were to walk across the house it would do you a world of good. If you don’t stretch your legs they’ll shrivel up like dried snap beans.”
Martha subsumes. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Just this once though Larry. I just can’t make it.”
Larry laments. “Martha this is the way it’s been for the last twenty years. We do this same old play every morning. But you know I’ll do it for you baby. I won’t let you down.”
Martha gives into the weakness of her body. “Larry go out on the porch and check the mail. Be sure to get the newspaper too. Tell me has the stock market picked up since the crash?”
Larry is in chagrin. “Martha the depression was over with ten years ago. I keep telling you that.”
Martha seeks forgiveness. “Oh, I am so forgetful. I keep having senior moments. Forgive me.”
Larry seeks a rainbow of hope. “Darling you just are forgetful, that’s all. It’s probably from not having a routine. You need to listen to the radio programs. You’d keep your mind active that way. Well, I’ll mosey on out and get the paper.”
Larry opens the door and walks into the sea of
sunlight. He hears a buzzing out over the fields. Then he spots a small airplane diving down. It makes an emergency landing just past the fence. He runs back in as he’d just seen Jesus's second coming.
Larry pipes, “Martha! A plane just landed in the pasture. You have to see it. We’ve never seen one of those flying machines. Let me carry you out there.”
Martha downplays, “Larry, you’re acting like Jesus showed up. Why do I care about one of those little winged machines?”
Larry pep talks to Martha. “Martha, come on. This is reason enough. I’ll carry you the whole way.”
Martha gains Larry’s enthusiasm. “Well honey, you’ve done convinced me. Pick me up and bring me. I’ve always wanted to see one of those metal dragonflies.”
Larry carries Martha like a baby past the gate and into the tan pasture. They approach the little propeller plane.
Martha cheerily greets the pilot. “Hey, there mister pilot. Are you alright?”
The pilot offers up a soup of optimism. “Oh, yea. Thank God for this clear stretch of land. Can I use your phone?”
Martha finds her sunny disposition. “Of course mister. We’ll give you some sweet tea. You look a little pale.”
The pilot dizzily wipes his brow. “Well, I am a little shook up. But I’ll be fine.”
Larry cradles Martha in the bowl of his arms up and back into the house.
Larry recruits Martha as the welcoming committee as if she hasn’t already volunteered.
“Martha sit with us at the table. We’ll share some eggs with this gentleman.”
Martha blushes from a happy surprise. “Of course Larry. You know I’d forgotten how refreshing the morning air is. Take me out there again sometime soon.”
Larry invites Martha to come out and play.
“There is nothing better than that dawn air to purge you of your grief. Let’s do it every morning.”
Martha whispers, “Oh the pilot is talking on the phone. We’re not in any rush for him to leave. Let’s have company over too from time to time.”
Larry beams, “Martha your skin is glowing. The color is coming back to your face. Have another egg.”
Martha fondles an oval delight. “Don’t mind if I do.”
Everyone have a great weekend!!!!