Scars

by DS Maolalai

"Felix had sideswiped something blue, and he was as curious about what it might have been as we were." - from Dead-Eye Dick, by Kurt Vonnegut and that's it, isn't it? you get set down and don't ever get told by anyone what got you there. memory like a deck of cards; you trip and never can tell what will land face up. and the head a burning building - walk in after and something will be saved but you can't say what beforehand. could be an unkind busdriver - could be a broken lace. birds land and don't get up again. tides roll in and stay there. you can offer something - a penny or a bowl of rice. maybe it will be accepted or won't be. one of my grandmothers got old and lucky. her mind is simple now - like a screw. but the other one lost it. fell and came up to torture and bad memory. people scar over until you could strike us with matches - very few of us heal.