Thursday, June 8, 2017

Ship Town


En Route

I slept, mostly.  The trip taking longer than usual.  Cat scratching holes in the blanket under her crate. Tranquilizers to little effect.  Grandma swigging Pepto Bismol and turning up George Jones.  Seattle Traffic.  My teenage self waking sleepily to this new life.


Arriving

Hotel hot and stuffy.  Summer late, as usual.  Voices all night outside.  Shadows visible only by the No Vacancy sign.  Mom too worried and stressed to sleep.  Smoking Virginia Slim after Virginia Slim. 


Of the ghosts we left behind, which would meet us here?



© 2017 Jennifer Wagner

22 comments:

  1. This is so incredibly sketched - it leaves me yearning ... for THE BOOK! A lovely evocative, nuanced piece of writing, Jennifer.

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  2. A lot like Bram Stoker

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  3. evocative, moody, intriguing - well done, J ~

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  4. ___ A punctuated Cinquain, generated by your thought-depth here, Jennifer. _m

    Sleepwalk.
    In my glad rags
    snuggled against the noise,
    I clasp what little rest there is;
    call home.

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  5. Wow, you have captured every nuance of such a journey, and one does want the backstory! Nice to see you in the Pantry, Jennifer! Yay!

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  6. I moved to a new continent at the age of fourteen...not easy. Lovely capture.

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  7. Beautifully written. You left us wanting more!

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  8. I cannot wait for more...
    That was right on "theater"
    ZQ

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  9. Jennifer you writing is acute and telling... A refreshingly unique voice, dripping with style - very nice vignettes indeed that both capture and tantalise...

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  10. I feel as if I am right there with you. Poetically, you have shared a slice of real life in a most intriguing way.

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  11. I really like the voice. And find myself wonder what happened before, and what might happen next.

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  12. How all of us must have experience such a trip as this. Beautifully written and now I am tempted to do one myself!

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  13. vivid scene capture and a great punch line.

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  14. A beautiful piece of writing. Now I crave more of the story.

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  15. So much visuals in every line! Really love how Time unfolds its petals.

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  16. Well written. You capture your reader's attention and keep it, along with the desire for more.

    Elizabeth
    https://soulsmusic.wordpress.com/2014/02/01/burgeoning-poet-ii/

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  17. This is so incredibly haunting! It leaves me yearning to know more and more!

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  18. I hope it was a safe place in the end - a wonderfully evocative scene

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  19. the magic of exploring new places - brings back some own memories - ha

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  20. Love the sketchy images, where I also see some of my own... those no vacancy signs bring up memories from roadtrips of my own.

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  21. I loved picturing this and the sketchy details that go with it.

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  22. Wonderful, Jennifer. Yes, evocative. A great read!

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Thank you for your thoughts!