Circle

The raindrops are so minuscule and weightless that they almost look like microscopic snowflakes drifting in the late-May gusts. I ignore them as they coalesce on my windshield, my attention caught by a gutter clogged with trash, begging to be photographed, to be pitied.

I slow at an approaching stop sign and allow the car to wait, motionless, as I consider deciding which direction to turn. I have nowhere to go to and no desire to return to where I just came from--there is nothing to force the dissolution of my patience. The radio reminisces quietly above the mumble of the engine. 

I turn the wheel to the left and allow myself to drift forwards.

An old yellowed chimney is vomiting up a bloody trickle of rust to my right, and, ahead, a manhole cover wallows in its own muddy tears of degradation. A chilly breeze steals through my passenger window; it really should be warmer, considering that it's almost summer.

As my tires slowly erode beneath me, I wonder:  what's the point? Point A to point B, then back again. Two things will have changed:  my car will be worth less, and I will have that many less minutes to live.

A street sign to my left forlornly glistens in the drizzle, its green plaque of delineation removed--it doesn't matter by whom, or when. I wonder if I would stand that much straighter if my head were not attached.

I decide against it.

An old torn soda can crumples under the tread of my tires, progressing that much closer to what it will eventually become:  a flattened piece of indistinguishable trash.

I might as well go back home, there's no point in wasting gas. But, then again, there's no point in not wasting it.

It doesn't really matter either way.

Author's Note

There is no plot and no point.
Which, in itself, makes a point.

I actually took these pictures while driving around in the rain today--I hope they make the story more real.

Reviews

[L. Catherine]

Nice pictures, I especially like the first one. Great job

[i.am.the.sun.]

well now i'm waiting for the next rainy day. god damnit, you've got this ability to do that. shorts with no storyline or plot are often my favorite, but only when the author doesn't stretch them too far, and this was perfect. the part about not wanting to return but not having anywhere to go is entirely relatable, kind of where i feel i'm at in life. which is terrible but true. and the fork in the road with neither direction being more desirable than the other. great stuff.

[Blue Moon Ice Cream]

You have a gift for turning everyday sights into spectacles with your writing and the photos that accompany it. I really enjoyed this; it's a feeling I can relate to. The sentence that caught my attention the most was the one about the rusty chimney and the manhole. Excellent descriptions.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

A riveting piece, that excels even the most jaded of reading palates.

[Chris Smith Welshpoetcs]

Do you know why I like reading your work?. It's because you are never afraid to try something new, that is an extrodinary mind you have and it brings out the best.