Friday, August 14, 2009

Words Between Us


You slipped into my life sideways. Into the backseat of a conversation I’d been having with my parents since the day I was born. Words with broken glass edges that severed threads inside me. Empty words like drift wood on the  silence in ocean divides within my family. I picked up the glass pieces of those words, desperately searching for my reflection. There was nothing, and I hung my head in hopeless disgust.

But when you spoke I tasted laughter. And something else that I had no words for then. We were young. Very young. But the words were there. And slowly I lifted my head.

I was unprepared for you. What did I know about how good it would feel to be heard? What did I know about how to hear you? But you stayed. You spoke and it resonated inside me. You looked and you saw.

My own words were the rust on your hands, the cut from a barb, innocence mixed with brutality. And sometimes there was nothing to say. Nothing you could say. Nothing that would make anything better.

Words began to pass between us. Ripe words, bursting with the seeds of our future. New words. Words I had never spoken and never dared dream I would.

Some words were still spoken in darkness, others ventured their toes into the cool spring that ran between us.

Something flowed in the delicious scent of those words, good things we rolled around inside our mouths and sucked on like candy.

And marveled as I heard my own voice beginning to join yours.

How many words since then have passed between us?

Will you marry me?

Want to hold our son?

Can you hold me?

I love you.

And finally, when we realized we could each speak the words we need to hear for ourselves and for the other we whispered, I need you.

Happy Birthday, Matt.

The man who spoke my first giggle. How far we’ve come. May we speak, even as wrinkles fold their lines upon our faces and time eventually takes us with it.

 

 

18 comments:

  1. Awww that is soooo sweet and very nicely written.

    It crossed my mind half way through that you were really talking about your PC and had just put the photo up to foil us!

    Lovely pic btw

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  2. Happy Birthday Matt, you have a wonderful husband Tab.

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  3. That was such a beautiful tribute and I'm sure he must really appreciate it. I love your feeling for words and how you can use them to paint a picture.
    Blessings,
    Paula

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  4. Thanks 'Wends place' and shell for our lovely comments.

    Thanks Paula, I appreciate the comments on the writing :)

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  5. You better get a big fat ruby for your birthday ;)

    Lovely. My favorite part? "The man who spoke my first giggle."

    I am in love with this. And him. I mean... errr... not like.... you know.

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  6. This is beautiful! You're a very lucky woman...and he's a very lucky man.

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  7. This is gorgeous. You really need to submit this as a short short somewhere. There should be massive cash prizes involved. I was almost crying.

    *sniffle*

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  8. Awww! Wonderful piece. Happy birthday to your hubby. :-) And great pic. I love your dress.

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  9. "Something flowed in the delicious scent of those words, good things we rolled around inside our mouths and sucked on like candy."

    Best line ever. You have a way with words, Tab. Very talented. Very poignant. Very beautiful. That swept me away. Almost more like a poem or a song than a story. Beautiful, beautiful voice. I read it twice just to savor the flow.

    Happy bday to your hubby!

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  10. Aww that was beautiful, brought a tear to my eye, truly.

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  11. So beautifully expressed! Happy Birthday to your husband. :)

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  12. What a beautiful post. So well-written. Happy Birthday to your husband!

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  13. You guys are very kind. Thanks for the comments.

    Karen, thank you! :)

    Suzanne, ruby? Hmmmm... yes, I think I'd like a ruby :) Thanks for the compliments. Means a lot cause I KNOW your amazing writing!

    TLH- thank you. Too kind :) Massive cash prizes? Where? Do tell :)

    Thank you Jessica, I will pass on the birthday wishes. He has been milking the birthday thing ALL weekend :)

    Katie, oh, you're a sweetie. Thank you.

    Wendy, inkslinger and Sarah, thanks so much. These comments made me smile. You too comfort writer :) I will pass on those wishes. He's sitting on the sofa woofing down on cake...still :)

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  14. Aaaw this is so sweet and beautifully written. :) I'm lovin your way with words!

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  15. Thank you 'time is running away' and welcome to the blog :)

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  16. So very sweet :-) This line But when you spoke I tasted laughter is one of the coolest things I've ever read. So full of emotion. A lovely piece indeed, I have missed reading you!

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  17. Thanks, Jenn. Your comment made me smile :)

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