Crossword - A Short (Poem)

CROSSWORD – A SHORT (POEM)

OVER BLACK

Silence.

Then the whine of an old screen door.

FADE IN:

INT. COZY SUBURBAN KITCHEN – DAY

The well-used dining room is littered with art supplies and evidence of a buffet style breakfast; the sideboard is stacked with books and piles of mail and an old tape deck set to CBC, the reception crackles with the movement in the room. Emmaline sits at the dining table hunched over a folded section of newspaper, dull pencil in hand, the chain of her glasses dangling, almost broken. She doesn’t look up when the door sounds and Felix enters removing the leash off of a small black and white pup. The dog plunks himself down on the cool floor and Felix rolls up his sleeves and addresses a sink full of dishes.

EMMALINE

Hey love, what’s a seven letter word for ostentatious expenditure?

Felix weighs the answer, counting letters out on his fingers. Emmaline stuck, crinkles her nose and drums the eraser end of her pencil on the crossword puzzle and stares knowingly at her partner.

FELIX

Splurge.

Emmaline counts it out before she pencils the answer in. She smiles. Felix dunks his meaty hands into the sudsy sink. The dog lets out a sigh of relief.

FADE TO BLACK.

>THE END<

***

I’ve been playing with this poem for a about a week. Adding, subtracting, re-adding. As far as I can tell, it’s still a work in progress while I await my scripty pal to weigh in. It was fun though. A short in a poem.

In propinquity,

Nic