Chalk

She smelled like chalk

More of a wet pavement, humid afternoon, dirt under the fingernails, gravel in the knee, scraped elbow, dirty shoe, gum chewing, summer short, girl with a ponytail playing hopscotch smell.

My imagination.

Ten million years of evolution.

Human industrial soap technology.

A cloud of mysterious emanations.

Calling me to her.

I didn’t have to look out the window to know she was there.

My stomach swallowing itself in her perfumed wake.


Flip flops, or bare foot.

Dinner splattered on my shirt or a phone call from Grandma.

Didn’t matter. Nothing else mattered.

I was there.

Outside, she etched the pavement with her never ending supply of chalk.

Slicking pictures for me.

Butterflies, big, chunky letters.

Shaded. Outlined. Neat. Loopy.

Fun.

I couldn’t hop. She taught me the magic of her groove.


One day, she smelled the same.

Only with tears.

Her father, with suitcases. pushed her cloud away.

To the back of his car.

She never returned.

Sun. Rain. Snow. Street sweeper. Leaves.

The snap of school photographs.

Ugly sweaters.

Crooked teeth or bullying.

Her pictures. Slowly washed away.

Left behind, a nub of her chalk.

Remnants of her smell captivated my heart.

She never returned.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

The minimalist style can sometimes evoke the imagination more than its wordy brethren. Here we see a youthful encounter that left a strong effect on the speaker. The brevity of the telling heightens our sense of the speaker's feelings of loss. The last line is especially poignant.

[Ranger Kessel]

Thank you for the kind words

[Chris Shaw]

Yes a poignant read for sure. She captured your young heart and then she had to leave. I can tell how much she was missed. A tender read Ranger.

Chris

[Ranger Kessel]

Thank you for the nice words

[Chris Shaw]

You are welcome Ranger.

[Julie McCarthy (juliesp..]

Wow the descriptives here are fantastic
I felt I was there you are extremely good and talented
It’s like describing a silent film in fast forward motion then flicking back rewinding to the best bits pausing it then zooming in on all the best bits
Absolutely loved this !! Bravo well done 👍 and it shows your raw raw emotion at same time the words and mood perfect

[Ranger Kessel]

Thanks for a wonderful review glad u liked it

[alanwgraham]

Superb Ranger. You have given us some lovely images to share this story of youthful infatuation that many of us will remember. You have caught it perfectly.
Well done,
Alan

[Ranger Kessel]

Thank you for the kind words

[mattavelli]

Hello, Ranger! :)
This reads like a big loss of what could have been, young love snuffed. It reminds me of girls and basements in Illinois winters, and how lives exploded together or diverged. Thanks for sharing.

[Ranger Kessel]

Than you for the review