Prompt: This prompt was a physical object. A fist-size carved wooden buffalo.
(12/2/06)
He is a wooden buffalo. Male because the carver, in his art, gave it male genitalia. He has one horn. The other broke off.
His wife gave him the wooden buffalo many years ago. There were many possibilities then. This was a long time ago.
In the native American tradition, the buffalo represents abundance. Abundance of love, of joy, of everything. These things seemed possible at one time. The horn broke off.
When she gave it to him, the fur of polished walnut was deep and rich and fairly glowed, the way one imagined buffalo glowed on the Midwestern plains. But now, after many years, the wood is dusty and faded, a bit gray and worn.
His hair is a bit gray and his joints worn.
He wonders if he polishes it with linseed oil the glow would return. If his knees will stop hurting. If his wife will laugh at one of his jokes.
The horn is gone. That will never return. But what about the other things?
He walks into the garage to find the linseed oil and a rag.
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1 comment:
Yes- this is not so much about restoring the object, but about restoring a relationship. Time changes many things and i'm not sure it is possible to return things to exactly the way they used to be. Maybe still good- but in a different way. (With only one horn still intact)
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