Ten.One Thousand, Six Hundred & Seventeen

1. And still before the alarm. I close my eyes.

2. The bright yellow of the ginkgos pushes through the fog.

3. Empty hearth.

4. Gotta stop listening to crime podcasts.

5. We head south on 29 and I look at the way the fog sits in the vineyards and

6. Not today. The appointment is tomorrow. Sigh.

7. I ask him who he’s talking to. He gives me the name. I ask him how his friend is doing. He says he doesn’t know. I ask the name of the friend again, “…in Spain?” “Yeah.” “You haven’t asked him how he’s going? How’s school going in Spain? How he likes living in Spain? You just jump right into talking about the game?!” He flips one ear of his headphones off to the side. “Yeah.” Boys.

8. “The key to creating a unique style is to find a kernel of something that is wholly mine, that can become my legacy if allowed to flourish and mature.” - Chris Kostow

9. Slices of light fall onto the pages of the book.

10. Where are my own words?