_by_Cruzw
As I walk these torn and tattered tracks I imagine a time of days forgotten. I imagine towns folk walking to church on a cold winter’s day as the train passes them by. I imagine everyone waving to each other with a big smile. If they are strangers, they’ll soon be friends
Off in the distance I saw a town store which is frequently visited by the locals. I imagined the store with long wooden floorboards and a few shelves up against the wall; on it, is flour, spices and some cast iron utensils. On the opposite side of the wall; I imagined jars of wonderful colored candies’ nestled high up on the shelf; I can almost smell the sweet scent of licorice, cluttered within. The owner, a tall man greets customers at the counter. He has graying thin hair and wired rim glasses. The towns’ folk know him as Mr. Bitterman. He always wore a white oversized apron and a big smile.
As I start to imagine other wonderful thoughts about this place, the unpleasant sound of a dirt bike passing me; brings me back to my time but as soon as the sound
dissipates, the torn and tattered tracks from which I walk beckons me back. This time it’s Christmas, all the folks are gathered in an old barn. They are singing Christmas Hymns and exchanging homemade gifts. I imagined a group of children smiling and circling Mr. Bitterman while he puts the star upon the Christmas tree.
A jogger passing me by rudely bumped me on my shoulder, snapping me back into the present time. I yelled sorry to the jogger but the plugs from his IPod drowned out my apologies, after he rounded the corner and vanished into woods I stopped to take a breather.
As I was leaning against a tree regaining my breath, I noticed an old horseshoe rusted on the ground. I then stepped back into the past except, this time my imagination was putting me into a Blacksmith’s shop; before I went in, I heard the clanging of a heavy iron mallet upon an Anvil, and smelled smoldering hot coals in the forge and In it was a black medium sized horseshoe held by heavy tongs; the glowing of the red was slowly fading taking on the black wrought iron color. I then noticed a fenced in mare through a soot covered window; perhaps the shoe is hers, being deep in thought I tripped over and old rubber tire snapping back into my time, as I got up and brushed the dirt from my pants I noticed and old tunnel up ahead. I heard cars racing over the tunnel, “perhaps the interstate” I say myself. I noticed graffiti spewed upon the tunnel walls left from “my time”. On the ground, under and Old Oak tree was smashed bottles littered about. I suddenly became very depressed as I looked around, and immediately turned back down The Torn and Tattered Tracks, I would very much rather be, from the time those tracks were from.
Very well written and very true!