Poetry / From the Darkened Spot on Minnie Mouse

A tear is running up to the corner of her eye
Her quivering lips turn into a smile
A framed photograph of someone she knew
Years before but now it seems through
She picks up the frame backwards in time
Looks at the photograph
It’s so sublime

She sits at the table like she’s done before
Gets up and walks in reverse to the door
Backs down the stairs she’s climbed so often
Thinks of nothing, there’s nothing that can soften
The door opens behind her without her touching the knob
Thinks of a photograph
Takes in a silent sob

Looks at the door, that before her closes
Sees herself withdraw her hand somewhere between the roses
The clouds are heading east in the westward going breeze
She thinks of ninety-seven, but sees only fours and threes
She slowly retreats and distances herself from the house
A tear falls to her cheek
From the darkened spot on Minnie Mouse

A woman takes her hand and brings her along
Backwards in time as the girl thinks of that song
Now it’s nowhere to hear no more
It used to be played forever before
They back around a corner, both with a devastated gaze
The little girl is humming
About some purple haze

The time rewinds slowly as they walk back down the lane
Towards a place it seemed there was nothing more to gain
A couple of turns are made here and there
They enter the garden area and walk down the stairs
Enter the basement where the girl backs along
Into a room
Something goes wrong

My brother and I are in the bed, we are crying
My father sits before us and he is clearly lying
My mother stands in the door, she is grinning
My father keeps talking until he reaches the beginning
We all get up and walk backwards without a fuss
I remember myself thinking
“What could they want to be telling us?”

If I could go back to the day before that one
I wish I could change tomorrow

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