Strawberry Fondue

Of Loneliness and Many

As his rough, calloused hands envelop the soft, furry head

His enormous palms and thick fingers stroke the smooth, silky mane

He sits on the coarse bales of hay, gazing blankly at the other men hooting and hollering in the fields

And forces a constrained sigh out of his larynx, while continuing to pat the puppy’s head

What was going on out there? Wouldn’t he like to know.

Hunched over, burying his nose in a tattered volume he preserved

He runs his finger along the worn out pages and scowls at the ruckus transpiring outside the stable

Although he tries to ignore the clangs of horseshoes and cries of laughter

He can’t help but glance over and wonder what it’s like to be free and at peace

To not be bound by the invisible chains and boundaries of being dusted with a chocolate-colored coating instead of a vanilla one

Her strawberry blond ringlets fall over her face as she strides across the field, kicking up dust behind her

She bites her cherry-stained lips nervously, but keeps pressing on, getting closer and closer to the noise of quarreling men awaiting her

Suddenly, she spots a small man with curly hair and disparaging eyes enter the bunkhouse, her destination

Faltering in her step, she comes to a halt, eyelids fluttering indecisively

With one last look at the shabby abode only a few meters away, she submissively turns around and drags her feet to where her own house lies, still and quiet as ever

As he lies on the stiff cot, his eyes wander to the ceiling, tracing out the imperfections in the thin wood material

He halfheartedly adds in an occasional word or two to the lively banter the other ranch workers are engaging in

But tunes out the conversation soon enough and squeezes his eyes shut

For a moment, he ponders what it would like to be in Lennie or Crooks’s shoes, or even Curley’s wife.

Lonely. He decides. Very, very lonely.

This was a small poem I wrote in the beginning of the school year based on the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Although it's a classic piece of literature, I thoroughly enjoyed the story, so I would suggest you read it to comprehend this poem.

Originally, this story only contained one poem, Gone, but I've decided to extend it between periods when I cannot update other books. This will mostly consist of poems I wrote in school or just during my free time and other dabbles into short stories and blah. Not with an extended plot; just a bit of this and that.

Thank you for reading!