5/22/13

How much is that future in the window?
By Anthony J. Langford


He caught her eye
Through the window of her house
Not wishing for a creepy perception
He was drawn nonetheless
Despite setting gaze adrift
Continuing on his stroll.

Many other items of visual significance
Passed him by that day
Yet none mattered
Beyond those few intense seconds.

The crowd
The pavement
The train
The trees
The van that almost hit him
The water down the plughole
His girlfriend’s face.

At 1.17 am
He lay in a fantasy fuelled half-sleep
And smiled as she gave a little wave
Signaling him to the door
He approached
And explained where he was going
Lunchtime exercise
Apologizing for any perceived voyeurism
Which she laughed off
Inviting him in for water
Followed by a quick fuck
Up against the sink.

Her words and actions
Were more real than the
Next morning’s monotone breakfast conversation
With his very real girlfriend
And the train ride to work
Certainly preferable.

He knew he would revisit that street
Hopefully, again and again
As there had been something there
A connection of some kind
More exciting than anything
He could recently remember.

The longest morning all year
Concluded
And he walked
But not in haste
As the timing had to match
The day before.

As he reached the house
Triple confirming his watch
He was amazed
To see the room beyond the window
Empty
He stood, bewildered.
This wasn’t how it was ordered.

Yet, there was movement within
A figure shifted to the window
And his possible future
Played in fast speed
Water, fuck, office
Detach from his girlfriend
Move house
More convenient for work
Sex every lunchtime
Romance of highs to blossom his life.

The figure by the window
Male
Roughly the same age as that woman
With an accompanying frown.

He turned away
And walked as fast as he dared
Only looking back once.


- - -
Anthony J. Langford lives in Sydney Australia. He is a father and step-father. He writes novels, stories, poetry and makes video poems. Some of his recent publications include Ink, Sweat & Tears, Microliterature, bluestem and Red Ochre Lit. He works in television and has made short films, some of which have screened internationally. His novella, Bottomless River is out now through Ginninderra Press. A poetry collection, Caged without Walls will be released in 2013.