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Some of these stories first appeared in Archipelago and The Paumanok
Review. Cover drawing: "Shan" by Finn.
for w.cat
Michelangelo's Shoulder
It dawned hot in Georgia. Don rubbed his head and blinked. He got out
of bed and paused before a makeshift easel where a drawing, taped to a
board, showed a woman sitting on a park bench. She was large, dressed
in layers of multi-colored cotton. She reminded him of the Renoir woman
in her plush living room, the dog sprawled at her feet, but she was
smarter. The line across her eyebrows and tapering along her jaw was
right. He'd left out a lot, but that didn't matter. If what was there
was true enough, you knew the rest--like a Michelangelo shoulder
emerging from stone.
He went into the bathroom and splashed water on his face.
After coffee and a piece of toast, he rolled the drawing and took it to
the park where the woman fed pigeons every day. She wasn't there. She
wasn't there the next day, either. The following day Don brought a loaf
of bread, sat on her bench, and tossed white pellets into the air.
Birds fought for each piece. He prepared the remaining bread and
scattered it in one throw. "There you go--something for everybody.
She'll be back soon."
A week later, she showed up. Don moved aside and asked, "Where you
been?"
"Took sick."
"I've been feeding the pigeons."
"I was worrying. Thank you.
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