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Tuesday, August 27, 2024

An Existential Aardvark Moment

 


An aardvark filled with ennui
entered an antique store to browse
on the first of September. He was a
cool customer, an inherited-wealth
stable-genius type, who expected
those who served him always
to be on sheepish tippy-toes.

Spying a glass globe on an old desk
streaked with shellac, he pondered.
Did he need another Thing
for his staff to dust? Would it
lift the malaise afflicting his snout
which was tired of the tedium
of sniffing when there was
nothing new left to pursue?

Adding to his torpor was
the sexual confusion that plagued him.
He felt strange desires that must be quelled
because his parents were Republicans.

It was an existential moment.
If he were brighter,
it might have been a turning point.
But, no.

The staffers were holding their breath.
Would he buy the $500 globe,
even though it was not gold-plated?
The aardvark sighed, turned,
swishing his spiney tail, and ambled out.
There was not a Thing
that could make
his tired heart
begin to sing.

And he had no tools
to understand what would.
An unfulfilled aardvark
on a September afternoon.


for Shay's Word List

7 comments:

  1. What a delightful trip into aardvark world - Alice is clapping with glee! :-)

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  2. You have written a powerful contemporary tale about an aardvark. I'm with Shay, he needs a hug.

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  3. I laughed out loud at "..He felt strange desires that must be quelled/because his parents were Republicans.." and the ending was just perfect. Though I'm not sure the entire species of aardvark deserves the stigma of the foolishness exhibited by this one lonely and arrogant individual. ;) Loved it, Sherry.

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  4. I enjoyed the doses of humour sprinkled throughout ... I have just the place in our community theatre prop room, if he will donate!!!

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  5. Ahahaha! Great! Nothing like an aardvark with ennui. Loved the whole thing.

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