As dusk settled in the village a darkly-garbed man left the well trodden path out of the village and went into the reeking environment of the marsh. The collar of his black coat was raised, protecting his neck from the cold, wet wind. Hunched and with his hands in his pockets he stepped on. The marsh was deserted; any animals living here had gone to find a place for the night. Alone in the settling darkness Ivan grumbled and muttered to his heart’s content.
Grumble, grumble, mutter, mutter.
Life is stupid. Why does Irina insist on all that light?
Stamp, stamp, grumble, grumble, mutter, mutter.
Why are women so difficult?
Ivan liked to walk through the marsh when he needed to think. Who could think in a place as light as the way Irina kept the house? A man needed darkness to be able to think. At least this marsh had the sense to keep the light out. Darkness held solace.
Today, however, the marsh was not as dark as Ivan needed it. The familiar and welcome, dark moss was sprinkled with light orange and yellow leaves that had not had the sense of staying on the trees. He kicked a few out of the way and stamped on.
Grumble, grumble, mutter, mutter, stamp, stamp.
Why does she need so much light? Your brains get all scrambled when your eyes have so much to look at in the light. How can she think with every possible light on in the place?
In the clearing were more leaves, illuminated by rays of the low moon, scattered over the soft moss and spreading their light over his clearing. A few trees were reaching out their branches to offer him their sympathy. The leaves that still had sense were keeping the trees company and provided them with some protection from the wind. The wind had stripped the trees bare and had taken off with their dark bark, leaving behind pale skeletons that radiated like silver antiques in the growing moonlight.
Ivan turned his face upward. At least the moon had the brains and wisdom to dim the light and allow the people some time to think. He sat down on a moss covered rock and drank in the soothing quiet that he hadn’t found all day. After a while he stood up and gave the trees a caress as he passed them on his way back home. Back to the light.
Imkewrites 