Someone left the faucet running so I use it too and think, “good temperature.” I fill the kettle with it, put it down to boil and it does. The screaming gives me something to go back to. Take the kettle off the burner and aside-it. Now that’s something.
***
Pick up the phone and dial it good. Your greeting is, “hello I’m big dyke don’t you like me?”
Laugh with you a while and say, “I want you just a little bit.”
“When?” The most delicious question of all.
“At what age will it be hard for you to get a kiss?”
You say, “never” and impress me.
We hang up, all charged up.
***
I walk by a DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE sign where it specifies that it is 13,800V and not to touch what it is attached to. I consider the scale of voltage and I don’t know what that is. I consider 200V and still don’t want to touch it. Any amount of voltage is too much for me.
***
I check my phone and there’s a message! You sent me a photo and I look at it. It’s your face and it’s good and I tell you so. You say, “TOO MUCH!” and we drop it. I’ve been guessing at your threshold and I haven’t been right yet. Happens enough that I can’t justify it. Can a threshold be just time passing? “Sure, enough of it.” We agree on something.
—
Vannessa Barnier is an instigator, a community organizer, writing workshop facilitator, the owner and host of the Legible Intelligibles reading series, and 1/3 of the world famous band, Suit World. Vannessa currently lives, laughs, and isolates in the west end of Tkaranto.