An Obsolete Man

Divorce robbed him of surprise, left him disused, parts of his brain tingled less, he grew blasé, he had to improvise, extemporize parts that were less prone to rust and mold. It seemed he was a bare broom, one that could no longer sweep away a rising sense of purposeless. Then it was that a new surprise found him, he began to make yesteryear trinkets knickknacks held together with a duct-taped nostalgia. Walking sticks and old-school picket fences were carved from the bones of his memory. Other doohickeys such as paperweights for light-headed ideas, or knickknacks to fill in those awkward holes in people’s lives. Success returned, so did a new wife. She had a lever, a jack, to hydraulicly lift him up when he occasionally sagged. She used superglue on all his loose bits. It’s wonderful what a new lick of paint can do.