SONGS OVER MY SUNKEN GARDEN

by
Kyoko Gardiner

Chapter 1

She was like you. At five thirty, she opened the door and turned on the light. There was nothing in the post. There was some water left in the kettle. No one had called. It was still day outside and some kids passed by the window making kids� noise. She took her shoes off and made herself a tea and thought maybe she should get a cat. At five forty-five she kicked the pile of books underneath her and felt good about it.

Chapter 6

The postman was late today and he didn�t come until a few minutes past ten.

Chapter 9

She hoped that he would call. She sat by the table and waited. She felt good that she could wait without getting irritated or nervous. She thought that the relationship was now a mature one and that she could wait patiently and feel good with herself. She made herself a tea and made him one too. His shirt was still on the floor where he threw it. She thought about picking it up then decided against it. On the fifth day she drove over to his place and stabbed him four times in the chest then blacked out. She is in a maximum security institution. She told me that she�s forgiven herself and that�s all that matters.

Chapter 14

Excuse me, I am lost, could you help me, she said. Can I help her? But who isn�t lost? The city keeps changing all the time, the streets are never the same! I don�t know where I�ve come from and I don�t know which way I�m going and can I help her? Can I fuck.

Chapter 22

She was helplessly in love. He was everything she wanted in a man. He had a great smile. He made good money. He was funny yet could be trusted to handle important matters. He treated her well and he treated her mother well. She thought she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She thought he would make a great father. She was sure. She was sort of sure. What if he went bald? What if he started watching TV drinking beer all the time, and smelling like exhausted middle-age men smelt like on commuter trains? She�s marrying him tomorrow.

Chapter 27

People always think God does everything but don�t realise that without me he�s just an old blower. It�s me who smiles to get your attention. It�s me who flies down to you and sprinkles you with gold powder. I�m soft and cuddly like a teddy bear but look at God, he�s all skin and bone. God�s nobody without me. People don�t know that. God doesn�t know that. I�m sick of it. I�m going to teach Him a lesson tonight.

Chapter 30

He worked in a line in a factory. He didn�t know what it was that the factory made. His job was to turn the yellow dial 90 degrees to the right. He had to turn 75 yellow dials a minute or he would be holding up the line. He got a 30 minute break for his lunch. His lunch was a jam piece. Sometimes he got a papercup of thin coffee that looked and tasted like coloured water. He finished at six thirty and went straight home and watched TV till he fell asleep. He felt that he might not be alive. The next day before work he went to the factory manager�s office and asked if he was alive. The manager said of course not, now shut it and get back to your line.

Chapter 34

I went around to her place. There was a guy sitting on her sofa. She didn�t offer me coffee. Some minutes passed. I asked her if I should leave. She smiled and said, yes.

Chapter 38

I always meant to ask her why she found me attractive.


� Kyoko Gardiner
Reproduced with permission

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Kyoko�s Top Five Exciting Artistic Experiences This Week:

Listening to Six Organs of Admittance's album 'School of the Flower'

Reading Michael Gardiner's short stories collection 'Escalator'

Eating chocolate cake my aunt bought me

Trying on a dress by Preen

Watching Todd Solondz' film 'Palindromes'

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