The Old Playground
A man was told that tomorrow there would be no sun and that it would all come to an end. With no one to see and nowhere to go; he walked to an old playground where he found a swing. The other two had already succumbed to time, a victim of the passing days. But, one seemed suitable, unbroken. He carefully brushed off the brown leaves, dry dirt and sat down with his arms wrapped around the rough chains, hands carefully in his lap. He thought about his children and the wife whose company he hasn't been in in years. He smiles while crying a bit thinking about her toes, her stubby nose and her piercing stare. He squeezed the coarse old rusty chain pinching his finger with the wedding band he still wears. Checking his hand and saw the rust had painted his palm the color of a thief's blood. As he scanned the playground to see what was left, he witnessed the old play structure collapse on itself, almost giving up. To his right, he saw a black and brown dog. She looked content and peaceful as she laid in the shallow ditch she dug for herself. She was still as the wind blew waiting for time to pass. It struck him as he thought about his walk to the playground and said to himself "This is the place where things go to die". A muted laughed escaped him. Hands secure around the chain, he began a slow swing. He felt the vibration of the chains in his bones. With his head slightly bowed he started reciting a prayer his wife taught him. He continued to refer to her as his wife in a denial of his past five years. Slightly embarrassed he shook his head while rubbing the inscription on his wedding band that read 'forever'. With no one to see and nowhere to go, he just sat in the old playground, on an old swing watching the sunset.