january twenty-first time

the idea for window blinds came from the peddler
who first built a swing set large enough accomodate
an entire kingdom of gremlins. the oldest of the herd
sat at the top, while the young and adventurous
clutched excitedly at the bottom rung. when gusts
of particularly aggressive wind blustered across
his garden, the gentleman would hear a strange
and musical chiming of voices: some joyous,
some frightened, but all very much alive--

both looking out and very much out, sometimes
the tiny fellows would fall asleep on the flattened
pews of wood during the calm. surrounded by
countrymen, able to see for meters, they were
utterly impressed with their good fortune
and almost hoped for storms, which seemed
to keep them agile, brave, and eternally young.