//------------------------------// // Silence. // Story: found object // by alafoel //------------------------------// sits down, and takes notice of the picture frame hanging at a slight angle and does her best not to move. Resists the urges to stand back up and fix it. Suppresses the twitches of horn, keeps mind blank as can be. Distractions are what cloud cloud the mind, pull creativity to its dead end. “artist’s block”. but continues to stare at the frame, the picture inside. with her sister, smiling, a memory. a life. To run in the same three circles, chunks of brain reworking, nothing new to spout but reimagined and regurgitated offals of past experiences and past dresses sewn patchwork to make nothing new. something new would flow, so with eyes straight ahead, at the misty dust nothingness of a clean space. and ears straining not to hear bird song from outside but only the brain’s own vibrations. If possible. And the hoof that bounces reflexively at the end of a jittery leg, must soon silence too when the conscious mind notices. jittery legs, bouncy hooves, are not ideas. not ideas, not dresses. but soon one will come. if it takes all day. and knocks on the door are not dresses and pangs of hunger are not dresses and romantic novels are not dresses and flutters of wind are not dresses and yearning muscles are not dresses and empty hearts are not dresses and tired faces are not dresses and sleepy eyes are not dresses and morning suns are not dresses and gloomy minds are not dresses and cogitations on thoughts on overthinkings are not dresses and time spent alone in uncomfortable chairs are not dresses and none of these are dresses