"Letter to Mistress"

Rain came down on the main street yesterday. Grey, cold wet grey, running by the signs and tall rooves just before the golden morning sun comes up, oh, how I wished everyone there and everywhere had seen it. Have you? Silly question, really – of course you have. As with us, as with all things before.

The week went well, more than anything I could’ve hoped for. There was a young lad, then an older one, then a girl, then another boy, tall men, short men, an old woman in a yellow dress. Some kicked and screamed, some kept quiet and went along, but all neatly sorted up now.

The order, as usual, took me places. Quite a lot, in fact, enough to paint everyone home green with envy. Roamed the streets, the alleys, the gardens and the fields. One time or another things took interesting turns. Life wasn’t easy before I got here, it still isn’t now. Have to run and hide in the shadows when the others look. Not that it matters. Life with the mistress heading, guiding and walking us all into the future, we alone know how good it is. Sure, things don’t turn out well at all times, but the sight, the sounds, the feel after all is said and done, I’ll never give away for anything in the world.

Has all been well on your side? All calm and safe, no bad men to watch out for? I really wish it’d been that way over here, I really do sometimes. Whenever I come down to act, the crowd would make their move. The shady blokes in the know, the little ones who ran and now rising up to arms, and whenever I stop for a moment to catch a breath, the other ones in the shadows wherever I look. All in such hurry to take a peek and hear a little bit of the plan. Chased me down at night, stalked the corners by the day – how inconvenient, no less when we’re all so close to the week’s goal.

Things haven’t been the best, to be honest, and as I write this in this basement, not terribly likely to be looking up soon. But it’s all right, it still is fine. When the clouds start to clear and the sky outside is calm, I hope to rise from these shadows and into the light you give.

Because when I do it all, I think of you.