She has a voice that shatters memory. Every time I hear it, I forget another birthday. Another past crush dies. Relatives cease to be names or faces. I cannot bring them back. I can only focus on hips, knees and shoulders. A tuft of hair above The Zone that I deliberately nibble on so I get a thread caught in my teeth. It makes me feel like a teenager again.
I look for her car as I walk the streets; any time I see that model in that colour I push my chest out and lift my chin. It might be her, and I don’t want to be slouching. I have nightmares about tripping over my laces and falling at her feet, breaking my nose and bleeding all over her sandals.
She calls me Martin and she calls me a cunt. I’m neither. But I give up dignity and identity to cuddle her jacket when she gets too warm. I rehearse conversations in my spare time, and then try to spring my ‘spontaneous’ one liners on her anecdotes. They always fail. I always stumble.
Perhaps I’m too weak to be adored. Her on-off boyfriend, Taylor, is now off. He was too weak to see a rival in the short grass when he focused all his attention in the trees. That’s why he looked the other way when I lost control of my car, breaking his pelvis.
I see her, sitting in the park. Chest out, chin up. Hold that thought…
jimmi campkin 
This is excellent, as per…
Thank you 🙂
Wow! Very interesting. I’m intrigued by your language.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. What intrigues you about my language?
I’m not sure how to put it. I think it’s unique in how you line up the sentences in comparison to each other, for example, the opening drew me right in: ” She has a voice that shatters memory. Every time I hear it, I forget another birthday”
It’s powerful how you combine sentences about the mundane and the extraordinary, the introspective and the outward-looking.
Thank you for taking the time to respond, that’s wonderful to hear 🙂
Your stories are brilliant. Glad to have found your blog. ☺
Thank you 🙂 I’m going to have a look at your work this evening
Reblogged this on S. K. Nicholas.
Very kind of you sir
This is fabulous
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
You had me at “She has a voice that shatters memory” and each word just added to the mosaic of this punk rock love story. Gritty, neon, with a bit of mirrored shards thrown in.
Reblogged this on A Global Divergent Literary Collective and commented:
Jimmi Campkin
Very kind, thank you rather much x
Reblogged this on Daffniblog.
I’m a huge fan.
Thank you lovely
Beautiful Jimmi!
Thank you!
Reblogged this on SPO_OKY.
Thank you ❤