Word of The Day Challenge: SMIKER

There are days I think about him

and I wonder how he is doing.

The last time I saw him he was in a blue suit

that had  smelled like mothballs so

somebody had sprayed it with a little cologne

and it only made the smell worse.

I took it outside to air it out.

 

I sat outside  on a bench and watched

the Dead Man’s Suit

swaying in the breeze from a hook by the door and I wondered how long this

could take.

In those days we still used Sony Walkmans and I listened

to Abba’s album Waterloo from track to track.

So now I know that if  you hang a Dead Man’s Suit to air out

it will take that long to get rid of most of the smell of mothballs and cologne.

 

When I was done

I dressed the Dead Man in his suit.

I finished getting him ready for his funeral

and when I was done I checked his hair, his hands.

I straightened  his tie and then I looked at his mouth.

His lips were setting in a smooth straight line.

It didn’t look right. I walked from side to side and ran my finger under his lip

 

and I knew what belonged there

a smirk.

Of course I couldn’t let him go into his coffin with a sneer on his lips.

But it belonged there, it really did.

So  he went to his funeral, dignified, stern, composed

in his freshly aired suit

and I am sure, not really looking like himself.