Trying Hard to Rain

Christopher Leibow
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Balthazar is staring out the window. Outside it is trying hard to rain but the first drops are arguing among themselves, not heeding their first inclination to just fall. Balthazar doesn’t mind, he likes the thought of a million rain drops arguing over this or that. He lies in bed and is now turning the bedside lamp on then off on then off on then off. On the other side of the street Mrs. Drown is watching Balthazar’s light turn off then on, off then on. She takes a long slow drag from her cigarette, watches for a while figuring Balthazar will tire. She takes the last drink from the handle of vodka she’s already finished and reaches for the light switch next to her; off then on, off then on, off then on; so simple she thinks and now somehow she feels less alone on a night that is trying hard to rain.

Christopher Leibow is a writer, a visual artist and a performer of small slights of hand and has been published in numerous journals and online, including Sugar House Review and Interim. He currently lives in Salt Lake City, with his girl, and his dog, Penelope the Perpetual Wonder Pup.