FEATURE: “the reader” by Christopher Woods

we heard he was coming

weeks before, when people

in the village heard from relatives

the other side of the east mountain.

we lined up, some against

our will, our hands open

to promise or doom 

by lines sketched in our palms.

to be judged

was worrisome, even frightening.

but people came to the town square,

children hiding behind mothers' skirts,

the husbands stern and resolute,

ready to be appraised.

but when the man 

began to look at our hands

outstretched, some shaking,

he began to cry.

he said nothing, offered no advice,

only looked at hand after hand,

large and small, and wept

as the lines began to grow,

one hand to the next,

stringing us together

until we were all connected,

inseparable, joined in a web

of whatever bound us together.

not looking at each other,

afraid to move,

we watched the reader

as he left our village,

heading toward the west mountain,

where the next village waited

for his arrival.

Christopher Woods is a writer and photographer who lives in Texas. His monologue show, Twelve from Texas, was performed in NYC by Equity Library Theatre. His monologues have been performed most recently at Equity Library Theatre in NYC, The Invisible Theatre in Tucson and the Pro English Theatre in Kiev, Ukraine. He has received residencies from The Edward Albee Foundation and The Ucross Foundation.Gallery - https://christopherwoods.zenfolio.com/f861509283