Ricky Garni is a graphic designer living in Carrboro, North Carolina. His work can be found in EVERGREEN REVIEW, CAMEL SALOON, USED FURNITURE REVIEW, ORION HEADLESS and other periodicals. His latest work, BUTTERSCOTCH, was released in 2012. His first work, PEPPERMINT, in 1995.

I Love Old Lady Hands

I love old lady hands. I wouldn’t know this if I didn’t love shaking hands so much. I love shaking little boys’ hands, and girls’, young men's and women's and old men's and of course old ladies’ hands. I didn’t know how much I loved this until I shook my first. “My!” I exclaimed, “but do you have a wonderful hand!” She was old and beautiful and had a delightful hand. “What?” she asked me. “I said...” oh, why bother telling tales to a deaf person, I always say. The little boy walked away with her resting on his tiny, beautiful arm. She was almost smiling and I pretended not to hear.


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This is me right before I put the jelly in the marinade.
Here I am looking for the pepper grinder.
Here I am putting a pinch of rock salt in the marinade.
And here’s the second pinch.
Here’s the blood from the rosemary.
I cut myself. I cut myself.
Here’s the red wine that’s too good to drink.
Here’s the camera that took my picture dropping it.
Here’s the class I asked if I could be excused from.
Goodbye.
Here’s what I learned anyway ten years later.
Proud as punch.
Here’s the film.
Click.
The jelly has seven peppers in it but I asked for six.
I asked for eight.
I asked forever.
One would be nice.
But I will settle for none.
Here I am knocking on the door of the house.
The mailbox says: MARINADE, FUTURE
I say: my car broke down. Can I come in?