The Tailor

Â Darn the clothes, she saysâ€¦.and when will I be free to deal with my own holes? Nowadays, it seems the entire world is filled with holes. Well, I best get to it!

Â Oh, the needle pricks I suffer, all for the sake of this woman. But life is filled with busyness, so why the worry of this simple task?

Â I may as well add the menu to my duties, too. Just wait! Humph! Now donâ€™t boil over like one of your pots of broth! You know how this household runs.
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Â First, thereâ€™s the morning rustle of dawn like silk petticoats. Then, the cat stretches upon my lap for petting. It is when I get up from my place that she goes sulking off to her own corner. Youâ€™d think she had been slapped, or something. Why hasnâ€™t she learned by now, I have my own needs?
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Â Then, itâ€™s off to the daily grind. I must make the money, you know. Fittings and pin tucks all day long, while listening to women complain about their complicated lives. The husbands are only sad-sack moneybags. Its good my wife doesnâ€™t come to the shop!

Â Dinner is always served with all the pomp of a wet dishrag; all wrung out to dry. Afterwards, I retire to smoke and read the evening paper. That is when she finds time to interrupt. She drops in on me like a fallen cigar.

Â Darn, the suits with holes!

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*Rigorous critique welcome

Sunday Gather Writing Essential Â Our poetry device of the week is...The Simile!

Prose: Â Write a short story (1000 words or less, please) written as a dramatic monologue

Poetry: Â Write a poem with at least one simile in it. Â Any style you please. Â Try to come up with something lively and original.

Comments: 8

Doug Westberg Apr 22, 2012, 10:55am UTC

This is a charming, colorful piece. I like the "silk petticoats" simile. I'm not sure whether it's an interior monologue or a dramatic monologue. Sometimes it seems like stream of consciousness and sometimes like the tailor is describing his day to someone. A little more focus on the purpose of the monologue might be helpful. But that's a small point. it's a charming piece, thanks for sharing it!

Virginia M. Apr 22, 2012, 4:48pm UTC

Thank you, Doug. This is my first attempt at this style of writing. I'm not quiet sure how to give "more focus on the purpose of the monologue". Any pointers? And, how can I tell the difference between the two monologues?

Doug Westberg Apr 22, 2012, 7:40pm UTC

In other words, decide whether the narrator is thinking these thoughts in his head (interior monologue) or describing his day and aggravations to somebody else (dramatic monologue). The first 3 pp. feel like the former, pp. 4-6 mostly feel more like the latter. It's a pretty fine line, but you have to start somewhere! That's the most important thing. Keep writing! And reading!