March 3, 2008
Light vs. Darkness
A back porch light illuminated half of our backyard, split it in two on a sharp diagonal. Here: the realm of light. Starting right there: the realm of darkness.
Inside the house, my father favored light, my mother darkness.
My father on his wife’s preference for subdued lighting: “It’s like a goddamn funeral parlor in here!”
My mother on her husband’s penchant for strong illumination: “Anyone passing by would think we’re gypsies.”
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this dichotomy exists in our household, with the insistence of one light being left all night. I did however stamp me foot at a street light being installed on the electricity pylon outside the front door that would have obliterated the stars forever…
Our back porch had this big floodlight that made the back-yard look like an abandoned rail-yard, and I used to love to stare at it until my dad would start carping about the electric bill.