The sharp snap of a heel on concrete will turn a man’s head.
Snap! Turn.
Bells ringing, dogs salivating.
When he says, “I like your dress” what he really means is – well, he doesn’t know what he really means, except that the swish of a skirt and the curve of her calf have made him feel… different. Different from before she came in the room and different from her entirely.
It’s Me Tarzan, you Jane -- simple and inarticulate – her femininity as mysterious and compelling for him as the breadth of his shoulders is for her. Or the uncompromised way he uses space.
She touches her neck, maybe her earlobe. His hand rests on his jaw. I know that I'm watching what amounts to a bar room dance.
Snap! Turn.
Science has exposed this choreography, dragged it out into the light and explained it by measuring the width of his pupils, the number of times she tosses her hair -- almost ruining it.
But only almost.
The smooth, shallow dip of her collarbones. The density of his limbs. I also know that very best mysteries transcend their explanations.
Snap! Turn.
Posted by This Fish at June 6, 2005 11:59 PMexcellent post. but what i really came here to point out is how, the way my internet window is sized, the word "collarbone" lines up to your own collarbone in your picture. and it's a fantastic collarbone at that. not that i like girls or anything. and not that there's anything wrong with that.
Posted by: julia at June 7, 2005 01:30 AMawesome post! Another thing not ruined by science - the way you blend perfectly ur imagination and ur words.
Posted by: from the other side of the globe at June 7, 2005 02:06 AMbrilliant.
Posted by: rg at June 7, 2005 02:07 AMHmmm, I like what this suggests...
Posted by: Di at June 7, 2005 03:55 AMbeautiful!
Posted by: juliana at June 7, 2005 10:36 AMIt's pheromones, baby, pure pheromones.
Posted by: ap at June 7, 2005 10:49 AMSnap! Turn. - This conjures up a very strong and interesting mental image. And yes, collar bone lines are very interesting....
Kat
Posted by: Kat at June 7, 2005 01:27 PM//When he says, “I like your dress” what he really means is – well, he doesn’t know what he really means, //
Yes he does. He means "I like the way your dress hints at what's underneath it."
Posted by: Dan at June 7, 2005 01:38 PMAw, come on, Dan. Don't go making it all dirty.
Posted by: Fish at June 7, 2005 01:43 PMWow. Awesome post.
Posted by: beck at June 7, 2005 02:00 PMSorry 'bout that; wasn't meant to be dirty.
Posted by: Dan at June 7, 2005 02:17 PMGreat post Heather. I love the way you are able to conjure up visceral feelings in your writing. I can hear that crack/snap - another beauty!
Posted by: Rob at June 7, 2005 02:30 PMSlut!
Posted by: Rocco Yamamoto at June 7, 2005 03:01 PMUnbelievable use of visuals. It drew me in so much I actually read the thing at least five times.
For a mystery transcending an explanation you do a pretty damn good job of explaining it.
Absolutely awesome!
Posted by: Matt at June 7, 2005 03:08 PMThis is my very favourite of all of your posts!!!!
Nice job Fish. :)
Posted by: Binsk at June 7, 2005 04:12 PMmy boyfriend, among other men, will completely discount a woman who wears heels, as they obviously don't care for their bodies or themselves. Don't torture yourselves ladies. ouch!
Posted by: lulu at June 7, 2005 04:35 PMVery good post!
Posted by: JustAgirl at June 7, 2005 05:21 PMamazing writing!
Posted by: Alisa at June 7, 2005 06:36 PMSOOOoo F-ing true!
Posted by: Brad at June 7, 2005 10:12 PMHeather.... You just made miss my boyfriend :)
God that post was beautiful.
Posted by: Clare at June 8, 2005 06:51 AMAs beautifully poignant as the post, unfortunately, it is only true with respect to some women..... but the rest of us will keep trying.
Posted by: Janis Ian 17 at June 8, 2005 10:25 AMWalking to the bus last night I was behind a woman for a couple of blocks who had a walk that made her as switch in just the right way. Like a cat switching its tail. But with a very different effect.
I was also thinking the other day: thank you, women who wear pinstripe pants. It gives the contours of your ass better definition and gives my eye something to follow as it traces those contours.
Ok, turning off the "perv" valve now.
Posted by: Michael at June 8, 2005 12:01 PMAlso the description of the snap/turn and the earlobe and the jaw make me think of those commercials where they have people doing the tango. It has a kind of snap!turn to it.
Posted by: Michael at June 8, 2005 12:03 PMDude, "Michael" is a horndog.
Posted by: Rocco Yamamoto at June 8, 2005 03:28 PMInteresting that you should mention walking, as the part of Chapter 4 I just posted includes the heroine walking briskly through the halls of the Yale library and getting the attention of the young man she eventually, well, you'll have to drop in and read some.
Posted by: W. S. Cross at June 8, 2005 04:09 PMAbsolutley beautiful. I have thought of it the same way as a 'dance' but you but it in to an amazingly visual story. Well done
Posted by: Michelle at June 8, 2005 04:11 PMi love how everybody just ignores rocco now!
good post. i have heard plenty of guys say they love the snap! of a heal, for my it's just seems too authoritative or powerful. i suppose it's no suprise that as a result it holds no interest for me.
Posted by: hubs at June 9, 2005 03:53 PMI lurve this post.
Posted by: anne at June 22, 2005 11:48 PM