The Guitar

In the corner of the livingroom, there sits a guitar. I do not know how to play the guitar; it is more of a decoration. Like the paper lamp, or the the poster with the "Trainspotting" monologue, or the fish tank.

Once upon a time there were beautiful fish in the tank, but they are long since gone; I still have the tank though, and the colourful rocks and the little treasure chest. I bought my first fish, Sheldon, when I quit smoking. Sheldon the fifth died three months ago, and I decided not to get anymore fish; I kept the tank though. Sometimes people see the guitar and ask me to play something. I finally got Julianne down the hall to teach me a song- a very simple song made up of three cords played over and over so when people ask I can at least pretend like I know what I'm doing. I bought the guitar during my Sophmore year of college. I got it in Rome.... New York. That was the same year I got my nose pierced and started smoking; it was also the year I decided I wanted to be a lawyer, I stilll want to be one. Somedays I think I might still become a lawyer, somedays I turn on the filter in the fish tank just for background noise, and somedays I take the guitar out of the corner and play three cords over and over, so I can at least pretend like I know what I'm doing. Maybe one of these days I'll learn how to play.