Tin Woman

Of all things sentimental. She came through the door wearing a suit of armor. The door closed behind her with a rattle and tick of swaying arms. With rust around her eyes she longed to be melted down. A drop left in her can of oil. The metal on her chest plate dull, full of dents. She explained that her heart stopped working. That the gears and springs just won't turn. With a screwdriver jammed in the middle and a bolt or two missing. I heard the man behind the counter say that he could repair it but she too insisted in a louder voice. Its not worth the trouble, that she'd rather be melted down. Too much time has passed, she wants to finally feel the warmth of something genuine. I watched her as she walked into the welder's shop. Some people laughed. Others wore a look of wrinkled eyebrows. Revealing their defect. Noses turnt sharp in the air. Beauty comes in all shapes and form. A beautiful shape molded into tin to protect how precious she was. Dings and dents from the rocks they'd throw. The world is a cruel place. Her operator forgetting her name, A reflection of alzheimer's not done intentionally. The damage of watching everything around you slowly change. The insecurities of home no longer being home. She pierced a hole over her heart with a screwdriver. Jamming the gears. Causing nuts bolts and springs to bounce everywhere in a buildup of steam. Rust composites in the duct of her eyes. I watched her walk through the door. Making brief eye contact before walking through the door myself. When I walked in there was no sign of her. Just the man behind the counter setting out a new watch stained in rust