On The Other Hand
A Dialogue For Two Sock Puppets

Titus and Fuchsia – Superstar Sock Puppets Bella Basura 2015

As she picked up the phone I knew she was in one of her moods, I felt her contrarian mode leeching from the mouthpiece even before she spoke.

It had always been like that, even when we were kids and had to share a room.
She contradicted me as a knee jerk reaction.

If I said “Barbie is best”. She would say “I prefer Sindy”.
If I said “I like stickle-bricks”. She would say “Lego is far superior”.
If I said “Black”
She would say “White”.

I knew she was going to cut up rough this morning when I phoned her.

I said “Terrible weather, seems to rain every afternoon”
She said “On the contrary, it is sunny in the morning”.
I said “And it’s the new moon, I always feel a lack of energy at the new moon”
She said “oh really! I find the opposite is true. I have far more energy at the full moon”
I said “So your energy drops at the new moon”
She says “No, it rises at the full moon”

I say “2 plus 2 is 4”
She says “wrong! 4 minus 2 is 2”
I say “right, right is right”
She says “you’re wrong, baby sister, wrong is wrong.
Wrong wrong wrongwrongwrong wrong”

by Bella Basura
July 2016