he kept his eye on it

                         stared it down when he had to surreptitiously if need bepeeking round a corner after it or in full view wearing sunglasses like carpenters who insist theyre protecting their eyes from nails sawdust but are really using them to hide their stare so women walking past a job site couldnt see them ogle

                                                                                     asif she was densecouldnt put two an two togetherwouldnt realise their banging fell silent

hard to pound nails while looking elsewhere

he kept his eye on it

he wanted to be all in but was losing faith

   optimism

               was becoming miserly  he was miserable

he fashioned it a new name  a blend word a portmanteau cinchedup tiedtightly   optimism & miasma

   optimiasma

                       since it was looking an beginning to smell bad

it would have to do

hed be gawddamned if he threw in with pessimists

                                                       his glass remained half full

however what it held looked polluted

1026,  Day-between-Two-Ts,  22  12. 21

1030,  Thursday,  23  12. 21