The Last Puff

The Wilfahrt dragon, Puff, who is incredibly un-magical in broad day light, has taken a nosedive into the great garbage can in the sky. Bye-bye freaky green paper-mache' creature with teeth made out of egg crates and tufted corn stalks spray painted silver for scales. Big Man, the creator, was surprisingly unsentimental about his 2010 Halloween piece de resistance. With a shrug he said, "Making him was the fun part." Oh yes, the labor, the hours spent sketching, creating, painting, contrapting, the weirdness of this thing attached to our kitchen chair for what seemed like months isn't exactly how I characterize fun . But it was never about me. And now Puff is waiting to be taken away. Currently perched not-quite-so in the garbage can that gave him life, I realize Big Man is right.

I will not walk out and retrieve him to return with tears streaming down my face.

I will let go.

Easily.

This time.