Wednesdays at the bone orchard

This story is an Orchardeer’s narration of what goes on at the bone orchard on a Wednesday. It is a description of the Orchardeer’s routine of disposing body parts in the form of “deliveries” to their “owners”.

There is perhaps a conscious under-rating and trifling of the solemn task which is subtle to the extent of actually intensifying the reality of what happens at the bone orchard and the feelings of the Orchardeers who work there. For the portrayal of the entire process of handling these body parts, is made accurate and realistic through the unemotional description and analysis of what is a frequent occurrence there. There is also a sense if credibility in the narration as the Orchardeers are not mere spectators but speak from experience as they are directly involved in the process described in these lines. – “we collate body parts”. “We slide howsoever many parts there are…”, “we have no bureau of complaints”. The narrator speaks for all the Orchardeers by not limiting himself/herself to a first person account of a single Orchardeer. (though there IS an instance when he/she briefly steps out of the scene by commenting that “the Orchardeers cannot care where they are sent”)

The Orchardeer depicts the activities of collating, arranging and shipping of body parts as being work done mechanically, with no demonstration of sentiment and no significance placed on the fact that these are parts of humans that are being dealt with. There is a total lack of regular meter, rhythm and rhyme as the author uses the technique of using a direct, straightforward arrangement of words that are free from poetical measures. This perhaps highlights the absence of shock, hysteria and any display of emotion in the Orchardeer.

The author’s use of words is effective in conveying a sense of instant de-humanixation in the Orchardeer’s handling of body parts. The total inanimation of the parts of dead bodies at the bone orchard is made extremely obvious as the author (Orchardeer) refers to “body parts”, “deliveries”, “body parts manufactured overseas”, “ears and limbs” that are intact etc.

The reader is able to recognize and engage with the reality of what is depicted here, for although there is a reference to U.S. Savings bonds, the reality of the death of loved ones who are at war away from “home folks” is universal. This may or may not be a personal event, but it IS a recognizable one; for although the “U.S.” is cited here, this text is not culturally alien to the reader. The reader can relate to the experience (even if not of the Orchardeers or even a recipient’s) at least as one who is familiar with the knowledge of its occurrence.

The visual image of “contents” that are “confused” – the visual description of “green plastic bags and manila name tag” contribute to the making of a distinct mental picture of the activity at the bone orchard in the reader’s mind.

These lines do more than just provide an account of a typical Wednesday at the bone orchard; as they are indirectly draw the reader’s attention to the manner in which “owners” may be deceived if they believe their “deliveries” to contain only the parts of their loved ones.

There is a tone of indifference to (and yet an attitude of awareness of) the unavoidable irregularities that take place and cannot be helped as the Orchardeers tamper with the contents in the packages revoking name tags and sliding in parts. The Orchardeer’s knowledge of the responsibility of sending the “right package to the home folks” becomes ironic as he/she soon after, states: “BUT the green plastic bags and manila name tags are revoked here”.

There is also a hint of irony in the process of ceremoniously dispatching these body parts that still for all, are confused but “rare refused”.

There is a tone of sensitivity (as the Orchardeers “gently” slide parts into the wrapping so they won’t “jar the hearts of the receivers”) and a lack of it (as the Orchardeers “cannot care where they are sent”) not only on the part of the Orchardeers but the recipients too, who “faint and/or put the contents on display”. The author’s tone becomes formal as he/she uses the words “and/or” to describe the varied responses of the recipients.

These lines take on a satiric mode as the author displays his/her knowledge of the compensation forwards to the families of the dead and the sundry of uses they make of it to do whatever they may choose. “Purchase U.S. savings bonds, use it for a trip abroad, or erect a memorial they could not once afford”. Yet the humour is subtle and may escape the reader, as any attempt to be skeptical is not made too obvious as the prediction of the use of the “sum” that is forwarded is not exaggerated or completely untrue, but highly probably as they can “do whatever they may choose”.

Thus the Orchardeer’s narration of “Wednesdays at the bone orchard” may be seen not only as an honest depiction of the reality and inevitabilities that follow death (possibly on the battle field) and becoming “body parts” but also a depiction of the Orchardeers and a reflection of their attitude as they handle and unite body parts with its recipients.

© Slow Chills