Excerpt #5

photo. 

There was a boy standing in front of her, his ebony jacket a stark contrast to the soft colours and broken shades of the others clothes. She could vaguely smell the warm scent of worn leather peeling off of it. She wondered what he would order. Ellen stood by her side, crunching a ten dollar note in her long fingers. The morning air was cold, crisp and fresh. Behind them she could hear the hollow barks of the mechanical dog as it bounded up the street amidst wafting scents of market food.

100

So I will show you...

photos.  

Listen

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Shh.
Can you hear it?
Heavier than light, lighter than air;
It kisses the water, rippling its surface.
Carried by the wind, its highest notes bounce off the edges of the heavens
Coming back to us in
Hums.

Be still.
Can you feel it?
It speads over your body like warmth.
Dappled sunlight that lingers on your lips,
Inching its way toward your tired heart,
Envoloping you
Revival.

There.
Can you taste it?
Sometimes salty, always sweet.
It hangs in the air afterwards, a breath of its former self.
Leaving a longing on your tongue,
That can be traced to your fingertips
Clinging.

Hush.
Can you smell it?
It's fresher than fresh, huskier than husk.
It fills your lungs,
Resting there,
Replenishing you.
Breathe.

Look.
Can you see it?
(Even the blind can see this.)
It's everywhere, everything.
It's timeless, it's age-old.
It's colours that swim, their consistencies mixed,
Undefinable.

Shh.




Listen.

skin.

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and so they run
half naked
the waves licking
wind whipping
their legs
arms
skin.
electricity builds in their chest
collapses as laughter in the air around them
mixing with the salt,
overwhelming the senses.

flushed with their own daring
surprised by their own confidence
they expose parts of themselves to the world
that normally hide in the dark

skin
that is shy
shapes
that are concealed
colours
that are lost
they are finally revealed,
finally beautiful
no longer shadow.

but here,
atoms collide, shift, disappear
here,
anything can happen.

so instead
waves swallow them,
as they wallow in this half-world
and forget what it's like to feel
modesty.

and then
(pay attention)
the climax approaches
there's no slinking
no cowering
no covering

only running their arms by their sides
only embracing movement that is usually ignored
only flying
only freedom

this,
this is the feeling that can't be described
this is the moment between waking and sleeping
this is the part that people leave out.


afterwards
they walk back with a smile
a secret that glows in their chests
lighting up their faces
that can only be traced to their damp skin
wet hair
sandy feet

this is the feeling that can't be ignored.