'try to imagine this' she says
and then she has to stop to stop herself from crying and
is she smiling now? 'there is a wooden bench under an old tree. can you see it?'
and i can't but still i try and i nod my head
'people walking across your field of vision and through the green. people laughing. sitting in the grass.' she stops.
'people so happy.'
stops again. inhales, smiles, looks at me. 'do you see?'
i can only nod again.
reaching up i brush away a tear from her cheek.
i cannot look in her eyes
i do not want to hurt what i see there.
but she doesn't notice,
only sits on her bench among her joyful people, alive to her;
and she only breathes in and out
in and out
slowly, as if she could taste it.

06/25/2002

Posted on 06/25/2002
Copyright © 2025 Indigo Tempesta