Post by EmberRoze on Feb 7, 2009 0:44:05 GMT -6
For Steph
[/center]Clouds roll above you in the deepening darkness, and the crickets trill their lullaby. The flickering light of the moon fades away as a cloud hides its face from the world for a moment. Light pours over you once again, and you inhale that intoxication scent that is undeniably summer. Fresh cut grass, the dew that gathers on your blankets, the tang of something, some scent you can never really place sinks into your mind, your clothes, and it even seems to remain in you nose as you roll over and bury your face in your pillow. It twirls about, always just out of reach the reach of your fervent grasp.
You turn back around to bask in the pale light of the moon. There, before you, lies the jungle gym where you played as a girl. The swing slowly sways back and forth in the gentle summer breeze. Memories of joy, of laughter, and of simple existence flood your mind, and for a moment, you can feel the sun basking on your skin, and you can even taste the sticky sweetness of the popsicles you and your best friend would smuggle outside for a crisp afternoon interlude from you romping and cajoling.
The crickets chirp loudly, and you sigh contentedly as you look up once again to the sky above you. Familiar faces look down upon you, as if guarding you from harm. Ursa Major. Cassiopeia. Sirius. Betelgeuse. The stars in the sky twinkle silently, reminding you how much else there is aside from yourself. In wonder, you look up and how something can be so beautiful when it is alone. You wonder whether or not those stars that you see are actually there, and if, in fact, they are in a sense, your guardian angels.
A sense of utter calm engulfs the night around you, and suddenly, it’s okay to just lie there on the ground and just exist. There is no need for mindless conversation. There is no need to rush to your next lesson, to your next class, or to the mall to be with other people. Your gilded cage is opened, and you are free for now. The only thing that matters to you for the moment is that you are sharing this moment in time with someone for whom you care, and who cares for you.
A warm hand finds your, and you turn to face your friend, her face so similar to yours, yet so different. The same inquisitive eyes look back at you, but the emotion behind them speaks a different chord than what you sing without words. Her freckles are growing more bold with the brilliant summer sky, though her skin remains an alabaster white. Without words, you both look at the face that reminds you of home and of yourself.
Suddenly, though, the differences melt away like the rain-washed window. You see not how you are different, but how you are the same, as you feel as though you are looking through a crystal pane of glass. You are both human. You both have ten fingers and toes, you both love without question, inquire all that passes by you, you both have a mother and a father. . . You will share the same fate as her in the end, you realize, so you should cherish her while you still can.
Her crystal eyes close, jolting you from your reverie. “Good night,” the dove whispers.
“Good night,” you whisper back. With the stars overhead protecting you both, and the serenade of the night rocking you to a well deserved rest, you close your weary eyes, and fall into a blissful summer sleep.[/color]