(person) by junkpile Fri May 04 2001 at 6:09:40

You're tired. You need to get some sleep.

Ok. Just listen. Close your eyes.


It's snowing outside and it is very quiet. The only noises are tiny snow noises and her footsteps. She is turning in a circle, she is like a top that is slowing down. Slow turning is the best way to feel snow on her face and in her mouth. her eyes have been closed the whole time.

Her coat is buttoned up all the way and it is warm. Her hat warms her head. Blue scarf takes care of the cracks. Her cheeks and nose are stinging and she likes it. She is turning slower, slower.

She is hardly moving at all now. One footstep. Another. Little crunches from the snow. Little white noise of snowflakes falling onto each other and grabbing on, making piles of them all over everything. she does not see them, she is not looking yet, she is so full of the quiet. It is a good quiet but she is almost done with it.

Now, he has brought the piano outside and he starts to play. A few notes. Cold fingers are slow. This music never gets much bigger. It is there for her to hold on to when she thought there was no more sound to listen for. She is standing still, she is holding on.

This snow is not just falling, there is a slight circular breeze and the snow proves it in spirals that promise not to stop. This light snow will swirl around her for as long as she needs it. Her face is cold but she has not had enough. She cannot see this, but she is in the center of a gentle pale tornado. You can see through it. If you are looking.

The piano has such simple things to say and it keeps saying them. An escalation of tiny sounds, a rise and fall. Always in a curving line, going up and coming back down. The slow hills of this music are smooth. She can feel them. they are calm. she can hear herself breathing. little flakes come in with each breath and she melts them, the end of their patterns is at her mouth. everything is an easy sweep. her feet are on the ground, but barely. she has the weight of one flake. when she is ready she will float up in a slow, slow spiral.   any minute now.

I like it! 12 C!s