Hello...

The noise in my head, the buzz… it’s gone

I hear a clock ticking

My keyboard clacking

The breathing of my dog

The radiator turns on

It buzzes

But not me

Glass turned to crystal

That’s how subtle it is, this shift

Hot bath with the window open

I can hear

Like my ears have popped but it’s my whole sensory being

It’s the background in my mind

My skin

Inside and out

Inside it simmers

I search for words to describe it

Not pain

Not burning

It’s as if my skin is saying, “hi I’m here” from the inside

There’s an ache in some of my back muscles

But outside the window is where I’m drawn

The wind

I hear it like the tide

Coming and going

And then I feel it come through the window and touch my face

Relieving me of the sweat that pools on my upper lip

Cool salty lemon water down my throat

Keeping the cycle alive

Let it cool off these insides just a bit

Birds

So many birds

The sun is out and spring is here

I float

I write

That’s all there is