The dim lights are flickering,
dancing,
speaking to me through their rapid movements.
The glow of the candle falls upon my bare skin,
and my body becomes a candle.
So cold before, now it is in flames.
Flames that lick up my body,
that sweep across the molecules.
This warm honey bronze wax covers me,
slides over me,
enveloping every atom,
every moment,
every secret,
every memory,
crushed under boxes of self-deceit.
Shining from every angle,
the light sways like a snowy white linen sheet in
a summer country breeze.
I can feel the heat,
at first it’s too hot to understand,
and the bones in my toes are icicles.
Then,
warmth begins to spread up the curves of my body,
until I can feel a fire in my cheeks.
Then the candle burns lower,
and my cold wet hair contrasts sharply to my desert skin.
My body screams,
“no farther, no farther”.
My mind screams,
“no further, no further”.
The candle burns lower,
and a drop of water from my hair
melts away from the rest of the block
and slides down my shoulder.
It catches the shreds of light
and glimmers like a diamond
as it slips down like a tear.
All these diamonds and tears
will have miles and miles to go,
before,
finally,
I feel comfortable in my soft coating.
Beautiful. Natural.
I step forward,
and extinguish the candle.