Lounging on the back-porch swing gives a slow goodbye to the day and lifts us to the stars where I pluck the glitter from the sky and light my own spirits lost in the ethereal. Mavis piles on top and eases into my mood making it her own sublime moment while breathing in sync. I can hear the cicadas stir and owls fluff their feathers ready to land softly on the pitched roof of my garage. Everybody settles into the night musing over where the day went. One day passing into the other until bringing me here to enjoy a planetary evening in the company of my dog. Where did time go? Did it disappear between the stars or on the other side of the moon? Why am I placing importance on a man when I’m happy in my own contentment, a speck in God’s hand, and an encumbrance to no one? An occasional twinge between my legs reminds me I still possess the natural desires of a woman even though age defines me. It turns the light off in my womb and tosses my berries on the ground, telling me I am no more. It’s a lacerating end to a vibrant beginning. Did the devil cause a slow decline or did God give me time to wind down my longing to a tolerable dimension?
Mavis hears my heart fading to the end. She slaps her tongue against my face and whispers for me to wake up to the reality that is now. I listen carefully to her words and hear myself laugh at the downward motion troubling these five minutes spent laying on my back-porch swing.