Monday, March 14, 2011

This End Up




“I never expected angels to have an odor to them.”

“It’s lavender. I like lavender.”

“Lavender smells nice. That…doesn’t.”

“My friend, you just died an hour ago. Do you really think your senses have acclimated yet?”

“I guess not.”

“And you can stop wrinkling your nose. That’s not where you smell from anyway.”

“I’m not even going to ask.”

“Fine with me.”

“Pretty up here, though. I just didn’t expect to feel butterflies in my stomach. I never liked roller coasters and that sort of thing, but I figured all that stomach churning would end with my body.”

“Those aren’t butterflies. That’s energy. You’ll feel that all the time, until you get used to it. Kind of nice, warm buzz.”

“Huh. Damn.”

“We don’t say that word up here.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.”

“You’re forgiven.”

“Hey, what are those lights hovering inside people? See them? Kind of like jars or light bulbs or lanterns. Are those their souls?”

“No.”

“Over there! Some of them are leaking. And that person’s is dim green.”

“Yes. I hate to see those.”

“They’re souls, right?”

“No. You’ve seen too many bad movies. The soul is not something so apart from you, so contained. Those are something discrete and very different.”

“What?”

“It’s kind of hard to explain. Especially to someone so fresh.”

“Come on, cut me a break!”

“Well, let me put it this way. Those vessels are kind of a person’s state of mind. The way they feel about themselves, see themselves. And the world.”

“Like their mood?”

“More than that. It’s the temperature of their self identity. The bright ones are happy, content, and confident. The others are fractured. The brilliance is spilling out. They have suffered a harm that has damaged them.”

“Wow. The containers don’t look very strong.”

“Some more than others, but none of them can fend off a good, hard crack.”

“They look so beautiful….”

“Yes, you should see them as beautiful. And tragic. But they heal. Even when they shatter, they heal.”

“There! One just lit again. That’s so cool!”

“You’re laughing.”

“I was thinking of that song by the Traveling Wilburys. ”Handle me with care.”

8 comments:

Rachel Green said...

What an utterly bizarre, thought provoking piece. Thanks.

the walking man said...

I found it not bizarre in the least but rather a bit of reality most people are not sensative enough to seee. The feelings of others and how they feel about themselves. Very nicely done in being able to put something so intangible into words Jason.

Yes the cracks heal and with some forgiveness the colors do change.

Lee said...

Thank heaven for little boys who grow up to write poetically. You perceived the soul is not something that can be contained but rather permeates our being and that the human spirit is both fragile and strong. And I thought you where all out of words J - not so, beautifully done!

Anonymous said...

Leatherdykeuk, those are two descriptions I'll take together any day!

Walking Man, I sense that about you. That you see these vessels we carry around better than many people.

Lee, how can I not smile at that??! :D I think my thoughts closed in too much during the winter. I felt like I was writing the same thing over and over. If I crack my mental knuckles, I think I can come up with lots of new entertaining (ahem, bizarre) things. Okay, maybe probing and revealing too. ;)

PixieDust said...

No, most can not fend off a good, hard crack... but I love that in this instance we've been assured that they do heal... it must be a beautiful sight, indeed.

:-)

love,
me

Lee said...

Would love to see you write something to Snow Patrol's "Crack The Shutters".

Anonymous said...

PixieDust, it was quite a sight in my mind!

Lee, I'll see if it speaks to me.

awareness said...

Lavender AND peppermint....thats what I've always thought. Balm for healing....

What a terrific piece Jason!!