I kept returning to the pairs, the complements; fire and water, morning and night, clouded and clear. I can see it though I’m not sure I understand it. Why does light feel so much like something? Why does the darkness feel so much like nothing?

I drew the curtains, put a pillow on the floor, and sat down. Stiff and stretched breaths, where the spine was tightly drawn. Back further, deeper, his arms, and her feeling safe. The tears that slowly rolled down my face felt like marbles, with weight.

My chest physically hurt in a way that confused me. An overrun garden – the ribs had split through the heart and circled back around, constricting like Ivy. Yet, through the thorns and prickled brambles, I still felt that softness. Spaces where even silk or butterflies could grow.