By Jessica Bell
A breath of earth hides in shallow water.
A small boy disrupts its peace as he plucks
it from its bed of black sand to use as a
skipping stone.
It slips and glides across the bay— an
infinite shawl of purple silk
glimmering under the blood red
moon.
Inside the stone lives the gentle touch of a little
girl who once protected the same soul as the boy
who threw it.
The stone licks the surface of the water
seven times before sinking back down
into its bed of a hundred years.
It lands next to a shell that
shimmers with the dream of
the boy’s mother and father.
They dreamed he would live in the colours
of a rainbow, and smile.
The boy looks up.
The clouds part.
His eyes grew wet when we met on
the couch for dinner.
It was a touching show.
Bringing home the joys and
woes of childhood.
We flicked through year-old photos
on my phone.
We remarked how much he’d grown—
And how fast.
We glanced at the
measurements on the wall and
exchanged smiles.
Bon appetite he said, and leaned in for a kiss.
Then we are without turning on the TV.
He’s only three.
I believed it was a prison
of light as a child.
Fairies clutched at glowing strings
screaming to be saved.
The youth in Asia also got a
lot of thought whenever my
parents argued about the
right to choose life over
death.
I never understood, either,
how losing your religion
could make you pee in the
corner.
I once peed in the corner of my bedroom
and all I lost was pee.
Spell father, said my prep
teacher. F A R T E R.
Twenty years later…
You’ll never be a writer.
Well.
Jessica Bell is a multi-award-winning author/poet and singer-songwriter who was born in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to having published a memoir, five novels, four poetry collections, and numerous craft books on writing and publishing, she is also the Publisher of Vine Leaves Press, and a highly sought-after book cover designer. She currently resides in Athens, Greece, with her partner and son, and a pile of dishes that still don’t know how to wash themselves despite her consistently teaching by example.
For more information visit: iamjessicabell.com
