Part XXIV- Jane Comes Back

The whole night was a mistake, the unprofound reunion at 3 A.M., Jane's burgundy dress, the semi-invisible rains that fell. The bar of distance, six inches of wrought iron space between Xenos's arm and Jane's. Jane held onto her left arm with her right hand so that it didn't try to find Xenos's hand. The rusty dark fall-and-night forest they wandered through was like glazed pottery, a dark red bowl or a heavy jar that held their soft laughs and intermediate thoughts. Sounds of music drifted back from the Festival Stage.

They wandered around until morning, talking quietly like it was the nineties again and they were the color of tapes and old yellow brick, They meant to go inside, but they somehow ended up by the pool; Jane sat down on the ledge of the flowerbed and Xenos leaned against it. Jane looked down at his dark hair and thought about sleeping against it. Xenos listened to Jane breathe. The guitar on Jane’s lap was like a brittle, pretty wall between them, a wall just waiting to be snapped down.

Mist drifted off the pool in lazy eddies, and the little light hairs on Jane’s arms stood up like they were reaching for Xenos. She strummed idly on the guitar. Lyrical, spiritual, spilling out words. She wanted his arms to chase away the cold of her body.

My limbs… she thought to herself. Strummed her guitar. My limbs are not my body.
Yeah, my limbs are not body,
My head is not my bones.
My blood just washes over me,
spills all around my lungs.
I'm my mistranslated eyes
Dark symbols that you misread
while, pressed up against this windowpane
I couldn't hear a word you said.

The melody formed quickly in her head, assembled itself neatly around the cold half-light, and Jane smiled.

Long ago, I knew my name,
I’m glad you sent that fact away
September comes, we’re cold and wet
Drunk like milk and so pleased to forget.

My words evoke no dignity,
My brain and name depart
Your chocolate mouth evokes my words,
Your soft disunion evokes art.
My breath is not recovered
My hair has not got dry
My limbs are not my body, baby
This is not goodbye.

Long ago, I had a place but now
I’m lost and I intend to stay
Dark like water I awake
My limbs have no recall and no namesake.

Jane’s fingers evoked music, few simple notes to supplement the full melody turning and turning in her head. She hummed quietly, and Xenos lay down on the cold cement at Jane’s feet, looking up at her, happy.

“Sing it for me?” said Xenos. Jane smiled again. She was very pleased to see his eyes, very glad that he had asked.

Her body was cold without Xenos touching her, but her soul was very warm.

--

for danielle. in honor of comments finally working.