POOP 2021

natural attraction

"Aye! Stop you little shit!" Anna commanded Nikia. 

For the past seven minutes had her toddler-of-a-preteen sister been hell-bent on inconvenience. 

"I ain't having it today! Ugh! Freakin' wierdo," she admitted especially loud so Nikia would hear. Yet just as Anna began to sink unevenly in the rough and retired couch – "Do it!," She said when noticing Nikia opposite, the child's hand raised and ready to launch. "I swear to God—Jesus, if she throws this remote I must—" 

Anna threatened before interrupted. Of course, she knew the developing child would be all but obedient. Yet even in anticipation was Anna without a next move or doubt that she'd dodge the plastic hurtled her way. In defense did both her pale arms spring into the air, soon feeling the soft touch of plastic on her forearm. Soft? Anna questioned. It took all of two silent seconds for wonder to encompass wonder as both she and Nikia stared amazed. 

"What the—," Nikia said first, Anna allowing her young sibling the expletive in this once, wondrous moment. 

Still there suspended in air did the remote touch Anna's arm as nothing held it in place. Hhha! She retrieved her exhausted limb, the remote finally falling with a thud on thin, browning carpet. 

"What...was that?" Nikia asked, full moons for eyes. Unfortunately for Anna, the preteen wasn't waiting on her dumbfound-and-silent sister. "Catch!" 

Anna had barely caught the cardboard coaster before it itself stopped upon touching a palm. She backed away and again did it fall.

 "Dude." Nikia spoke nonchalantly. "You're the freaking weirdo. And I'm calling mom." 

"No! Wait!" Anna pleaded. "Not yet. Just—let's just figure this thing out. It's...I don't know, kinda fun?" 

A coy admission. A mistake too, Anna realized as her sister's straight face met the waves of an opportunistic grin. 

"You wanna play? With me? C'mon let's go outside," Nikia said. 

She allowed herself not the micro nor the second to figure out what toys – what shoes – what experiments – what ever they were to get into outside. Always consumed in her own world of social media and television—the ace of leisure for table-busting Anna—Nikia was simply fortunate for the attention. 

"No!" Anna snapped back. "So the neighbors can see what..this--," She said after freezing a napkin she'd blown from the coffee table—,"Is?! Don't be dumb, Ki." 

For the slightest moment she felt cold as her sister dropped her head, yellow hair curtaining her face, in that way she does when things don't go her way: like a .. child, Anna thought. 

"Don't do--," She began. "Ki. Fine. We can go outs—" 

"Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay! Yay!", Nikia sung as she rushed for her sister's arms. 

Anna stretched them not but held one in front of the other as to say "STOP" to child sure to soon meet danger. But there she was, before her brain could heed warning: frozen in time. Just as the remote had been. And the coaster. Anna released her not but stood facing her sister, amazed at how much the girl had grown in the past couple years. Her face remained as youthful and curious as ever. As Anna wished she too could always be; as she too once were before the passing of childhood. Her adult world made no room for imagination and elementary things. She held on tight to her sister, wrapping herself around Nikia's thin frame and absorbing her warmth. 

"Let's go. Let's go, child."

***Story originally shared on 6 July 2021 as a part of Da Po'Op, the Poetry Opera podcast.

Come for the poetry, stay for a story! Or meditation, or current events. Oh my! The @POETRYOPERA podcast is your newest, smoothest ki. Ace, adventurer and Atlanta native, invites you on a weekly journey of conversation and relaxation. Beginning with an original short story, each episode takes listeners on a spectrum of discussion before guided meditation followed by your thoughts (poetryopera@gmail.com) and concluding with poetry. As always, thanks for journeyin'!

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