the violin & the clarinet

from xinyan's diary

I live by the ocean.

That's what I tell people.

Mama helped me paint the scenery on the wall opposite my bed, the one with no windows. The beach is covered in sand and shells lie at the water's edge, and a wave rises in the distance. The sun is warm and the clouds barely cover the sky, like cotton candy when you first start spinning it.

I fall asleep looking at it every night, imagining myself floating out to sea. Out at sea where the pirates roam, where Mama spent her past lives in search of adventure.

Mom tells me her stories are all made up, but I know she likes them too.

I wonder if I met you in my past life.

i wonder if you'd wander into the ocean with me.