Husk
Sounds, shapes, grey, white ,and black.
Every morning Is the same. The same Cathedral, I've walked the halls of it....a thousand times. I've seen the corners as the ghost walk amongst me.
The neon lights flicker, as the ghosts do, changing shapes, changing always. Never did like change. I wondered why? I forget with age.
Work, gym. The light always disappeared when I went. Always, the light would say I was perfect.
Hard punches always reminded me I was deaf yet hearing, I was still here. I could still feel it growing darker.
Yet I couldn't feel the ghosts.
I left.
The walk back to my tome.
Some familiar ghosts walked pasted me and oke spoke
"Why are you always covered? Are you gonna be und-"
"My apologies he's very excited for Hanukkah, aren't you my Bubale?"
I didn't reply for the ghosts always leave. They do not matter.
The cathedral was quieter tonight, all the stores closed, snow and wind I could hear it. None walked besides the wardens. Lights guided all the buildings, and ghost noises filled the streets from the speakers.
I listened for a moment. Happy Holidays!
The shade spoke in my mind. It reminded me why I walk, why I'm me. Why the light left.
I saw a ghost, it was barely old enough to vote, blue eyes, short, a laugh and a joke "ahhh the cold yuck!!"
I felt the sound, the wind hit me, I was warm. The lights stood above me, the people walked around me. I stopped for a moment, and I remembered light. The light. It was always there for me no matter how hard I tried to snuff it.
It protected me from the darkness.
I could feel everything they were speaking of the families. She came back, all the foods, gifts and stories and for a moment I remember I was here. Decades have passed. I felt everything pass. I was alone.
It started to fade as she did.
I returned home, to the same bed. The house was colder, the food wasn't there. I looked in the mirror.
I removed my shirt
Like a wall
Carved words, aligned.
Ist
Sta
All meaning does
For one night, I wasn't a husk.
A new word appeared, a new reminder.
Carved
H U S K.
