Faded

xxiii

Today

Was a beautiful, sunny day so Lauren and I

Decided to venture

Down to Oscar river.

At the last minute I invited

Will because he has

Been the most considerate and

Thoughtful friend during my

Phase of loneliness.

More caring than even my

Overprotective parents.

So with the sun on our backs and

Dandelion seeds in our hair

The three of us set off to a special section

Of the river where it splits in two and cuts round

An island.

The water is shallow,

Cool and sweet,

But deep enough so you

Can still swim.

Will made a swing,

Out of some old rope we found, and a branch

And we were immersed in this

Picture-perfect, technicolour world.

All we did was laugh and swim

In our clothes

And lie in the sun.

I hadn't been sure if

Lauren would like or

Even accept Will but

She had taken one look

(Down) at him and smiled.

We were still there as the colours blended together

In the sky and when the

Sun sunk softly behind the island.

When stars winked above us

Lauren brought a

Bottle of vodka out of

The picnic basket.

She had managed to sneak it out somehow.

It was my first time drinking vodka and

It was disgusting and burned

My throat like liquid fire.

The second sip was better.

And we

Lay on our backs and told each other

About all the bad things

We had ever done.

When we had almost finished the

Bottle between us Will asked why we

Called the river

Oscar River.

Oscar River isn't its real name but

Lauren and I kept our mouths

Clamped shut because the drink had

Loosened our tongues and the

Dark secrets would spill out

Into the lovely evening and

Black shadows would weave

Tendrils into our smiles

And cast them down.

He didn't press for an answer

And that was good I suppose.

But today reminded me that

Not all days are bad and

Although Oscar River is a

Sad place it's wondrous too,

Partly because it has an

Afflicting secret hanging

Between the trees

Like Will's swing.

(found between the nettles by the side of the road, on the bridge over Oscar River)