First published on Cloudbank 13, July 2019. Copyright 2019 by Tetman Callis.
The light was different. No clouds in the sky. The sunlight looked filtered. Polarized.
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The woman I sleep with talks in her sleep. Last night she said, “Please don’t die. Please don’t die.” Her tone was the one that comes when it’s too late.
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The light was different. Everything else looked the same.
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Please don’t die. Did she wake me? Was she the one awake and I was the one asleep?
How do I know? I’m sure as I can be of anything that I’m not a butterfly dreaming I’m a man.
Am I a corpse dreaming I’m alive? How do I know?
Please don’t die.
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If this is what comes after life it doesn’t look like much other than the light has changed.
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I kissed the woman this morning before I left. Please don’t die. Please don’t die.
There’s so much to do, even here where only the light has changed.