A Newfound Creature
Julia Freeman
Today I heard the song of a friend
With soft strumming,
A gentle humming,
And the faintest bit of buzzing,
That started at my skin
And began to seep under
Until it danced across me
And swirled above me
Seemingly for the first time, music wasn’t about words
And for the first time, music ascended right above me
And I could almost see it lifting and tripping;
Letting me bask in its sweet, impalpability
It was as if I had awaken from a drowsy state
Of fuzzy film
And crackling sounds
And met this creature
With its own beating heart,
And its own pair of lungs
And energy so eager,
So ephemeral,
So elegant
These notes formed a creature that flies effortlessly,
Suspended for a few moments,
Until its lazy fall
As rain slides down window panes,
As sleepy feet drag on the floor
And I think for that moment,
I peaked into this friend’s imperceptible world
That’s always been closed to people like me;
Discovering this newfound understanding
And this newfound peace
So with a sigh and closed eyes,
I inhaled my thanks
And exhaled my goodbyes
Photograph: Alexandra McGowan