to be raw

Today, she is rage.

First:

She takes off her clothes, slowly, piece by piece, as if balancing between the inhale and exhale, motionless time. Sandals, skirt, top, bra, hair tie.

She opens the paint tins and finds red, orange, purple, black. She dips her hands in, the slippery liquid coating her palms, fingers, cuticles, gaps beneath her nails, like rain-drenched mud or a sunset ocean. She smears the paint in streams, puddles, clumps against her body. Hair, cheeks, collarbone, breasts, belly, thighs, bottom, calves, toes.

Then:

She slams her body against the white wall, slides down into a sitting position, rolls, presses, claws, kisses, stands again. The paint blurs into the surface, an abstract whirlwind, with a simple pause of truth every now and then: a fingerprint or a strand of hair outlined perfectly or a curve that more than resembles her, like a pressed flower or a sun-print, a piece of refined soul.

Finally:

She is tired. She curls on the floor, and lets her eyes close as the light rolls into the room, an open tide, sweeping her into its arms.

And later:

She'll wake up and take a long shower, yet still carry with her smudges of this rage for days as the dried paint sticks to the creases of her skin, hiding from sight until she notices at random times - using the toilet, waiting in an elevator, doodling in a meeting, having tea with a friend.

Tomorrow, when this afternoon is a distant enough memory, she'll meditate, twist her body into yoga, make jokes with her lover, and be shades of blue, green, peach, the hues of peace and forgiveness and little lullabies.

But today, just today, when he arrives home, she'll be a fire, a scandal, a storm in the bedroom. And in his most breathless moments, he will like it, and wish for more days that are volcanic and raw.

*

Note: Summer company has now all went byebye, yay! So, I should be better about posting weekly - I've managed to almost do weekly, but not quite. If any of you have a story request, please share: gender mix (ie. female / female or whatever) and basic theme. :) I appreciate all of your comments, and plan to respond individually soon. xo.