Kaleidoscope Sky

The sky is a kaleidoscope, sunshine swirling through Van Gogh clouds and a sapphire horizon that swells like the sea. I squint and it all shifts and shakes, azure and golden light refracts off everything and nothing at all. It kind of makes me dizzy.

A shadow passes overhead and there’s a chill in the breeze that makes me shiver. A heavy cloud, a drip-drop upon my brow- I open my mouth and catch pinot noir-flavored rain on my tongue. I lick my lips and savor the taste, so curious at the buzz in my head.  

I blink slow and the land turns dark- no moon or stars to light my path. Just a writhing mess of trees before me, a sudden movement from the corner of my eye.  

Another shadow crosses but this one’s fast, shooting across my line of site and I feel like I should run but my body is frozen in place.  

I feel like I should scream but even as my mouth gapes and I push...the sound just morphs into a trembling whisper.

A lightning strike, a crack of thunder, it’s raining hard now but I’m not wet at all.

I shudder, I quake, the fists at my sides unravel and my body awakens.

I run.

I sprint through the trees and move in fast forward. It seems like I traveled for hours upon end but I end up right back where I started.

A break in the trees and I’m seeing stars, the moon, the sun a glimmering point in the distance. A myriad of dawns breaking through the dark. It dances, twisting and breaking through in shards. I don’t know what I’m seeing- it all plays tricks on my eyes.

Out of breath, out of steam and out of words- I still can’t make a sound.

Until my heart pounds, each beat throbbing- so loud.

I awake suddenly, a misty rain coming through the open window. The wind has picked up, I find myself pulling the blanket closer.

I like the chill, makes me cozy under my army of layers. I breathe deep once or twice, relax into the sound of rain hitting the roof. Fat drops land heavy and slow, the cadence so soothing.