I felt you today. For the first time in two years, I was acquainted with your soul. Through the words of a stranger, confessing love letters to philosophers and deep thinkers. To the idea of death, that it is but a mere moment and one that births a life. I felt you as her pupils dilated in awe, as I spoke your name. For this was a day, I remembered your breath, not the state of your body. I felt you in the skyscrapers, peering down upon me from the clouds. As if they were curious, wondering what was brewing in my brain. It was raining tears, beautiful tears that send small shivers to your spine. That kiss your cheeks softly, That tug a little at your limbs. And yet, I was almost, dried out clay. On the cusps of disintegrating Into the earth, just to feel you near. Today, tears molded me back together. A sculpture restored to it’s Whole. I felt you today, As though you were a child. A shadow without sunlight, grasping at my fingertips. You were so small, In a way I had never witnessed. I could feel your heart beating It bounced off the cement as we walked, channeling into my toes. reminding me that you are more than a vessel belonging to the ground. I felt you for one last second, The tears had stopped. You released my fingers, and I watched as you danced away, towards a woman that you now called, home. Today, I felt you. But not in two years, It was for the very first time that I knew you felt Alive.
About the Author Payton Bank is a 22-year-old full-time student and writer. She studies Creative Nonfiction Writing and works as a Writer for Trill Mag. Her interests in work include aspects of spirituality, communication, psychology, and spreading awareness of the Fentanyl Epidemic. Versatile in all forms of writing, she dedicates her poems and creative work to her brother, Austin James Bank. About the Artist Yulian is currently studying Illustration and Art History at Columbia College Chicago. They like to mix various traditional and digital techniques to create works that incorporate surreal and fantastical elements, and take inspiration from both classical art and more recent contemporary works. You can find them on Instagram @solpheria.
