Family, though not blood
In our home, which is not a house
Until it is a house, or a castle, or a ship on faraway seas
Through the magic of sweat and saw, paint and passion
Word and gesture
Light and darkness
Shadows flitting through lands of imagination
Trailing comet tails of fizzing fantasy
All in the hopes of creating one moment
A breath, a pause
Wherein disbelief is suspended
And the quietest of voices can be heard,
The most impossible of wishes can be granted
Pumpkins into carriages, peasants into kings
Applause rocks the rafters until the lights dim and
The vision fades and the crowd departs
Laughing, crying, thoughtful, thunderous
Making their way back to their lives
With fresh eyes
Maybe
And we are left behind
In the hush
In the harsh fluorescent lights of reality
A family
Our blood still singing with the rush, the exhilaration of
Creating worlds of wonder for others to enter
Staking out a space amidst the storm
For laughter and love, kindness and hope
Gentle things, fragile things
Tattered, threadbare, and too easily forgotten
Except here
In this place of wood and metal
Heavy drapes and dusty air
Where shades dance and memory lingers
Belonging to no one yet belonging to everyone
A place of belonging
For us
Outcasts and misfits, ragtag and rowdy
It cradles us and our dreams
Protecting us
Through the nightmares
Accepting every insecurity and fear
Spinning them into golden threads
That connect one to another
To others, this space may seem empty, hollow
Haunted by trite platitudes and gaudy fictions
But for us
It is everything
Truth in fancy dress
And we give it our all
To be what we dream of
And when we dream
We are home
About the Creator
Elanor Sakamoto
Writer. Translator. Knitter. Reader. Whovian. Buddhist.
Pro-compassion. Love is love.
Almost aphantasiac...maybe
Spinning stories inspired by my many loves—magic, mystery, Japan, fairy tales, mythology...
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.