Inklings 2022

there’s something wondrous to the way our life works. how it begins with eyes sensitive to light but open to infinite possi - bilities. smiles of precious innocence. glances of dependence. intertwined needs. tight embraces. then in one moment you see clearly and it feels as though your entire world has shifted overnight the things that were once ef- fortless become burdens the people you love fall away like birds migrating when the seasons change and days all seem the same until one becomes indistinguishable from another and all you can separate are the beginnings and endings. beginnings. flowers bloom in May, their sweet scent traveling in the crisp spring breeze. a five year old stumbles away from his mother in Central Park, clutching yellow balloons, picturing what universe they will reach when he lets go. your fingers slide across the keys and from the first sentence of the story, you know it is going to be one tragically beautiful, wild journey. you meet the gaze of another and are reminded that real love does exist in the cracks and crevices of this cruel world. & endings. the screen goes black, the credits roll, and everyone in the the- ater is gone. the airplane lands on the runway, marking the end of your va- cation, and forcing you to face reality again. your mother takes her final breath while whispering I love you and the hospital has never felt so dark and cold. news anchors around the city have been reporting the same tragic story since last night. your hands are clenched Temporary Fixation Lucia Rose Dahn 27