LJ Idol Season 11: Week 22 - Hiraeth
mixed
Come here.
Yes, right in the center.
Watch your step.
Don’t get snagged along the walls.
There. Do you feel that?
No?
Hm.
Oh, take off your flag.
Okay, how about now?
Not yet?
Your tongue-
scrub the language off of it.
No? Still nothing?
Well then, take off your skin.
Yeah, just take it off.
No, it’ll be fine.
I promise.
I promise!
See?
There you are.
Well? Do you feel it now?
Right?
Yeah! I told you!
Weird, right?
You’ll get used to it.
I mean, I did.
Well, I grew up here.
Well...I was born here.
Yeah.
Really.
Right in the middle.
I guess you could call it my crib.
I’ve been calling it “The Between.”
Look.
That side?
That’s one diaspora.
And there?
That’s another.
No, they don’t come together.
Well-
they did once.
So here I am.
But since then?
Magnetic poles
attached at a singularity,
mutually repulsed
mutually repelling
and pulling this overlap
into a thinner
and thinner line
as we breathe.
Or try to.
Sorry for the walls.
What?
No.
No, that’s not how it works.
No, we can’t just cross over.
No, we’re not welcome.
No, neither side will.
We weren’t even invited.
I know it’s not great here.
I mean,
it’s too narrow for me too,
but that’s just how it is.
Look,
if you’re so uncomfortable,
if you’re so desperate to leave,
then leave.
At least you can.
Really, it’s fine.
I just thought
it would be nice
to share this with someone.
No, I get it.
Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
Don’t forget your things.