As a language

And in the light of the screen I open my hand
Slowly
A flower
A creature
Close
A loose, relaxed fist
Open
Fingers curved
The meadow in the palm
Shadows of the fingers

Standing
Profile against the glass
The concrete
Eyes wide
She blinks
Stare
Shifts her weight

Arms listless by her sides
Step
Another step
Each street-lamp is a pale glowing orb
Asleep
She passes a recessed door
Open
The sound of radio static
Approaching
Sustained
And then gone
Step
Lifts her hand to her elbow
Touch against the skin
Gently push the fingers beneath the sleeve of the shirt
Clutch the shoulder
Eyes wide
Her profile a balanced motion
Hips uncertain beneath the spine

Passing glass
And concrete
Citizens then
The sounds of the night muted
Her profile moving
Walking
She stops
The sun appears limp and dull
It is extinguished
Night follows

Her breath is even through the body
Dragging against the tissue of the throat
A minute difference in the sound of the exhale
Step
Profile moving into shadow
Into light
Into shadow
Hand clutching the shoulder
Then the other arm about the midriff
Eyes wide
Radio static
Silence
Step
Step
The citizens in the night quietly about her
She walks
Step
Blink
Eyes wide

Her feet are bare
Then covered in socks
Shoes
Bare in sandals
Bare

I retain a single memory
A young woman sitting in the centre of a bed
Open the door to gloom
She sits
I approach
Kneel behind her
Touch my lips to the skin at the base of her neck
Between the neck and the curvature of the shoulder
Hold
And then unconsciousness

She stops
The sun appears
Limply rising into the sky
Unevenly
Muted
Unnoticed by the citizens
It blinks
Then is extinguished
A light-bulb tethered to the ceiling
Arm swings slowly out from the midriff
Hand on the door
Transmission of opposing force to the body
Rocking back
Lift a foot
Place
Steady
Still
Bring the foreleg back and stand
Torsion through the arm
Apply force
Twist
The scraping and clanking of the mechanism
Open door
A hall
A door
Outside into the night
Glass
Concrete
Hand clutching at the shoulder
Eyes wide

Her profile
Her profile against the shadow of the walls
Moving
Walking
Shapes in the night
The sound of her breath
Inhale
Exhale
Eyes wide