Forty-eight; Untitled

There are sounds
Pause
Sounds
Footfalls
She comes into the room and stops
Pause
Leans forward
Blink and reverse motion but not before a half-step
Return and stop
Inhale
Blink
Exhale
Inhale
Stare
An exhale that is broken once
Then again
Decompress then inhale
Pause
Thoughts become disorderly
Regimen and priority are gone
She twists at the torso
Returns and steps
Stops
Opens her mouth
Turns on the toe
Steps in the opposite direction
Sets down the objects in her hand
Turns quickly and steps
Another step
Another step
An inhale that shivers and breaks
Exhale and then involuntary sound Eah
Short
Inhale
Then again a short Heh like ‘her’ but without the ‘r’
Slow and then stop
Close mouth
Teeth hard against teeth
Then jaw down again
Mouth open
Eyes wide before vision is distorted
Blink
Blink again
Short, shaking of the head
Blink
Turn
Walk
Stop
Walk
Exit the room
Footfalls
Stop
Sounds
Footfalls
Enter the room
Nnnnn
Stop
Lifting of the arms to an uncertain pose toward which they are stopped
Lean
Move
Stop
Turn
Exit the room
Stop
Exhale
Huh
Exhale again
Huh
Shivering
Huuuuu sustained and then decay
Enter the room
Walk
Walk closer
Stop
Eyes that quickly change the point of focus
Darting about
Forearm raised to the head
The hand stops without touching the face
Moving back and forth in the air
Unmeasured
Towards the face
Away
Towards again
Lips together
Pressed
Released
Stilled
The first tear
Unnoticed, then wiped away
Pause
Stillness
Inhale
Exhale
Timing becoming more and more similar
Almost uniform
Hands slowly down to the thighs
Bending at the knee
One hand lifts and begins to reach forward
Nnnnnnn high pitched, a shivering wail
Air in through the nose
Immediately straighten
Tilt of the head, slight bending of the hips
Momentum turns the body
Bending at the waist
Hands on the thighs
Eyes wide, facing the floor
The shoulders sway
Left
Right
Left again
Right
Straighten
Head turns
Mouth open
Bend forward
Hold
Hold
The muscles release
Gravity begins to bring the body down
Electric message to the arm
Hand down to tough the floor
Dull tap of contact
Weight on the hand
Over-rotation of the body
The knees hover above the floor
The opposite foot is pushed along the floor with a scrape
Body steadied
Hold
Inhale
Straighten
She stares
Stares
She has stopped

When she turns she seems like she has begun
Moves slowly
Carefully
Stops
Hold
Then moves again
Reaches forward
Lifts the handset
Rotates the object to face her
Stares
Turns
Stops
Arm lowers the object to her thigh
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale
Exhale
But
Inhale
Hold
Slowly twists at the waist
Looking at the room
Looking at everything
Facing back, But
Sniffing inhale through the nose
Short exhale
Again
Again
Twisting to return
The hand with the object is raised
Pause
The other hand lifts to the face
The nose
Touch
Draw away
Stare
Touch again
Sniff
Fingers loose
She tightens slightly around the handset
Draws her other hand, finger towards the surface
Exhale
Arms part
She walks forward part-way
Stops
And cries
Forcing the air through the throat
Arms awkward and waving slowly in the air
Body curling and straightening
Feet following behind the weight of the body
Keeping it aloft
Small rotations at random

When she stops she faces away and slightly to the side
Sniff inhale
Sniff again
Again
Slow exhales
Bends at the waist and reaches forward for an object
Before touching she stops and reverses motion
Straightens
Brings her hands together and touches the surface of the handset
Stares
Lifts it to her ear
Pause
Um
The sound of her tongue in her mouth
The sound of tiny movements in the fabric of her clothing
Um
She has begun
No um
So I close my eyes