it beganas a slow-moving patch
no more than a carpet square
of colour
 
blue
 
walking through
the solid darkness
it was the brightness
that caught his eye
 
he
and the colour
approaching each other
 
it moved like liquid
and looked like paint
but
as it curled up
and around
over
his feet
it behaved more
like smoke
 
when he bent
to run his hand low
through the substance
there was
nothing
only colour
and air
 
as he walked
the hue rose
seeming to sever his legs
his knees
 
he could move
freely
but the landmarks
road
curb
shrubs
handrails
one by one
disappeared
 
the colour climbed
halfway up
tree trunks
as high
as his shoulders
 
he could hear
the rushing water
of the creek
that ran below a bridge
a little way ahead of him
but he could not
go forward
 
unimpeded
he was frozen in place
encompassed
by the rising sea
of blue
that he could not touch
could not penetrate
 
he found
he was holding his breath
as the colour
that he could not smell
or taste
reached his mouth
 
covered it
 
and climbed higher
over his nose
his eyes
 
when he inhaled
at last
it was through an explosion
of coughing
that echoed
emptily
 
he waved his hands
but could not disturb
the airy solidity
of blue
 
stumbling forward
with his arms
outstretched
he found
fell
into the protective guardrail
of the bridge
 
sliding to ground
to sit
with his back secure
against the structure
 
he stilled his ragged
breathing
to listen
 
nothing
but the sound
of running water
below him
 
at last
his eyes irritated
dry
from a prolonged
unblinking
stare
he closed his eyes
 
and found
his vision
 
all the lost surroundings
still there
in front of his tightly closed eyes
 
clear and sharp
within their sweet
natural
darkness
 
without awareness
of doing so
he began to weep

~