fear {less}

 -image courtesy of s.r.meyer-

i can hear them. he is ten, she is only five.
he’s teasing, she’s crying.
“i’ve stolen your soul”, he keeps telling her.
“give it back” she wails.
amusing and annoying all at once…i call him.
“stop teasing her.  she doesn’t even know what a soul is and you’re just irritating her.”
he’s still laughing.  i’m not.
i frown and ask him to tell me what a soul is.
he pauses the sillyness.
and answers-
“it’s a soft breeze.”
i’m perplexed.
“why do you say that?”
“well,” he says “it’s like a whoosh.”
i still don’t understand.
“why?”
“it’s just the sound of a person passing you on their way to Heaven.”
gulp.
in that moment, i feel like i’m ten and he’s, well… forever.
it’s not the first time my students' wisdom surpasses my emotions in such way.

xx

-d