Clouds

The sunset was truly spectacular that night. It was one of those sunsets where even the people who don't care about clouds would pause and stare for a moment, lost in the beauty of color. The sky melted from a robin's egg blue to a rich plum, and was sprinkled with shockingly gold clouds. Nearby I heard you utter some useless platitude, but I wasn't really listening, and neither were you.

The bench we shared was viciously uncomfortable, an ugly modern thing. Its steel frame was dented, the paint peeling off to reveal naked metal underneath. I heard your voice imply that I look at you; slowly I forced my eyes from the sky. You were staring at me with an expression I had not seen before. Of course I had seen you exasperated, the conversation we just had was one we've had previously. But this time there was a certain finality in your eyes that told me more than slow, clumsy words could ever express. In that moment, we both cold have turned and walked away and had both been in perfect understanding of what had taken place, but society couldn't allow that. Therefore I found myself stumbling through some awkward transition that I found more repulsive more that its intended meaning.

"Maybe we should… take a break for a while. You know, while… until I get things sorted out…"

You replied with some bland assent that I managed not to hear.

There was no egg blue in the sky now, and the golden clouds had lost much of their color. They looked unpolished and dull, but I didn't mind. Your words drifted to me, but I noticed something else I hadn't before. It was an inflection of disappointment; though whether it was borne of me, or in yourself, I couldn't tell. You had finally given up on me, and I would never say I blame you.

The concrete in front of us was deeply scarred and pitted. The roots of a large elm tree nearby had grown underneath and cracked it, allowing little sprigs of this or that to grow there. My body raised itself and you followed suit. Your eyes pierced me one last time with a long, searching look, before you turned away. In an instant, you were out of sight. Maybe I should have said something to you, or grasped you hand as you left, but there was no need. A sweet breeze played across my face, scented with a heavy, warm smell. The last fingers of light fell behind the skyline, and I smiled as a raised my eyes to the sky.