she was bred in the summer, during the solstice; the longest
day, the hottest day. she entered the world sunburnt, with a
peeling nose and flaking scalp.
and she had never once felt the cold, burning was the default
and scolding was the peak. thermometers always broke; glass
in her mouth, spirits on her tongue. sometimes it hurt, and
always it was exhausting.
even in the snow, stripped bare, her skin was flushed - red
as an english rose, freckled and bright - she shone with
perspiration; sweat trailing into the dip of her mouth, the
taste bitter like acidic rain. the surface of her cheek
streaked with evaporated tears.
When she cries, the room becomes oppressive - her very own
amazonia, right in the heart of manáos - and I am
left, stuck on the bed as i wait for the the rain to stop
choking me with its humidity. She apologises so much, always
with such sincerity, it leaves my throat sealed and my mouth
parched like uluru during mai wiyaringkupai.
she laughs though, often and always, and these days are best.
the room becomes clear, bright with a pleasant heat - a
picture perfect postcard. i love her laugh, it is brash and
unapologetic and it makes me feel the sun; this is gravely
important, as i have never felt the heart of summer, just as
she has never felt the cold embrace of winter.
i hold her hand, and it is so hot in comparison to my own, i
swear i see steam emerge from the spaces between our fingers.
She smiles wide and her lip cracks down the middle, as dry as
paranal. i want to kiss her. i really do.
i bet she tastes like the solstice; the longest day, the
hottest day.