Visiting Rights (Poetry)

It started with a noise
a low throbbing rumble that drew her to
the kitchen’s tree-facing window
and there almost touching the top
of the nearest silver birch
like a decoration
purposefully hung
a bright light twinkled

It seemed to have a small tail
making the dot into a comma
giving the darkness some punctuation
a brief pause for emphasis

The noise changed tone very subtly
and seemed able to enter her head
it had patterns that repeated
became music with a story
soon she realised it was her story
she listened entranced

Closing her eyes she let the music
take her travelling
up and through the swirling silver
pin-dotted stars ...
out of our galaxy and across space
the parting nothingness
that was somehow familiar
back back back
to the very beginning
of all she had ever imagined
or might have once known

A deep coldness pierced her body
and spread itself
her flesh felt like crystal
with flashes of thought
zinging between brain and heart
almost painful but ecstatic

Pictures came flickering through
jerky as old movies
the colours bleeding
washing in and out of shape
and tall slender figures
with strange faces but welcoming
the touch of hands on skin
unreservedly tender

Time paused ... stilled itself
for a moment or millennia
there was no way she could tell
no way of measuring the gap
between sensations — mind and matter
bounced their atoms where nobody watched
or cared to count

Perception dulled — sound faded
the window closed — shut out the night
where a shadow sped away
up the staircase to the stars
her ghost already planning its escape
the tap dripping ...
every china cup and plate resigned
to someday crack or chip