I weep for wind

and flight,

swooping on wings.

I lift my soul

circling the sun

in blink of an eye,

wrapping my feet in

hollow feathers.

Let me float over stars

and under the moon,

a fantasy of spinning,

hovering above

filmy clouds of light,

dancing in tangos

of silky breezes.

All life can be seen

when looking behind,

born to fly high

above tomorrow.

.

fluster, cluster, whisper, sigh.

a flutter of wings cutting the air, a sharp stretch of muscles that exist

mixing with the ones that should not.

new arms that rise to the sun

limbs embroidered into a different sphere. unknown matter

twisted and band into that of wings.

body straightens, arms and legs forming a line

unbearable pain shooting out of his nerves as he falls to the ground,

body lays there defenseless, shaped into a ball as the wings sing out

wanting to scream in their first moment of life

letting know of their sacred presence in the world.

they lift, move, open up

they roar

wide hands wanting to grab the universe. multiple actions, a never-ending breath of life

fluster, cluster, whisper, sigh.

those wings cover the sun, they are the shadow over his bones.

each feather dancing in the breeze

each connection of muscles and fibers building him a home.

a weight that lifts him and brings him to his knees.

an unknown power that chose this very soul, on shaky legs he stands,

finding his strength

like an angelic memory of her found him_ and brought her here.

the presence of this woman everywhere he looks

all the cells and particles of his heavy existence

speak of her

she is in him, and will guide the way

a flutter of gray feathers wakes him_ pounding of mighty wings once again cutting the air

it pulls him up, it sets him free. toes no longer feeling the ground

there is wonder in this world, magic not yet seen

the presence of her always building his wings. fluster, cluster, whisper, sigh.

________

He awoke with a start, the sudden twitch against his back jolting him from sleep. As his mind stood alert, his new muscles began to move and he let out a cry.

What's been done to me?? Crap, why did I eat from that enchanted grove!

Rushing over to a nearby pond, he quickly glanced downward and moved about, angling to see better the protrusions on his back. White, soft and glorious they extended on either side - beautiful wings, full of the promise of flight. His jaw dropped as he waved them up and down, the soft beat filling his ears with horror.

Starseeker groaned. "Bloody hell - they ride me enough as it is, now I'm a bloody pegasus, they'll never let me rest!"

Silver hair

Lined face

Youthfulness

Time has displaced

Years gone by

Children all grown

Left the nest

Off to roam

What is this time?

This newfound place?

50 years gone by

Like a blip in space

What to do?

But create

Waking up with wings

Flying into fate

Ever since I saw him the first time, I loved him. Every day from then on, I have stayed by him. I intend to remain by his side forever. But I was mortal, he was eternal. Yet, it had been that day that I had awoken to find them on my back. And for the first time, I flew.

One day, he asks me if we may fly. Together.

Of course he does. I knew that eventually, that was to be expected. We were best friends, after all. I love him, and my love makes me agree, despite the risks I know in my heart.

Above the clouds, I am free.

Perhaps I can tell him.

I carry him in my arms, silent, for a while. His are damaged, he hasn’t flown in years. I see the joy in his eyes, and I wonder why fate cursed me that day.

I begin to tell him of my feelings, but he interrupts my words. I am like a brother to him, he says.

When I do not reply, he asks what is wrong. It hurts, to know he cares about me so deeply, but will never love me as I love him.

I tell him I have made a decision.

I say I want him to fly forever.

He is confused. He starts to explain again that he cannot fly.

I look at him, tears brimming my eyes.

I know.

But I would give mine up for him.

I take the small blade from his belt.

And I cut them.

Wings are odd, they seem to possess a magic that lets them know their intended purpose.

In an instant, his wings, tattered and broken, fall away, and mine, golden and perfect, replace them.

He does not appear to understand.

In the moment before I fall, our eyes meet, but fate does not let us speak.

I hope he will understand.

I let him go.

And I plummet.

another monotonous day.

same rehearsed schedule, same tired mind.

but today

i wake up and i truly feel the wings.

midnight-colored,

the grand wings are finally inked on my back.

the red bruises stain the perimeters,

but that pain is temporary.

the wings will last, they will endure.

i’ve become too grown to weight on my shoulders,

my body continuously tense and my mind endlessly broken.

the chains have bruised me beyond recognition,

but not beyond recovery.

and i don’t think i’ll change with one tattoo.

but i am done being the unwilling servant to my pain. i am done.

now,

i can begin to fly.

My tongue was sticking to the roof of my mouth. I sat up wondering at this curious condition. The first thought that occurred to me was that I was simply dehydrated. I noticed it was still dark outside. Three- thirty A.M. shone bright red on my alarm clock as I stood up from the bed. I stretched and felt off balance as though someone was pulling me by the shoulders from behind. I flexed the muscles of my back and heard the lamp falling from my bedside table. I reached behind me and felt something like smooth leather stretched tight. I threw the light switch up and gazed in the mirror. I stifled the scream in my throat as I saw the two leathery appendages hanging from my back. I contorted myself to gain a better view and saw they were not merely attached to my skin, but now a part of my anatomy. I was, understandably alarmed, but I still could not countenance the dryness of my throat. I made my way swiftly to the kitchen and poured a glass of cold water. I drank it down greedily, but it did not produce the effect I expected. My mouth remained as dry as the Sahara. Another glass followed, then another, and third. Still, there was no change in my condition. In confused frustration I slammed the glass onto the counter causing it to shatter into pieces. Upon one of these I received a wound. Blood started to seep from the gash and I instinctively placed my mouth upon it. At last: relief! This small amount of liquid had, in part, slaked my insatiable thirst. At that moment it began to dawn on me what was happening to me. The thirst remained and I now knew of only one remedy for it. I passed out of the doorway of my house and become one with the faint shadows of the night.

I lived a young life of suffering and pain. I was too young. The pain and disease outweighed any happiness I ever had. The doctor gave me a gray ribbon. That's what he said I had. I was too young to understand what it meant or what was going to happen to me. I didn't understand anything about what the doctor said, but I heard words like, "malignant" quite frequently.

One night I wasn't feeling good at all. The pain was intense and scary. My mom cried on my bedside, and held my hand. I didn't understand what was going on. I never did. More and more people came to my room to cry beside me. I wondered why they were always so sad. I was hurting so bad, and I felt so tired. I closed my eyes to fall into a serene sleep.

The next time I woke up, I quickly realized I felt no pain. Before I sat up, I called to my mother but she never came. I sat up and I realized that I was no longer in my bed anymore. I looked behind me and I had the most beautiful pair of white wings. At the time I didn't understand where I was, but I knew that it was peaceful, and I was welcome and loved.

Sometimes here and there I still like to check up on my mom. I tell her that I am okay, and that I love her. Sometimes she doesn't get the message right away, but it comes to her eventually. I told her that I am waiting here with my wings, and someday she'll get her's too.

I turn over, deep in sleep, oblivious to the world around me. Gently, the light caresses my eyelids and I enter the realm of the living. Something feels uncomfortable. My back. Something’s wrong with it. I start at the thought of some disgusting lizard on my back and jump up, turning round and round, trying to get the thing off my back. It doesn’t work, but with every jerk, I feel a force on an unfamiliar muscle. Once I’m assured it’s not a creepy-crawly, the fear abates and sleep returns. Maybe I can deal with this tomorrow, or today, or whenever. Just sleep now. Go back to bed.

“mwhhwhhh...whhaahtt?” My best friend, woken up by my crazy jerky dance on the bed, opens half an eye, unable to form any words. I watch as her one eye opens completely in shock, and then the other. She gets up and rubs her eyes, and, quite uncharacteristically, actually manages to speak clearly at seven in the morning.

“What the hell? What the absolute hell have you done?”

“What have I done?”

“You oblivious idiot. Look at your back."

I turn to look. Two magnificent white wings sprawl out over the covers, the delicate feathers in sharp contrast with the black sheets. I get out of bed, stretch my arms and back, and crack my neck.

“Ouch. Don’t do that” Sasha is looking at me with wide, fearful eyes.

“What?”

“The cracking. Also, the complete and creepy silence on discovering you have two fucking wings.” She emphasises the curse word.

My shoulder blades are now painfully sore, and I try to rest my wings on the bed. They seem to have muscles, but ones I can’t seem to command. I pick them up with my hands, but the soft feathers slip out of my tenuous grip. No surprise, given that I’m trying to reach behind my back. I finally sit down on the bed. Sasha is still staring. I get the sense that I need to react to this new body part that I seem to have acquired, but I don’t panicked. I feel strangely calm. I am sure this is just a new weird biological development, and my dad will be able to take care of it. That’s what doctors do, after all.

“Are you fucking serious? You’re just going to sit there? You just got wings! Fucking wings. Say something.”

“I like them.” I voice, softly, and in that moment, I realize that yes, indeed, I do like them a lot. The muscles are limp and out of my control, but there is still a little sensation in them. The feathers, silken and even, range from my shoulder blades to the V-shaped tip of each wing. I do like them.

“Well duh. But what are you going to do? And how did this happen? And what will we tell everyone else?” Reality starts to sink in with every word of hers. I wake up suddenly, uncourteously wrenched from my peaceful state. My mind brims with questions, my heart with fear, and I realize what this might mean.

I catch Sasha’s eye. She seems to be thinking the same thing. We both stare at each other.

“I have wings.” I say, and we burst out laughing. “I have wings. Wings.”

“Yes, wings.”

“Wings.”

“Wings. I know.”

“That is at once the coolest and most dramatic thing that will ever happen to me.” I feel calm again. No, Not calm, I’m delirious, and strangely complete. I don’t think of the future, but only of the present.

We sit on the bed. Saying nothing, both in our own thoughts. Wondering how we can possibly explain to her parents how I miraculously gained wings at our sleepover.

Then Sasha’s eyes go wide, her mouth hangs open and she tilts her head back. She seems to be rendered speechless, but nevertheless in extreme pain. I rush over to her side, awkwardly balanced because of the two new appendages. Her fists are clenched, long nails digging into skin. I try to hold her, but there is an energy around her that burns my fingertips. I watch in horror as, just where her shoulder blades seem to meet, a darkness grows and assembles, slowly becoming bigger and splitting into two. It convulses, currents of black move and assemble into a clear and familiar shape.

Her wings are exactly like mine. But jet black.

She doubles over, panting, for a moment. I whisper softly to her, telling her it’s okay, it’s over. She then looks up, and into my eyes. She is pained no longer, but her eyes send a clear message.

We both know it’s not over. And we can both feel the trouble brewing.

Yawning I woke up from a very deep sleep. I raised up blinking my eyes trying to focus on what is around me. All I could see what white light all around me. I put my hands on my knees to raise my body up. I was covered in a very silky fabric laying loosely around my body. I felt a tickle on the back of my arm. I turned to see the most beautiful pure white wings. I couldn't believe my eyes. Are these attached to me? My first thought was how do they work? Then they opened and closed by themselves. It was then I realized I controlled them with my mind. I stood up, the air around me felt light. All at once I was falling. I knew I was going to die. Then I remembered my wings. Fly I screamed out of fear. My Wings started moving with the wind. I was slowly and gracefully going through the air giving my wings direction with my mind. Up ahead I saw beautiful sparkly colors. As I got closer it was a land. A land full of beauty. I landed in this beautiful land. Vibrant colors everywhere. A beautiful lady greeted me and welcomed me to the land of far away.

That's when I remembered. I was sitting at my window last night before bed. I saw a glorious shooting star. I closed my eyes and made a wish from my heart. My wish was to go to a land far away.