Shouldn't…but Do

Sitting in the bathtub, legs drawn up, hands on my feet.  Naked.

Not to worry, it is dim naked, I am inclined to candlelight when alone.

Watching the water go down the drain, wondering why I am all drawn up.  No expansion.

The candle flickers, I could be a million different people sitting in this receding pool of warmth.  Stark.

Of any age, we all get here.  Some never notice, some dwell in it – unvarnished, unadorned humanity.  Flesh, toes, hair – every single one of us –  a collaborative effort between electrical impulse and tissue with a will to live.

Making our way, in a million different places.  Memories, half-sung songs, painful reverie, laughter, crushing disappointment, no thought at all…another flicker, the candle is out, the water has fled down the drain.

The  scent of extinguished candles always reminds me of birthday cakes.