GLOW

We saw you glow when you were born, your mother then glowed too. And when you breathed your first breath swirled up in a haze, then dissipated, little specks of sunlight in the air, unseen but still there. The midwives and doctors, at your sight their eyes lit up and at your cry their ears shined and the smallest part of their minds was set aflame forever. You put little iridescent hand prints into the cloth around you and slept against your mother, the two of you a shimmering bundle of light.

You don’t know how many people you made shine, even then; eyes, ears, hands, faces of smiling family, strangers and friends, all a little lighter in your presence.

The luminous nappies needed changing, the shining babygrows grew too small, the radiant toys got lost, now there’s a thousand flickers in the landfill, like embers in ash.

Your first steps are burned into the living room carpet, now outshone by every other footprint you made; a mat of light across your first home’s floors, still there long after you’ve moved on. The glowing steps burst from the house and trace winding paths through your home town, desire lines like filament. There’s nowhere brighter than here.

But there are pockets of sunshine further out; your school, university, that first job you didn’t like, the first place that you made home, everywhere you’ve touched is bright. There’s light too on the far side of the planet, where you once rested your head against the street corner wall and watched a little of the world pass by.

You wouldn’t remember every mark you’ve made and many think they don’t remember you, but then a stranger passes by, a little faded flame at their temple. In others, the light burns brighter, some glow from head to toe and those people, the people that you made, their touch now glows too.

They all came back to say goodbye. The room shone brighter than the sun.

The grass now glows above you; the trees nearby have a touch more sun. And across the world, no matter where you go is every breath you ever made.

Tilt your head. The air sparkles.

ANAX