Sunday, May 02, 2010

The Opposite of Twilight


Shards of sunlight filter through the sweetly fragranced orange jasmine before powering through the flyscreened window, creating a living mural on the wall behind the bed. I love this time of the morning.

One of those in-between times when the dawn chorus has settled and before the sporadic cacophony of cicadas assaults the ear. It's the opposite of twilight, golden and lackadaisical.

He's sleeping there, almost naked swathed in little more than a classic fold of Egyptian cotton. I have a fetish for fine linen and he perfectly decorates my blank canvas, nestled closely between the crumples in relaxed carelessness.

He remains oblivious to my presence as I stare at his perfect form and wonder at thi perfect creation. A right arm folded at the elbow, his open hand invisible behind his head, lost amid a mass of cherubim curls. I love that silken, creamy skin on his smooth inner arm and trace the triangular form without touching, just close enough to imagine the macro of tiny hairs which sensually rise and fall through static emanating from my fingertip. I pause momentarily at his hairline and gently flick an errant curl from his brow. I should cut his hair, it's just a little too long but so soft, so lustrous, so tactile as it frames his sleeping face.

His right arm is lazily posed across a tanned and hairless chest that rises and falls with the whisper of the breeze and the slightly agitated rhythm of REM sleep. I love his hands, small and clean and manicured with so much unrealised potential in their dormant state.

I adore this time with him, this early morning glimmering glow of a time when he sleeps. Despite the hour it's balmy and tiny beads of perspiration form beneath his lower lashes perhaps owing to some nocturnal spice and this the only evidence of pre-slumber heat.

I move a little closer and can feel his warmth. I breathe in the musk of his beautiful skin. I prop myself up, hand on head, fingers opened and covered in dark cascading curls. I call it ‘bedhead’ but he doesn’t care. He never judges my looks. He is comfortable with my body, adores my breasts and my nakedness is barely noticed. He doesn’t object to morning breath or notice my changing shape. I am his life, he depends on me and I love his dependence. Everyone wants to be needed. He loves me truly, innocently and unconditionally. He's openly emotional and I with him. I wipe his tears and heal his wounds, he holds me close and rewards me with heart-wrenching smiles and sweet kisses. For now, we are inextricably entwined physically and emotionally.


I blow a zephyr kiss gently towards his pursed and sleeping lips until he twitches but he doesn’t wake. He'll rise soon enough and this halcyon moment will be lost. He'll fracture the calm with chatter and demands and the gossamer threads of this momentary serenity will break loose.

I draw imaginary along the line of his perfect eyebrows and trace his aquiline nose. I delicately colour his closed lids with invisible hue and draw a tender bow across his Cupid lips. I finger his perfect shell-like ears, squeezing lightly at the lobe . . enough to make him stir. He wakes sleepily and smiles . . . I profer a soft and quiet kiss and tickle his bare chest.


The opposite of twilight is now over, my baby boy is roused, the peace is interrupted. Gone now is that moment of moments, the day begins and he is no longer the subject of a mother's gaze, no longer quiet and cherub-like, asleep between the sheets.


Another hack attempt at the 10th Daughter of Memory. For far more competent and this time round, more 'sensual' efforts, go visit. They're good . .go on . . . they're really good!

32 comments:

Brian Miller said...

hmmm...nice twist, thought this was going somewhere else...smiles. i too have stood in the doorway to measure my sons with my gaze...

JeffScape said...

That's really, really good.

Another "I told you so" seems to be in order, but I shall refrain...

Subby said...

Nice work, especially on the sounds :)

Gledwood said...

... I know this is going off on a slight tangent ... but what does the dawn chorus actually sound like in Sydney? Is it like here, like 10,000 canaries chirping their heads off? Or is it more jungle noises with whoops and jug-jug-jugs?
When I was younger we got a video (it was long before the internet came out) from my cousins in Sydney ~ and the bird noises in their back garden were AMAZING... nothing like 10,000 canaries, more like something from the Deep Amazon...

xxx said...

I like this :)

I love to watch my child sleeping...
one of my favourite memories is of when he was a baby sleeping in my arms. I used to find it difficult to put him to bed.

love to you
hope the sun is shining for your weekend

x Robyn

Megan said...

Aw, that was lovely!

Ronda Laveen said...

Wonderfully written, Baino. I can feel the love so strong. That picture is fantastic.

Anonymous said...

I use "opposite of something" phrase very rarely. No, I am not joking. I usually use "counter-...." or "anti-...", but I speak in Hungarian in 95% of my life 4% is English and 1% is Spanish.

Such stories are not really for me.

lettuce said...

its so powerful isn't it, that link we feel to our children's bodies?
this is just lovely, beautifully written and the photo is exquisite

i beati said...

pretty darn special there lady thanks for the kind words yesterday . I needed them .sandy

Mim said...

Lovely images here - right away I knew it was your baby...just something about the tone. It's also like the calm before the storm with sleeping babies - and lovely to enjoy the peace.

Tom said...

ha ha. that was sweet. very good.

Leah said...

Beautiful. So relatable.

Janice said...

Beautiful. As I read, so enjoying your word choices and combinations, I kept thinking...lover or child?...lover or child?

Yodood said...

This reminds me of a wonderful movie of nothing but hi res sharp focus closeups of human flesh with its peach fuzz, folds, nooks and protuberances. After a long enough exposure to such sensuality the camera backed off to reveal a room full of naked infants crawling around on the floor. Talk about a pediphobia outbreak in an audience who daren't look up — but couldn't stop themselves from checking the level of everyone's chagrin. It was quite a revealing experience about both sensuality and civilizations stigmata in the mund, as are these comments. Beautifully done.

tut-tut said...

You should start to publish, Baino!

laughingwolf said...

very well done, baino...

reminds me of when my three were that tiny *sigh*

Baino said...

Ha! Well I probably engineered it to sound al little more seductive than the reality.

Thanks Jeff. High praise coming from you!

The sounds? Ah have you noticed that the birds stop and there’s this awesome silence just for a tiny while until the bugs crank it up Subby?

Gleds, mostly a combination of canaries and squawking parrots. Very noisy! Depends where you live I guess but when I’m talking to people on Skype they always notice the birds so I guess they’re pretty loud

They still look beautiful don’t they Robyn?

Thanks Megan, I thought after my last effort I should get in touch with my feminine side!

Rhonda that actually is my bed. I tweaked the light a bit but yep, they’re my sheets!

Each to his own Ropi. It’s a nice challenge to write in slightly different styles. You stick to numbers and I’ll work with words and pictures!

Lettuce it is. Although unlike the story, my motto was always ‘never wake a sleeping baby’!

Perhaps it’s mothers that recognised the maternal quality Mim?

Excellent Tom. I was worried everyone might think me a bit blokey after the last effort.

Yep definitely a mum’s tale Leah although I’d probably do the same to a man!

That’s what I was attempting Janice so clearly it worked.

Yodood, there’s also a viral email going around which shows the cleft of an elbow . .looks like something entirely different! I guess your audience weren’t to know until the children were revealed!

Oh no Toots. Nowhere near it. Trust me there are more writers out there than you can poke a stick at. I had to choose the topic this month so only fair that I have a bash at it.

Seems so long ago doesn’t it Wuffa? Then on the other hand, just yesterday.

Michael said...

now, i was not expecting that ending! Beauty is everywhere.

Kath Lockett said...

Is it just me, or does everyone else feel like lighting up a cigarette right about now?

Bimbimbie said...

Lovely captured moment and I particularly love the face within your sheets propped against the pillow*!*

laughingwolf said...

exactly, baino...

even after they turn 60, we're still the parent ;)

Anonymous said...

Really loved this - Well done you :0)

tony said...

Beautifully Written & Observed.An Unbreakable Bond.

Anonymous said...

Nice one Baino. You have a way with words.

Rowe said...

Beautiful, Helen. A joy to read. Mummy bliss.

Mike said...

I always love your pictures, but you can REALLY write! That was so descriptive and misleading. I was riveted!

Harnett-Hargrove said...

Well writ, nice imagery. -J

nick said...

Beautifully described. You have such a sharp eye for all those poignant little details. And a neat twist at the end.

Susan at Stony River said...

What a perfect summer morning - I loved that!

Unspoken said...

A lovely and tender piece.

moondustwriter said...

Can watch a child sleep for hours.
Beautifully done appropriate for Mothers Day