ra
This is going on my body rather soon. Alabama has slowed my soul, I'm breathing deep and not gasping for air anymore. The green is seeping into me. I've been barefoot for days, soaking in the red clay and black soil.

And the three of us, we giggled. And pranced around the pool in anticipation. The air was damp and a little misty. We flip the flood light off, and the moon glowed through the mess of clouds weakly. One, two, three.

Pull the dress over my head, unsnap the bra and fling it aside. Toss under wear aside and stand breathless.
One, twoJUMP.
We're in, cold rush between my toes and around my body. Skinny dipping, seventh grade seems fresh again. Floating, bare bottoms up, we can't stop laughing or treading.

I can hear the crickets, and the frogs. They're singing about us. The lake isn't too far away. Just down the path and off the dock. I run and they follow and we're alive in the noises of the night. Splashing into the green hued lake, feeling fish nibble our leg hairs and the mud sink in around our toes.

The night was endless, so was our youth. We curled up in towels on the dock, remembering first kisses and unrequited love. Fell asleep in the endless night, woken by the everlasting sun. Warming my freckles and their tans. Hot shower, hotter coffee. Eggs sunny side up and fresh faces with bare lashes, callousing clay stained toes bare from shoes for today and tomorrow and that's forever as far as I'm concerned.

Breathe in sun, breathe out honey suckle sweet breath. I'm alive I'm alive I'm alive.
Time enough to sleep and even dream. Days long enough to wake up early and go to bed late. I forget about clocks ticking and deadlines and green paper hurting hearts. We're all alive here, feeling the fury of our youth. Twenty years full of foolishness and unhinged joy. Here, I'm not all grown up, and I'm here forever, or at least until tomorrow. But that's forever.