Whispering Peonies
written by: HilLesha O’Nan
@HilLesha
As I lay on the sterile hospital bed, I close my eyes as the red liquid pumps into my veins. The hospital has become my second home, a place where the walls are painted with the hues of uncertainty and the air hums with the melancholy of unfulfilled dreams. The curtains are slowly closing, shutting out the world beyond, but they cannot shield me from the loneliness that has become my constant companion.
Some people act like I don’t exist, their hurried footsteps echoing through the corridors as they avert their gazes, while others look at me with pity in their eyes, as if my presence is a reminder of their own mortality. I may never get to cross off my bucket list, to feel the wind on my face as I stand on a mountain peak or taste the salt in the air by the ocean, but I can close my eyes and envision in my mind’s eye that I’m anywhere but here.
My tiredness takes me to my dreams, where I can escape the confines of this hospital room and travel to places only my mind can reach. In my dreams, I can be anywhere I want to be, whispering peonies and pines swaying like drunkard sailors. These moments provide me a false sense of security, where the boundaries of my reality are blurred, and I am free to roam the landscapes of my imagination.
So, as the red liquid continues to flow through my veins, I will keep my eyes closed, embracing the world that exists within me, where the limitations of my body cannot bind my spirit. In this inner realm, I am limitless, and I can find peace amidst the chaos of my circumstances.
- Whispering Peonies - March 13, 2024
