My Blue Moon, by Priyanka Patel

Reflection in Blue, by Eva Bonnier (Sweden) 1887

​My Blue Moon
​
I placed two drops of laudanum tincture under her tongue, the first dose of the day. Her cloudy eyes dipped slowly into the dark sunken circles of her moonface. Her hand slipped down to the side of the bed and rested at ease there. I observed the green and blue hues of her veins under her paper-thin skin, the way I do each and every day. The clear plastic tube jutting out of her fragile wrists irritated me, though I could never pinpoint why. 

The white lace curtains fluttered gently as the crisp Nordic air calmly settled into the room. I got lost in thought, just for a moment, of how much I missed my long locks getting tangled in the wind. It was then I caught a glimpse of how things used to be. How I used to pull on her wildly thick mane yet she always remained poised as she offered her loving arms to me. “Yes darling, I am here.” she’d say. 

A familiar tune awoke me from my reverie. Just outside the window, a cardinal perched on the bare weeping willow tree singing his morning melodies. I felt my glazed eyes blink, then blink again in awe of how truly red his red feathers appeared before me. I fluttered my lips and let my breath dissipate, turning my gaze towards her once more. 

Her chest rose up and down beneath the sheets gallantly, her fingers shifted now and then. 

Priyanka Patel

Priya currently resides in Queens, New York where she was born and raised.  The first book she ever owned was a Merriam-Webster dictionary gifted by her father. Since then, she has been intrigued by the power of words and illustrations. She enjoys writing poetry and prose inspired by nature, impromptu travel escapades, and seemingly ordinary days of life. She shares her writing with Woodside Writers group, a literary forum.