On Experimenting with Form

When he awoke, he saw the dark.

It comforted him.

Down we go

Down we go

The stars go out

The clouds part

We do not know

We do not know

Like those of his race, he could not see in the dark, and though this often frightens them, he was different. In the dark, his world was smaller.

Simpler.

Safe

I'm safe

Yes?

Yes

What is

Is it

Safe

I'm safe

No?

No

There is

Is nothing

Nothing was coming.

Nothing was going.

Not that he could see anyway.

Some would say this led to a greater need for concern.

But not he.

If he couldn't see it.

It didn't exist.

At some point, he started walking. He could usually see the ground, but not always.

My shadow walks beside me

below me

my shadow walks

and I walk beside my shadow

He sets his foot on mine

and I walk not on the ground

I walk on my shadow

Foot

followed

foot.

He had discovered long ago that walking was nothing more than an exercise in controlled falling. So when there was no more ground, he kept moving his feet. He was neither aware, nor did he care.

He walked.

And then he was moving forward again.

A voice

somewhere

said

he's crazy

whisper

sounds

like whisper

the sounds of whispers

whisper

sounds

the whisper of sounds

They didn't understand.

Neither did he, but

they tried.

He hummed,

and it was haunting,

and the voices murmured

slowly

louder