Sundrenched Elsewhere

Sunlight. Blinding sunlight. Sunlight so vivid, I cannot distinguish the stop light colors. Is it the red of immobility or the green of motion? So brilliant is this sunlight, that there are no colors, only washed out forms which necessitate squinting in order to understand. The sheen of windshield dirt awakens and dances in a vibrant blaze of white so white it’s black with blindness. The red interior of the car glows with warmth. It grows warmer and warmer, suffocating us- the driver and the passenger.

The sunlight blinds us. It forces us to rely not on our eyes, but our memories. We must recall at exactly where what obstacle falls on our path homeward. A mistake in memory, and we risk smashing to a halt. A correct memory and we continue into the sundrenched path.

I can smell you sunlight. You smell of a hot car, of brown dill, of fresh basil, of Nature’s Gate Shampoo. Underneath, you smell of exhaust, of fast food, of yuppie flowerbeds. Your smells are those of everyday life, but heightened by your heat. You diminish sight, and leave smell times two in its place.

You blind us, but we find our way. You attempt to trick us, but memories tell us you lie about your sundrenched elsewhere.