Part I

By Emmanuel Messele

Out the window in my room is an alley

The alley occupies space between two mirror image brick walls

On most days I can catch the streaks of sunlight that wander into this space

Like adolescents who had made a wrong turn

The only other source of outside light comes from the hallway lights on the opposite building

The weak trickle of light on the side of the building is swallowed by the dark body of concrete below

When it gets late, only the fuzzy red light from the Exit sign quivers its fingers down the dark walls

Dark like how it would feel to be free deep in the ocean

My mind wanders down that hall

It’s 2 AM

It’s 4 AM

And I should return to my dorm

To the soft lights that oscillate between cloudy purples

And natures green

Its almost morning time

I’m fixating on new walls that are felt;

Not seen

Walls that are memorized

And never constructed

I know that when I finally fall asleep

I’ll paint these walls a feeling

With colors culminating

Like deep ocean blue;

freeing