226
chilling
There's never sunlight on that door, only a cold, still shade.
choreography
A ballerina soars across a corrugated roof.
dodging
I can see in his expression when he knows he's gone too far, but decides to keep going anyway. He forces himself to enjoy his own rudeness, his own petty cruelty, because the alternative is to be flooded with shame.
picturesque
Oval windows frame the reflection of trees and purple flowers.
reboot
Flopping facedown on the couch: Endurance and patience have been mostly depleted - time to recharge.
uneasiness
Is laughter always a fear response? I think laughter and fear are closely linked. Even when we don't think we're laughing in relief or in nervousness, the jokes we laugh at tap into our anxieties about ourselves. We laugh at things we might become or misfortunes we narrowly avoided. We laugh in acceptance of something odd that might have been dangerous, but is merely strange and possibly wonderful.
whispery
Flower-bearing trees rustling against fire escapes.
227
brushing
He runs his hand up and down his face, as if clearing away cobwebs from his eyes.
demitasse
The smell of sweat and coffee beans. Tinny music seeping out of headphones.
disregard
I am, once again, short on compassion for myself.
immobility
He defines a happy marriage as one that hasn't ended in divorce, not seeming to realize that people may spend a lifetime together in varying states of indifference and hostility.
metro
The air quivering, a dim light in the tunnel brightening, then the racket as the train enters the subway station.
purply
Last light of day slanting onto an empty purple vase.
undisturbed
He is calm and diplomatic. Even when listening to an unreasonable request, he has the look of someone contemplating rare wisdom.
