I am free from all things. Inner and outer needs, free.
With tragic encumbrances in tow, Theo always exuded incandescent innocence—a buoyant freighter dragging an infinite and soulful anchor. He was prone to speaking out loud while traveling solo or with others. Always wearing loafers, he had sworn off laces and tying knots years ago.
Sun, please explode, he said in my presence one day, a cloudless day. I was snowflake white and brittle, and he was ruddy and at ease. I surmised he had washed all the blood from his bleached hands in a free-flowing creek, and with it, his life had purely resurrected.
He smiled and pointed skyward.
It doesn’t look like rain, does it?
I sheltered my eyes from the forecast, and the sky shuddered.
Only a free man could demand the end of the world and smile.