I can picture myself barefoot on a beach, in the middle of summer, with a glass of champagne in my hand. My hair’s down, my dress is strapless, and I’m twirling.
It’s a clear night, the moon’s huge in the sky, and there are white Christmas lights and tiki torches all around. People are mingling on white couches, others sitting by the water, and laughter fills the air.
This song is playing in the background… And starting tonight, Life’s gonna be the sweetest its ever been.
Because this is all I’ve ever known.
“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars.”
-Jack Kerouac
In case the thought of her voice ever crossed your mind.
{The following are highlights from an article by Tonya Reiman, titled, “The Human Voice - Pitch.”}
“The human voice is a magical tool. It can be used to identify those we know and love…and it can help in the recognition of emotions.”
“Almost like a fingerprint, one’s voice is unique and can act as an identifier.”
“The voice tends to change, sliding up and down the pitch scale, as we express different emotions, thoughts and feelings.”
“Pitch is not solely an objective component of voice; research has shown that pitch is associated with attractiveness amongst men and women.”
“Studies done by Collins & Missing and Feinberg et al discovered that men deemed women with higher pitched voices more attractive. This may be because higher pitched voices are associated with youth and fertility in women.”
“It seems voice pitch, an arbitrary characteristic, can certainly have important impacts on human sexual preference and mating, as well as what we find attractive in the opposite sex. The pitch of our voices is created through vibrations of the vocal folds. The rate at which these folds vibrate changes the way our voices sound, with faster rates equating higher pitches.”
“The pitch of one’s voice can help in unconsciously divulging feelings and emotions.”
Tickled by the thought of looking back, and seeing you.
I’m going to fall in Love every day, starting yesterday.
People wait lifetimes…entire eternities, to experience Love (even if only remotely). The problem is that Love always shows up unannounced, faceless, and on it’s own clock. By the time it lands on our doorstep, we will have already indulged in its mutated substitutes.
And who has time for that? Who has energy for that?
Dear Love,
I don’t have either.
Love,
Melissa
Instead, I’m going to fall in Love every day. I want to wake up every morning knowing that I’m going to feel something so beautiful, so powerful. And I want it to be mine.
I want to fall in Love with the family I’ve been blessed with. I want to fall in Love with the beauty of color. I want to fall in Love with the faces of strangers. I want to fall in Love with the capabilities of my body. I want to fall in Love with my city. I want to fall in Love with the abilities of the senses. I want to fall in Love with music. I want to fall in Love with Passion. I want to fall in Love with the changing seasons. I want to fall in Love with food. I want to fall in Love with the power of words. I want to fall in Love with the mood of the weather. I want to fall in Love with the human mind. I want to fall in Love with Nature. I want to fall in Love with the melodies of different languages. I want to fall in Love with the experiencing of emotions. I want to fall in Love with art…with creativity….with my hands. I want to fall in Love with the gift of friendship. I want to fall in Love with my roots. I want to fall in Love with the thought of my Future. I want to fall in Love with learning. I want to fall in Love with my talents. I want to fall in Love with laughing. I want to fall in Love with dancing. I want to fall in Love with the little things…with simple pleasures.
And one day, I want to fall in Love with my best friend.
I want to laugh at least once a day, for the rest of my days. And I want every laugh to count.
Been up all night, staring at you…wondering what’s on your mind.
I’ve been this way with so many before, but this feels like the first time.
You want the sunrise to go back to bed…I want to make you laugh.Mess up my bed with me.
Kick off the covers, I’m waiting.
Every word you say I think, I should write down.
Don’t want to forget come daylight.Happy to lay here, just happy to be here
I’m happy to know you.Play me a song, your newest one.
Please leave your taste on my tongue.Paperweight…on my back. Cover me like a blanket.
I crave what I already have; simple things…the pure good stuff. My thoughts drift into corners of comfort and pleasure; places where there’s only ‘safe’ and ‘soft,’ and everything just feels right. I like things this way. I like things weightless.
Spiked senses. My unsatisfied hunger for warm shades, hats, and knits. For a forest to get lost in, dipped in Indian tones of reds, oranges, and golds. Air so crisp it numbs the lips just before they go to speak, and suddenly, silence. Draped in peace and hushed by the wind, frozen in a moment…I’m standing still.
The Earth prepares itself for dreaming; that long game of Hide and Seek that lasts through winter. But I don’t fancy that fixed idea of bullshit. Look closer, focus harder; there’s more alive than dead. Untamed energy. The body breaking loose, claiming more freedom than summer’s ever allowed. Doors locked shut…only sounds.
Under a shared plaid blanket, sipping hot cocoa, to the flipping of photographs. We don’t have any together yet, but I’m not bothered. There’s no reason to stop the moment this time…this time, there’s life to be lived.
Not About Love (Unreleased), Fiona Apple ft. Jon Brion, Extraordinary Machine
South Africa and Sigur Rós…find me a more perfect combination of beauty. The emotions this evokes are so powerful…pride at its prettiest.
And May Hoppípolla forever be the background music to my life.
A short film by Christian Letruria.
