by Jasmine Irving
Photography: Taylor Young on Unsplash
Night time whispers darkness into the room.
She lies in bed staring at the ceiling,
shadow figures dance across it
music starts to play an unnerving tune
buried memories take their place
bursting cruelly into the centre
and acting out to the beat of the snare.
She tries to scream at them to stop but
closed lips hide the voice stuck in her throat
as she lies paralysed by fear, until
she begins to move, slowly at first,
circling her hands and swaying her toes
rolling onto her belly and beginning to stretch
mouth wide, face fierce, clawing her way out
as her arms peel off layers of clothes
throwing shame into a chaotic heap on the floor.
She finds the way to her feet
her movement staggered at first then
slowly it becomes more daring, more fluid
until she leaps onto the ceiling upside down
fearlessly claiming her place among the shadows
twisting, turning and delighting in a body
that finally feels like home.
After the crescendo, she collapses joyously
onto the quilt, whispering “I’m free”
over and over again as she places one hand
over her heart and drifts into peaceful slumber.
Jasmine Irving
Jasmine is a writer from Newcastle Upon Tyne. She is passionate about travel, sustainability and social action. A decade-long yoga student and recently graduated yoga instructor, she loves to share this practice that originated in ancient India. Previous writing has been published in Mslexia magazine, The Huffington Post, Positive News Blog, YOGI TIMES & The Journal. She also runs her own travel blog called Coeliac on the Road.
