You know this space,
Right there, right between shoulder and ear,
Just big enough for you to rest your head at night.
This is where you seek shelter,
From your nightmares and your demons. You have buried your dreams there and your hopes. It’s where the things left unsaid are waiting for us,
Waiting to arrive somewhere,
Anywhere.
It’s where we are coming up for air
Before we drown in the depths of our own being again.
Right there,
Right in that space is where memories lie awake:
Mountains that you climbed
and rivers that you crossed
You have walked for miles and miles,
Through deserts,
Through forests and through valleys.
This is the space where you and I stretch
out into a future leading nowhere.
Music stops,
Melodies linger,
As we share
A smile,
A tear,
A hug,
Silence.
This is where I am lying in your hands –
The hands that hold my body and soul;
the space where we have our leftover thoughts from Tuesday night for dinner
As ghosts of the past are sitting down at our table.
It’s where we are ready to be crushed,
Where we become nothing and everything,
Where we read between the lines
And fall from the sky
Only to land on our feet again.
It’s where you are holding me as the sun slowly rises
before we start another day
It’s the space,
Just big enough to be ourselves.
About the Author
My name is Laura Lodahl. I’m from Germany and have written audio plays for a local radio channel when I was studying in Leipzig. I’ve been taking part in poetry open mics in Germany and Scotland but prefer to contribute to an online platform.
I have always been writing, mainly about identity, belonging and mental health and have finished the Advanced Creative Writing module at the Open Uni this year.I write poetry and short stories in English and German, and I’m particularly interested in life writing. For the last years, I have travelled and lived in Europe and a lot of my writing has been inspired by people who I have met and places I have seen. You can find me on Instagram.
Off the Record 