anitos no.1: a kiss for the cresent moon

I waded through the river, naked and marveling at how its surface glistened under the sun at high noon. I smiled at the droplets bejeweling my shoulders as I splashed around. Lush mangrove forests encompassed me, cradling the sounds of my motions with the hushed tones of my surroundings. Dragonflies and bees hovered overhead. I floated on my back in intervals, my limbs outstretched to receive a sky so blue that I could taste it. My chest swelled. The world is mine, I thought to myself. 

When I grew tired and hungry, I rolled onto the linen blanket I laid near the river’s edge. I nibbled and sucked on ripe carambola, mango, banana, and mamey that I foraged while walking to the river. Satiated and sticky with sugar on my mouth and hands, I fell asleep. 

~

“Wahhhhhh…”

A distant wailing interrupted my reverie. I paused, mildly alert, to scan my surroundings and then dismissed the sound. My world appears to be unchanged.

“Aaaaaahhhhhhh…” 

The sound of the low, drawn-out moan unsettled and challenged me. I walked into the river again and submerged myself underwater for a moment as if to cleanse myself. I surrendered my body and floated along the surface, trying to focus on the feeling of being held. I deeply inhaled and exhaled. Let me have my peace. 

As I combed my fingers through the water, I felt something nudge my hand. I screamed, glimpsing a twisted arm reaching out for me as I scrambled out of the water. I blinked twice, feeling confused as a thick branch surfaced. I pulled the branch from the water to examine it, releasing a nervous chuckle. I took another deep breath and tried to reorient myself to the calm of my surroundings. I crouched at the river’s edge and cupped water over my face. 

“Waaaahhh…” The moaning in the distance returned. The mangroves around me began to tremble and release deep sobs. With shaky hands, I continued to rinse myself. 

“Who’s there?” My voice cracked as I tried to project it. The sobbing stopped in response. The mangroves began to blacken and wither, turning into ash that muddied the river. The sun and the sky seemed sanguine overhead. 

The voice in the distance droned on. The grass beneath my feet shrieked and drained of color, becoming straw. The river, becoming a dry cavity in the earth, released a strained breath. I bolted away from the river and its terrible sounds, running as far as my legs and lungs could take me. For a moment, I looked back and gasped at how dark and barren the land had become. I could no longer see the sun. 

Suddenly, my face was in the dirt. I spit and brushed myself off, noticing the thick banyan tree root beneath me. The wailing was louder than ever and appeared to be coming from behind the tree. “Aaahhhohhhh…”

I held my breath, crawling toward the sound. As I peered behind the tree, a large, white mass came into view. I dared to get closer, noticing the feathers and then recognizing the mass as a white ibis — his neck twisted and body writhing in pain. Despite being folded over his own head, the ibis attempted to spread its wings and prop itself up. We made eye contact and I started to cry. 

“Who…what did this to you?” I sobbed. As the ibis looked at me, I could clearly hear his voice in my mind.

“Why didn’t you come when I cried out?” 

“I…I didn’t know,” I stammered.

“Didn’t you notice the river? The mangrove? The grass? We are all part of one body. Even you,” the ibis said. I gasped, noticing my feet starting to shrivel beneath me.

“No, no, no, no!” I scooped the ibis into my arms, taking great care to support his head and neck as I cradled him. I caressed his curved beak. His breath became more labored and a darkness started closing in on us. I kissed the top of his head, the preciousness of his life feeling impossibly heavy in my arms. 

A dark cloak covered everything for a moment as the ibis became dust and feathers. A soft glow pierced the darkness, a crescent moon — curved like the ibis’ beak. 

I looked up and wept, becoming a puddle in the earth mirroring an insistent light.