Moments Before
by Zaidaan Shibuya
by Cris Bruch
I walk in the footsteps of those that came before me. But the land is different now. The rolling hills flattened, the mountains melting, the streets straight and narrow. Now we only see what’s right in front of us, not the realm of possibilities that open wide like the sky above.
Have you seen the mouth of Heaven open on a cloudy day? That shining abyss that seems so inviting, yet unattainable?
These days that’s what it feels like – this Life. I wish that the Sun could reach through what clouds my mind and lift me to its great height. Swallow me in its warm and gentle embrace and let me dance through the soft and billowing clouds. Get some distance. A new perspective. On life. And living.
I feel stuck in this sphere of Seattle – South Lake Union – this city. Where the stadiums and skyscrapers cast their immense shadows, and the 12th Man and Amazon reign supreme.
That same Sun that beckons me, shines on so many places beyond this city. It is not contained in this fast-paced, liberal, weed-infested bubble.
I wish I could run to the mountains – find solace in their snow-caps and hide in their hills. I see them every day, stretched out on either side of my urban cell. They, too, call for a higher purpose – a different perspective.
They coat the coast in their glistening glory. An image of perfection. Peace. Solitude. Strength.
That’s what I need most in the hustle and bustle of this ever-moving, ever-changing city.
The Seattle I once knew is gone. It has been transformed into a tech-haven, a corporate castle. A breeze has blown through the construction-covered streets, wisping all the unwanteds away.
They can stay on the outskirts. We will reinvent this city. Come in carrying our orange-and-white umbrellas, proudly presenting our blue badges. Paint the city with our crisp, clean, colors – separated segments of the Old Center.
The one I knew. The one with a purple, paint-spattered elevator and a multi-cultural mural hanging above it all. The one where children ran and danced, crawling in concrete caves and fighting over the prevailing flash of light. So much color. So vibrant and alive. The New Center is gray. Dead. Gone.
But in my mind’s eye I envision that golden, sparkling circle. Like the Sun. The one with the beautiful horses bobbing up and down, like the clouds in the crystal sky. The one I would point at, tugging at my parents’ sleeves to stand in line and proudly hand over my ticket. I would run to find my favorite one and happily hop upon it.
These days were filled with wonder and adventure. A sensory experience I seem to have lost along the way.
Except when I see the Sun stretch its beams through the incessant Seattle storm clouds and emerge, bright and victorious. It never ceases to amaze me.
This piece is inspired by the photos above.
