STARS IN THE HIBISCUS IN YOUR HAIR by Michael Forbus TONIGHT MY DIVINE LOVE, YOU HAD OILED YOUR HAIR WITH COCONUT EXTRACT AND YOU SMELLED LIKE THE WILD JUNGLES OF BORNEO. THE MOOD WAS A QUARTER IN A TEN CENT PUEBLO. WE WERE SLIGHTLY UNSTEADY FROM THE LONG BOAT RIDE TO THE ISLAND OF STARS ON EARTH. I TUCKED THE MAGIC HIBISCUS BEHIND YOUR EAR AND WE DANCED TO AN INVISIBLE BAND OF MARIACHI AND THE SILENCE OF THEIR MUSIC WAS DEAFENING. YOU HELD ME AS IT I WOULD RUN, TIGHT, SO TIGHT I COULD NOT TAKE A DEEP BREATH, BUT BREATH I COULD NOT DO, NOT WITH YOUR ARMS CAPTURING ME OR STANDING ALONE IN A SHAFT OF LIGHT. WE HEARD MUSIC IN OUR VERY SOULS. AS THE SONG BECAME SYNCHRONIZED, SO DID OUR DANCE. THAT IS WHEN THE STARS FELL TO THE EARTH AND FELL IN YOUR HAIR AND ALL ABOUT YOUR MYSTIC HIBISCUS. THE SMELL OF THE COCONUT OIL WAS INTOXICATING AND I BEGAN TO BE COVERED WITH TINY STARS AND EACH WARMED ME IN THE CHILLY NIGHT. A BEAM OF LIGHT THIN AS A THREAD CONNECTED OUR HEARTS AND IT BEGAN TO CONDUCT A LIGHT AND A CURRENT THAT FUSED YOU TO ME. AND THEN IT WRAPPED US IN A CACOON WITH STARS. WE WERE A STARRY CLOTH OF MYSTIC AND WE SWAYED TO THE MUSIC OF ACOUSTIC WOOD FROM THE BOLO AND A MILLION STRINGS THAT TOOK US TO ANOTHER PLACE WHERE THE FEAR LIVED AND WE STAYED FOR A SECOND AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS UP TO US TO STAY AS LONG AS WE WISHED. WE FLEW BACK TO WHERE OUR HEARTS OF FIRE AND STARS AND MOONBEAMS CARRIED US TO THE SECRET PLACE. THE PLACE WHERE THE SONGS WERE SILENT AND INWARD, THE SMELLS PERMEATE OUR SOULS, THE WORDS WERE UNDERSTOOD AND UNSPOKEN AND WE WERE ALWAYS WRAPPED IN THE WARMTH OF STARS AND THE HIBISCUS, THE MYSTIC HIBISCUS ALWAYS SHONE FROM BEHIND THE EAR THAT ALWAYS RESPONDED TO MY KISSES LIKE THEY WERE ELECTRIC. MY FRIENDS, THIS IS NO STORY, NO FICTION, IT HAS HAPPENED AND I HAVE NEVER VENTURED FURTHER. copyright by Michael Forbus Paintography and photography by Michael Forbus