Si cor meum erat, a libro, hoc est, quomodo legere

This photo

The day itself was unremarkable
I stood near a pretty Irish girl
She remarked me without disinterest
I remarked her with innocent
But neither of us are in this photo
We remain unremarked

I see the winter sun
I remark it as beautiful
Weigh up whether to take a photo or not and decide against it
Not wanting to come off as foolish
In front of her innocence

Two girls
Their looks I found unremarkable
Pull out their phones to take a picture of the sunset when I couldn't
I see no objection
Infact a wave of unremarkable faces
Move to focus on
How the clouds are painting a masterpiece

Pinks and gold and whites darken and blend together
Like an immortal child has moved their fat fingers into the sky absentmindedly
For the adults to remark on

And this becomes the most important piece of art in the room
This moves eyes and faces in smiles or simply engagement
And I have forgotten
That I am in a gallery

The millions of pounds of work around me hold no value
To any of our unremarkable faces
In that moment the value of humanity is fleeting
And we are so grateful for the world

We are in fact
Shifted back in time unbeknownst to us
Or placed within the mortality of our own
And the skies regard us as children
Pointing our metal boxes at their finger painting

Then my humanity fleets away from me
And I am once again a 19 year old
In heels.
In fur.
White heels.
With an Afro.
A girl on my arm.
In the centre of London
And as a result

I'm remarkable