i lay on my back on the couch and looked up at the sky. elicia sat at the table eating a pancake of girth. we talked and i watched the sky. the sun was setting behind our apartment building lighting the tips of the branches on the cherry trees with golden light. the sky faded from deeper blue down to washed out blue tinged with orange. high above a seagull flew towards the sun. it's underparts were bright gold. i wanted to paint it. i noticed the tiny beads of condensation on the half-water bottle sitting on the window ledge. i watched the sky, talking quietly with elicia, until the rays were gone from the last leaf and the sky was darkening into gray.

it's been a bitter sweet day.