— ‘and that means he’s going to have such a challenging life because’—
Passenging
Not really listening
Sun on my face
Semi-rural properties chugging by
— ‘and because, of course, you are as well, I thought that’—
She rabbits on for another half sentence before
Wait
Back up
‘What did you say?’
Conflux of brows
Confounded glance
That awful prickling across my skull
‘What makes you think I am?’
Lips push together
Her voice smaller now
‘Surely I’ve mentioned it before?’
My gaze slides right back out the window
‘I mean, I’ve known for years,’ she continues
Thoughts spin round, elbowing for space
No
Can’t be right
Why is she saying this?
Later, poring over the words of those so described
An alien cosmos erupts out of the reality I thought bedded down
A strange and familiar light bathes my face
And now it is my former world which seems foreign
Sera Jonas Jakob is a writer and sound artist. She draws on her experiences as a neurodivergent woman and her background in conservation science and journalism in her creative works, examining life from the hyper-personal to the universal. She especially likes to peer into uncomfortable and unspoken spaces between interpersonal exchanges, offering the perspective of a social outsider.
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