You stole my kiss goodnight.
Listen.
This is how it happened:
Every night I closed my eyes and dreamed of angels watching over me, knowing me, loving me, longing for that connection of humanity and holiness that only dreams can bring.
They brought tea.
They’d sit on my windowsill, gossiping, wings flapping slightly to fan their overworked brows.
“Overtime again, Zaphkiel? My, you’re looking pale.”
And so on.
The porcelain clink of their Lenox China cups was my sweet lullaby. We had an understanding, the angels and I, we had our night-time ritual. To say goodbye, as I drifted from the haze between bed and dream, one bright-eyed Seraph would touch his lips to mine in benediction.
I opened those lips and told you; I spilled out the secret of my hidden magic.
“You shouldn’t dream of angels,” you said to me. “They’ll never be real, never be able to hold you, kiss you, touch you with their long and gentle fingers.”
“They don’t have to be real,” I said. “They only have to be beautiful.”
You unclapped them then, your angel-believing hands, your dreamer’s gloves, your flesh of many colors. You unclapped them once, twice, thrice–and sure enough the angels disappeared.
Now I cannot sleep. I stay awake, pen to page, writing about the day I lost my angels, the day you stole my kiss goodnight.
Maybe if I leave the window open with some sugar on the sill…
I wait with open window, open heart, and lips sealed with Solomon’s liquid star.
A native of Philadelphia, PA, Michelle Klein brings the flavor of its ethnic neighborhoods and tree-lined streets to her fanciful tales. Her written work includes “The Secret of Gardons”, swashbuckling serial fiction, and “His Mother’s Son”, a pirate fantasy story published in the anthology Black Sails. She currently resides in the treacherous swamps of Delaware, guarded day and night by her four-year-old son, “Le Petit Pirate”.
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23 Comments »
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Beautifully written.
Amazing. This was a delight to read.
“You unclapped them then, your angel-believing hands, your dreamer’s gloves, your flesh of many colors. ”
Does this refer to a Raggedy Anne?
Sweet and dreamy. Very beautiful.
Charming stuff! (If I left sugar on my sill I’d have roaches to deal with, but this is the wonderful world of fiction…)
Very sad and very lovely.
I wanted to pick out a favorite line in this to quote… but they’re all my favorite.
Very beautiful and very sad. Thank you!
A well-meaning preacher destroyed my belief that I was talking to God, when I was a child. This story certainly resonated with me.
A soft and lovely story–a good dream, sad and haunting.
I enjoyed this very much.
Excellent piece. Good opening. Well written.
Wonderful piece. Delightfully textured and fun to read.
Excellent prose, Miss Klein.
I’d love to see more pieces from you if they’re all this good.
Very beautiful story.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Very strong opening; I was hooked from the first sentence.
I enjoyed the premise - it was fanciful enough to be interesting, yet realistic enough to be believed.
Well written!
I didn’t realize “Michelle Klein” was one of Neil Gaiman’s pen names.
Beautiful writing with great images and emotion.
Wonderfully witty, terrific tale, incredible imagery, lingering longing.
~
Great comment, Zach!
I’m always amazed by how few words it sometimes takes to write something so poignant. Beautifully done, Shelle.
It’s not easy to move people in just 200 words. Especially not me. But you did it.
Lovely work. Especially the following quote, it just sings to me…
“You unclapped them then, your angel-believing hands, your dreamer’s gloves, your flesh of many colors.”
Well done.
I’d like some more please. With tea.
Such a beautiful waking dream. I love the idea of angels sipping tea (in fine china, no less) and gossiping.
So true, about both dreams and stories.
Very well written. Each line draws you to the next…