The smell of coffee wakes you, and, bleary-eyed, you rise from bed. Looking
out of the opened window, you see that there is no longer snow on the ground.
As you slip on a soft bathrobe, you hear cars passing outside. As you walk to
the kitchen, carpet tickles the soles of your feet. You peel and eat an
orange. Within each section, the individual tubes of orange pop apart in your
mouth...and you smile and smile...Now, time elapses...
It's a warm summer mid day. The taste of lemonade lingers in your mouth. The
lawn chair you lay in gently presses horizontal streaks across your body. You
are immersed in the scent of the freshly-cut grass. In the distance, there are
three small children playing with squirt guns. Every so often, you hear them
shrieking with glee. And now you hear your lover whispering close to your ear,
but you only notice the tingling on your ear from the warmth of their
breath...Yet again, time elapses...
You swallow a mouthful of fresh baked bread, leaving your mouth dry and warm.
A pleasant autumn evening has descended. It's warm, but a cool wind sweeps
across your face, bringing you the scent of burning leaves. In the distance,
you hear the roar of a passing train. You are dazzled by the sight of the
twilight: Oranges, Reds, Purples, Blues fading into the blackness of night.
And once more, time elapses...
Outside, a snowstorm howls against the night, but you can barely hear it over
the crackling fire as you sit in an easy chair. You wear no shoes or socks,
and the fire warms your toes. A sharp cheddar cheese melts in your mouth as
you sit, breathing happily, with your eyes closed.
---Noah Schaffer"Intermission: Riddle of the Sphinx" IS COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL AND MAY NOT BE DOWNLOADED, TRANSMITTED, PRINTED OR PERFORMED WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR
"Intermission: Riddle of the Sphinx" debuted October 27, 2000, performed by Noah Schaffer.
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