7I lie here now, luxuriating in the tender embrace of the woman I love. It has been a glorious summer day, possibly the best day of my life.
I woke early this morning, gently brought out of my deep dreamless sleep by the slow but constant brightening of the dawn sky, and by the confident song of birds eager to enjoy the day.
As I bathed I thought of her, looking forward longingly to stroking her long dark hair, to caressing the smooth pale skin of her smiling face, to kissing her full lips, to staring deep into the pools of her eyes, behind which lay a country waiting to be discovered and explored.
With a light, but quickly beating heart, I walked slowly through the countryside, approaching our rendezvous, gradually taking in all that life could offer on that most perfect of mornings. The smell of freshly cut grass was enveloping the other senses, with the birdsong fading into the background. The sun, approaching its zenith, was embracing me with its warmth. I heard nearby the excited flow of water dancing over time worn stones. I looked towards the sound, to see diamonds of reflected sunlight glinting off the mirrored surface of the water. From out of the shadows of overhanging trees I caught a glimpse of a kingfisher diving for one of the multitude of small fish lazily swimming beneath the surface.
There wasn't another soul visible that morning on my route, or perhaps I just didn't notice them. I rounded a corner where a tall hedgerow marked the end of an emerald green field. A wide vista opened in front of me, my eyes drawn to the subject of my affections, silhouetted against the bright blue sky. She was leaning against the trunk of a majestic oak tree, using its shade to keep her cool while she fanned herself with leaves from a fallen branch.
When she turned and saw me, her face lit up with a smile that melted my heart. I rushed to greet her with a passionate kiss, which she returned with equal vigour.
We walked together hand in hand for hours. We talked constantly of everything and anything, enjoying the sound of each other's voices, laughing at the other's jokes, sharing sad stories of our pasts. We stopped often to kiss, sometimes to share berries we found growing by our path, occasionally just to rest together quietly.
By evening we had found our way to the coast, approaching a wide sandy beach, where the waves were gently lapping at the shore, the ocean beyond lit a shimmering gold by the setting sun to the east. We settled down together near the top of a dune while the colour of the sun's disc changed from yellow, through shades of orange and red to a deep scarlet just before it dipped below the horizon. Silver ribbons of cloud adorned the sky.
As darkness fell we lay back, undressed each other and were consumed by our passion. For a long while afterwards we stared at the night sky, watching Venus, who had been looking on with quiet satisfaction, follow the sun on its journey to the next dawn.
I lie here now, luxuriating in the tender embrace of the woman I love, each body pressed firmly towards the other, fingers interlocking, hands linked in the darkness, so close we had become one.
And as I sink beneath the waves for the last time, the final memories of my brief life flash before me. Despite my exhaustion I find enough energy to lift my arms towards the surface, hands stretched in the dark, waving a last goodbye to a cruel world.
A/N - the title is a line from 'A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers' by Van der Graaf Generator - British Prog Rockers. The title came first for this story, I was determined to use it!