PERCEPTION When i walk out into the world, there is an emptiness, a loneliness, a silence. It is something that i have never experienced before. I feel a piercing sadness, because a piece of my life, of who I am, no longer exists. That part of my life is gone from this world forever. It is reality in its coldest, rawest form, it is permanence. When I breath, I am accutely aware of the texture, the temperature, the smell. The sounds that i hear are somehow more prominent, more pronounced, more alive. The sound of the wind, or snow crunching beneath my feet, cars in the distance, all seem to grasp my conciousness, as if somehow they all have a meaning. My thoughts drift to things that I was once convinced I knew, only to find, that where confidence once flourished, only questions now remain. Self reflection and awareness are somehow more significant now, than in all the days that have past. In essence, the finality of death, somehow enhances every aspect of what it means to truly be alive. ETM III 2-12-13