Bowbie

a movie about
being beside
a frequency
just soft enough
to remind the world
how to listen

—

camera opens on a path —
dirt
leaves
light moving slowly through trees

two beings walk side-by-side

not matching pace
just together

one is quieter than the world
not fragile
tuned

the other learns
without effort
to soften their breath

no one asks:
who are you
what do you do
what do you offer

those questions
never appear in the script

instead:

a pause while tying a boot
the sound of water
heard before it’s seen
shared silence
that isn’t empty

that’s it
that’s the scene

the world keeps happening
cars pass somewhere far away
time continues its business

but inside the frame
nothing is demanded

the softer soul leans into things
wind
smell of bark
earth underfoot

the other doesn’t protect them from it
doesn’t manage it
just walks close enough
that meandering feels safe

they sit on a log

light shifts
one notices
the other doesn’t comment

that is love in this movie

not devotion
not sacrifice
only presence
without agenda

the ending isn’t an ending

they stand
they continue

the camera lingers
after they’ve moved out of frame

the path remains

audience members leave the theater
strangely calm
a little quieter

some can’t explain why
some cry
without sadness

the reviews say things like:
nothing happens
and somehow everything does

and that’s the point