HeartInk
“O, break, my heart! poor bankrupt, break at once!
To prison, eyes, ne'er look on liberty!
Vile earth, to earth resign; end motion here;
And thou and Romeo press one heavy bier!”
Osaka Shizuku fell to her knees, curled down, near crying, diving too deep into the mood. The applause startled her and she jumped to her feet, staring at the sable haired woman approaching the stage.
“Oh...Professor Kurosawa.”
The Professor waved away the name, “That never sounds right, call me Nico.”
Shizuku stayed silent.
“That sounds performance ready. But we’re working on “Trouble In Mind” this quarter.” Crimson eyes pinned the uncomfortable Shizuku to the spot.
“I played Juliet in high school.”
“Ah, returning to a past triumph to work something out. Theater play is a valuable tool. Nico does it everyday.” Nico leaned on the stage, watching the freshman. “Worried about something?”
Shizuku shrugged, “Frustrated. Shakespeare expressed feelings so clearly and I just…”
“Can’t find your own words?”
Shizuku nodded, “I wonder if there’s anything in me that hasn’t been written.” A sigh, “Or if there’s anything original in here” Shizuku covered her heart, “I haven’t read.”
Nico fidgeted with a pair of simple but exquisite rings on the third finger of her left hand, “I have some experience with someone who…” Nico closed her eyes, a soft smile on her lips, “expresses her feelings uniquely.”
“But I’m not even sure they’re my feelings. Am I just acting?”
“Everyone has doubts. Even Shakespeare.” And Nico stepped back and spoke gently, but the power of her voice carried, “O, therefore, love, be of thyself so wary/As I, not for myself, but for thee will.”
“What play?”
“A sonnet.”
“Oh.”
Nico spun on her heel, heading back up the aisle, “It’s good to worry, but don’t overthink. Trust your own feelings. And lock up when you’re done.”
Shizuko sat on the edge of the stage. Sonnets. Maybe there was a guide written here, in Shakespeare’s heart ink.