Notes from a Time Traveller by Elke Stevens

The Case of Gentleman Jack 2
From the Time Traveller

The moment the time traveller stepped out of her machine and dropped her notebook, she became briefly spellbound by the one handing it back to her. In that small and unpredictable moment, she realised her romantic soul was still alive and waiting to come out and play.

I write about fancy words, forgotten words, and their meaning, yet I have neglected the pounding in my chest and the heart’s need for uncomplicated experiences.

The soul and aura I see when I hear her laughter, the gentle buzz when she takes the time to look at me, the sensations close to bliss when she chooses to be present with me.

Somewhere along the way, my own poetry became tangled in the overthinking of words, instead of letting them flutter upon one’s tongue.

How simplicity can taste sweet on lips that have grown accustomed to the bitterness of performance.

Perhaps the heart was never searching for perfection, only for a moment of unpredictability. For laughter that arrives unexpectedly. For the luckful sweetness of a moment shared with another soul. For the human need to love and to be loved in return.

My own heart, full of romance, is aching to come out and play once more.

“Who will she paint into words next, carefully enough to truly notice her?”

©Elke T.B. Stevens, May 2026

Notes From a Time Traveller, The Case of Gentleman Jack