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It doesn’t all begin right here
How many things forgotten are saved in the top dresser drawer
Six moods experienced since late last night
All the ways to get from there to here
Pictures of full moons that I never took
Forests of trees that have been made into books
Random memories still around from elementary school
And dinner I don’t recall from several days ago
News constantly breaking that I don’t even know
Which obviously never matters to the actual facts
Feeling okay at the same time that I’m not
A morning paper that only occasionally arrives
Ageless illusions that shiver and fade like a carnival game
Favorite songs that change more often than socks
Walking just far enough to still make it back
Ecstatic energized laughter of a teenage girl on a road trip with her best girlfriends
The last gulp of water that leaves nothing but ice cubes
The way a singer’s voice breaks just right
Irony that gets missed so often it’s not
Sinking under the weight of waiting so awfully long
Noticing when bitter cold gets described as being “not terribly warm”
Savoring the flavor in our most favorite bites
Wishing for something that can’t possibly happen
That ubiquitous mug that holds so many cast-off pencils and pens
The unidentifiable sounds a house makes all by itself
Unquestionable adoration from a dog that would equally betray
Returning again and again for the same unexpected surprise
Thinking about ice cream ten times more often than actually eating it
Working the program with old school cool aplomb
Dancing when nobody is watching because that’s so much more authentic
Wishing it would rain so you didn’t have to go
Going anyway and having a better time than we ever imagined
Counting the ways until you forget what you’re counting
Looking at what’s right in front of us and recognizing the genuine still-life portrait we can see
The color of the sky during the minutes both darkness and light are visible
Asking the right question knowing full well the answer is all wrong
Arriving on time at the last chance saloon
Patiently listening even though they are talking too loud
Writing down each thought just as fast as it comes
Then breathing deep into that moment of falling fast into a restful night’s sleep
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