Blogger Award and a Short Story- Saturday Morning Cafe (revisited)

I was very pleasantly surprised to visit my friend Mhairi's blog and find she's bestowed an award upon me, the Story Time Blogger Medal:

  Totally loving the Monty Python reference. Thanks so much for this Mhairi, is it any wonder I hang around?

  So I feel it's only fair to write a short story to go along with it.  But since time is so limited lately I hope you guys won't think I'm cheating if I blow the dust off the cover of this one that I wrote some time ago. Yeah, I'm a sucker for romantic relationships...

Saturday Morning Cafe 

   Danielle set the overflowing mug of latte on the table and nestled into ‘her’ comfy chair, in the corner of her favourite local cafe. She had always thought of this place as quaint, a word not used often these days but still somehow perfectly describing the atmosphere and charm it held. She had recently made a routine of coming here every Saturday morning. In actuality there was no point; she had an espresso machine in her apartment and was more than capable of making whatever she wanted. But the shop was comforting in its familiarity and besides, she reasoned, a single girl in her twenties needs to get out if she's to ever meet someone.

   Pulling the novel from her purse she rested its worn cover on the table’s edge and opened the bookmarked page, briefly allowing her eyes to sweep through the room. The cafe was surprisingly busy this time of morning. Her eyes were half-turned back to the book when she spotted him. Danielle had seen him here each Saturday around this time, which perhaps was a large reason for her continual return. Impeccably dressed in business attire, she couldn’t help but wonder what he did for a living. Executive? Salesman?

   Whatever the case, the laptop always occupied a good amount of his time. This morning as any other he was fixated on the screen, which allowed her the usual time for stolen glances. The kind accompanied by quick aversion of our eyes when the subject of our attention looks our way, should (God forbid) they ever notice our interest. Their eyes had never met yet she couldn’t help but wonder if he played the same coy game, and was as skilled as she at not being obvious. Danielle grinned, fully knowing that without this distraction she would have finished the novel long ago.

   No matter.

   She lazily sipped on the hot drink, awash in morning sun as it came around and began gently streaming through the window. This was her favourite part of the day, a chance to enjoy some quiet solitude before the reality of chores, errands and phone calls intruded.

   Only this morning was different. Because with one careless glance, one glimpse too long, this man who had remained elusive for so long looked up and met her eyes with his.

   'Oh crap!' She froze, just long enough to catch his smile before quickly turning feigned attention to her book. She was afraid to look back up, a million thoughts running through her head. ‘What did that mean? Was he even looking at me? Of course he was stupid, you’re sitting in the corner. There’s no one behind you.'

  From the corner of her eye she caught his form as he closed the laptop and rose from the table. Making his way towards her, he turned not towards the door but instead to where she was sitting, and before Danielle knew it he was before her. This couldn’t be happening. He leaned in.

   "You may not know this, but..."

   The anticipation of words to come hung in the air for an eternity. She wanted to clutch her chest, almost afraid he'd hear her heart racing. She stared into his eyes, embarassingly lost in the depth of blue gazing back at her. He moved in closer still. God he smelled good.

   Mr. Dreamy gently scooped up a tuft of foam that had dripped down the side of her mug, playfully placing it on the tip of his nose.

   “…it looks like we have something in common.”

   Big smirk.

   “Oh God.” Danielle whispered, mortified. She cupped one hand over her mouth and wiped it off, sinking into her chair. “I feel so stupid.”

   “Not at all. You look better in latte than any woman I’ve met.” He grinned; she definitely possessed a certain charm. Gesturing toward the chair across from her he placed a hand on its back. “May I?”

   The request caught her completely off-guard. “I thought you were leaving?”

  “Doesn’t seem that important anymore” he replied, resting his laptop on the table. “I’m Robert...”







photo credit: me

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, welcome to the thirty-fifth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

I'm listening...

Life's Hellos and Goodbyes

I've been thinking a lot about relationships lately, how people come and go from our lives and how many have come and gone from mine. The two things I have the hardest time dealing with are death and goodbyes and I've had to face both over the past two weeks.

  On July 30th someone I knew well at work passed away of complications from cancer. Elizabeth fought courageously for almost eight years, during this time she had her ups and downs but always tried to hide it and take the focus off herself. I loved her positivity through it all, she was a very uplifting and encouraging person. Always asked how Sandy is doing and how the cats are. Her face just lit up when she spoke about our gardens. I knew her health was declining but I didn't think she'd be gone so soon, she was in her forties and died too young.

  A few days ago another work friend of mine walked into my office. Vanessa and I have known each other for almost eight years, and as she made her way towards me I could feel she was leaving. Today was her last day, she's moving to another city over three hundred miles away and we'll probably never see each other again. I'll miss having her around, we had some good talks, but mostly I'm just happy for her. It's a new opportunity in a new city, a new chance to pursue what makes her happy. That makes it easier for me to see her go.

  Saying goodbye is never easy. I don't know if I'm growing used to seeing people come and go from my life but I'm more philosophical these days, more at peace with it all. The poem, "A Reason, A Season or a Lifetime" has helped. I've grown to realize that some people are in our lives for the length of time they're meant to be, even if why they go away when they do isn't always obvious. Sometimes it's terribly unfair and even cruel, but I believe there's a reason for these things. I have to believe it, it's what helps get me through.

  Most of you I've talked with by e-mail know I love to explore things like relationships, our desires, fears and victories...what makes us tick. I have many of these conversations and sometimes they've shown promise of developing into a trusting relationship only to fade weeks or months later. Other times they grow into very close friendships. And it makes me wonder why. Why is it so many people drift in and out of touch with us while the bond between those we met years ago continues to grow stronger?

  I know there are a million circumstances but I think it just comes down to connection and how much we need or relate to someone at any given time. Sometimes it's temporary, to help us through a situation.  But sometimes it runs a lot deeper than that and those are the people who stick around.

  Then there are those who pass through each others' lives and return when the time seems right.  A perfect example happened just today. I was having one of the most stressful days at work in recent memory when a  certain someone made an appearance out of the blue and left me this comment, " You've become like my big brother, honestly."  It made all the difference.

  Every goodbye will be met by a new hello. We just have to wait for it sometimes.




(photo credit here)

Five Quick Things About Me

• I've never had a regular cup of coffee in my life. I'll drink flavoured coffee though
• I growl sometimes when I'm frustrated. I don't mean to, gotta change that
• every time we buy a fresh loaf of bread from the bakery I have to tear into it, like a lion devouring its prey. I just can't resist, it feels good to unleash a little primal instinct sometimes.
• I could live on Eighties music
• I never found Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren, Pamela Anderson, Kim Kardashian or Angelina Jolie particularly attractive. Male stereotypes don't apply to all of us y'know.

It's Your Life

Secret Sunday

 
Ever ask yourself where the hell the time's going?  Yeah, you probably do. There's been so much to catch up on lately that I've had little time to visit everyone's blogs let alone write for my own. I've gotta change that, maybe book a couple days off.  

  In the meantime, welcome to the thirty-fourth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

  All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

I'm listening...

My Epic Long Weekend Getaway Post

  This past weekend was a long one for us in Canada with Monday being a Civic Holiday. For those of you not familiar with the term, "civic holiday" is really just a bullshit excuse for everyone to get away and get into whatever mischief they can, while the weather's still nice enough to do it.

  My sister's boyfriend's mother was celebrating her 80th (!) birthday, her family was throwing a bash and Sandy and I were invited. The party was being held about three hours North of Toronto in Owen Sound, a city of about 22,000 people. Sandy's sister and her family also live there and we decided to tie the two in together. So on Saturday morning we packed the car and off we went.

  There's a reason we never travel on long weekends: TRAFFIC. I wish I'd taken a photo of it but you probably already know what a traffic jam looks like. Take one car and put another six inches in front of it. Now multiply that by a bazillion and that's what we kept getting in the middle of. We'd be driving through miles of open country road, the wind blowing through what's left of my hair, get to the top of a hill and BAM! there it was, stretching out for as far as my eye could see. (Which as I get older is less and less).

  Mother Nature seems to have put an internal GPS in my body which calculates the exact middle point between the last rest stop and the next one. My first and thankfully only off-road pee break came in the middle of one of these traffic jams, we pulled off to the side and I was able to walk down a short hill into an overgrown area. As I was doing my business, hearing invisible critters scurrying around me, I looked up and saw this:

  I've always loved to be where I shouldn't, so I had to go back to the car and get the camera.

  Here are some more pictures of the trip along the way; we took the same route as last year and I'm posting some of those photos here since we didn't have as much time to stop.

I love horses and took the opportunity to sneak onto a farmer's property to take these.  This year we saw a couple Palaminos at another spot that I wish I had snapped some pictures of.

There's a huge windfarm along the highway that stretches for miles, it's very dramatic. I'd never seen one until this..

tiny-ass little post office (it always catches my attention)..

  Four hours later (on a trip that should have taken three) we arrived at Sandy's sister's place and had a brief chance to visit with her grandkids and daughter. Boys being boys they were rambunctious and eager to get our attention, which they did.

  We grabbed a quick lunch and after about an hour and a half we were off to the local KAO Campground to meet up with some of my family for the birthday party. My sister and her boyfriend were already set up with my nephews at the cabin, a very cozy 12' x 12' affair with two bunks and a double bed.

We sat around and talked before heading over to the party. About a hundred people were invited and by the looks of things almost everyone showed. Inside they had a huge pot luck buffet (Sandy brought a salad) with a barbeque, lots of salads, beverages, a dessert table and live music (okay, it was one guy with a guitar singing Elvis songs, but still). Since it was a family event there were several kids and they all seemed to have a good time. I took a few photos but they're on Sandy's camera and it'll be a day or so before I can download them. I really want to get this post up so this'll have to do. Sorry! 

  When we returned to the cabin we got the tent set up for the boys...

and did your typical camping stuff..

a sure sign there were women among us...

for the morning after...

"Wiggles"...

 Yeah, the other photos are on Sandy's camera. I suck. Sue me.

As dusk fell I mountain biked with my nephew into the (very dark) forest and gathered sticks to roast marshmallows.

  We awoke to a rain shower in the morning...

...which fortunately didn't last long. Then we packed the car and said goodbye to my sister and her family and headed into town to see Sandy's sister for a longer visit (but not before hitting Tim Horton's for breakfast!)

  Now, a house without two young boys is in theory pretty peaceful. Until you factor in two rabbits, two cats, two dogs and a cockatiel. By the time our visit was over I had been nuzzled and licked by just about everything around me. Not to mention witnessing an impromptu floor show of a bunny humping a dog. Apparently rabbits go more for speed than accuracy, but that's taking this post in a whole new direction.

"Rufus"...

"Scooter"...

"Jack"...

  Yeah I kinda like the little guy. Okay so maybe I wanted to take him home.  Not shown in this post: Gus the cat, Quincy the dog-humping rabbit, Louis the cockatiel and Annabee the cat. Who is as elusive as Bigfoot but my sister-in-law swears she exists. I'll have to take her word for it.

  We left mid-afternoon and had a great, traffic-jam-free drive home in gorgeous weather. It was a busy two days but it was well worth it.

Secret Sunday (late edition)

This weekend kind of got away from me. We were up North for a birthday party for my sister's boyfriend's mother, as well as visiting with my sister-in-law and her family (I'll be blogging about it soon). So here I am a day late.

Time for the thirty-third round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

And now to it...

i am..

 
 
cocky      headstrong             open-minded         bold           introverted   
         
       outgoing            restless             philosophical      devilish

       passionate       aggressive        stubborn        impatient                         

 childlike             uncertain          relentless          therapeutic

hero-complex      daring            skeptical              fantasy              

trusting      loving           CURIOUS      non-judgemental

adventurous       flirtatious     mischievous     secrets   bold    

sexual              confident            conversation         vulnerable  

 Introspective   exploration        playful         content     

contradictory        


me

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, time for round thirty-three of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

And now to it...

The Best Post I've Read in a While

 

                         "If you try to please everyone you'll end up pleasing no one."
                                                                                    ~ unknown


  I read something yesterday that reminded me of a draft I began working on then put off to the side. The post completely held my attention and has been endlessly reverberating through me for over a day, like a huge iron bell freshly struck. I decided I had to finish writing this and tell you about it because they both tie in so well.

  It was written by 'Missy' at "oh missy me.."  I first came across her, well, I don't know how long ago but it's easily been close to a year and a half. Her writing is down-to-Earth and unpretentious, as most of ours is, and always left me wanting more (although I don't usually comment I do drop by to see what's up). But as is too often the case she had also been holding back.

 I think at some point most of us feel restrained in what we can comfortably write when familiar eyes are upon us. People who don't blog usually don't seem to "get it". Why the need to write such personal things in public? Why air your dirty laundry for the world to see, aren't you embarrassed to write that? They don't realize how therapeutic blogging is. It goes so, so far beyond simply putting our thoughts and feelings down; if that were all there was to it we'd just keep a private diary or journal. For many of us though our blogs are our heart and soul laid bare, turned inside-out and in some cases ripped from our very core. We bleed words and make no apology for it because we know there are those who feel as we do and understand. There's empowerment, strength and healing in these shared experiences.

  Often those who "get us" the most are people we've never met and most likely never will. Why? Because we share no past history. They have no preconceived notion of who we were before we came along and so, there are no surprises. Still there's always something we feel we should hold back, maybe a tough time we went through in our lives that we can't share publicly with others because we'll drag loved ones into it with us. We'll never be able to express ourselves the way we want while those closest to us read our blog. I have friends and family I love dearly who may be reading this right now and what I've written is nothing personal it's just a fact, common amongst dozens of people I've met and dare I say thousands more I haven't. Yet.

  We'll also most likely never confide in our friends and family the way we do our closest blogging friends. I say this based on the countless times you, my dear readers, have said you share things with me that you wouldn't tell anyone else. I do the same. There's a certain comfort in having that computer screen between us and when we grow to trust someone over time it often feels safer than anything we might find in 'real life'. This may sound completely counter-intuitive but it's pretty much impossible to explain to those not involved.

  So back to Missy's post. I haven't featured another blogger lately and she doesn't know I'm writing this (she will soon enough!) but her post "oh eff it" was too delicious to keep from you guys, not so much because of its content specifically but its message. Here's a girl who grew balls (as she put it), found her voice and spoke out against those who would threaten to stifle her. It's a significant step in reclaiming independence and individuality and I couldn't have been any prouder of her as I read it.

  'Missy', I always enjoyed your writing. But yesterday...wow, yesterday. You totally blew the roof off this bitch and it was a beautiful thing to see. Respect.
                                                 _____________________

  While I'm at it I'd like to also give a shout-out to Charlotte at This Path of Lilly's.  She recently came out from behind her anonymous blog and has bravely pushed on while keeping all her original posts intact for all to see. I think that's pretty admirable.

  Plus she referenced my blog several times over the past week which in itself deserves a mention. Thanks Charlotte, it's a pleasure getting to know you!

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, time for the thirty-second round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.


All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

And now to it...

Footsteps (poem)

here

Footsteps



Lullabyes and midnight cries
Your tiny fingers wrapped in theirs,
Big eyes that see a perfect world
Free of fears and cares.

Playpens, cribs and plastic bibs
Mommy at your beckon call,
Constant service, daddy's nervous
Are they ready for it all?

First smile, first laugh, first words and steps
Crayons, books and blocks,
Pee-pee dance in training pants
Cupboards with child-proof locks.

Climbing trees and scraping knees
A world of endless wonder,
Ask mommy why the sky is blue
And what makes rain and thunder.

Soon grade-school books and awkward looks
Bring crushes, broken hearts and then,
A high school dance, chance for romance
And love finds you again.

Praying, hoping, back seat groping
Finally leaving home,
She wears your shirts, toothbrush on your sink,
A pillow next to your own.

Next years bring a wedding ring
And with a new heartbeat your family grows,
The love of your life about to give you another
More beautiful each day as she shows.

Find yourselves in a hospital room
Holding her hand, words loving and warm,
The pain and the tears fulfill a dream held for years
As this precious creation is born.

Lullabyes and midnight cries
Mommy at her beckon call,
Constant service and you're both nervous...

Are you ready for it all?

Great Day!

 

Today was a really good day. One of my favourite blogging friends blitzed my Facebook photos with all sorts of comments, which made my morning. A friend at work approached me to talk some more, she broke up with her boyfriend last week and wasn't looking for advice or my opinion this time, just a sounding board. I live for these conversations, they're important to me and fortunately she's doing really well. Then a work situation I had been stewing over for a couple weeks got resolved this afternoon, and I finished a poem that's been sitting unfinished in my drafts for months.

   Probably the best part is that two online friends of mine seem to have put aside their differences after having a falling-out. The three of us all know each other and it's been hard but I avoided getting involved in that situation. For a while it didn't seem they'd be able to reconcile but a serious event for one of them prompted them to make up. It's too bad it takes a serious situation for that to happen but sometimes that's how it goes.

  Anyway that's about it. It was a nice change from the stress and crappiness of Monday and Tuesday, and now we're heading into the weekend. Can't wait!

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, time for the thirty-first round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

Here's how it works:

1) This is open to anyone who wants to participate, from regular follower to casual visitor.

2) I don't plan to censor content or language. However I do reserve the right not to post anything which appears to be submitted with the sole intent of offending. I also reserve the right to include submissions that may be considered controversial. It's a fine line sometimes.

3) I'd like everyone to please refrain from negatively commenting on what someone else has written; what may seem trivial to you can be very personal to someone else.

4) If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free. You may copy the rules if you wish.

And now to it...

The Most Amazing Dream I've Ever Had

                                                            here


   When our eyelids are heavy and midnight's hush falls upon us, we never know what corners of our soul our mind will drift off to. I usually remember my dreams pretty vividly. Sometimes they're totally whacked-out (my dreams often take place in some alternate reality in which I'm the only constant and everything else is unfamiliar).  But often I'm able to read into some meaning behind them. A while ago I experienced what just might prove to be The Most Amazing Dream I've ever had.

   Follow along...

   I was in a house with some guy, we were either friends or roommates. (He's no one I know in real life). He had decided to end his life by taking handfuls of pills and for some reason was able to talk me into doing the same without much convincing. We were both very calm and matter-of-fact about the whole thing, there was no anxiety. I can promise you that I have no desire to do this and haven't had so much as even a passing thought about it. The only times I can remember feeling that low was in my late teens when I was out of school, out of work and completely unsure of what I wanted to do with my life. The other was when I was emotionally messed up after my car accident between 2008-2009.

  In my dream he must have had 8-10 different types of pills. I remember wondering what affect that combination would have, whether it would cause excruciating pain or if we'd just go to sleep. He took a bunch and swallowed, I put one or two in my mouth. I was in front of a stainless steel double kitchen sink about to swallow them when I looked out the window (I think it was either raining or overcast), and saw a beautiful girl between 18-22 outside the house looking back at me. She must have seen me take the pills. I decided then I wanted to live, leaned over the sink and let them fall from my mouth. She smiled as she looked at me and silently mouthed the words "Thank you", then walked off.

   Amazing.

   Now, most of you who know me are aware of how blogging helped me heal after my car accident and you may see the symbolism in all this.

   I believe the roommate in the dream is my past. The times I've felt despair, hopelessness, depression. Me at my weakest. My decision to give into taking the pills represents the uncertainty and doubt I felt that things would ever get better. The girl is highly symbolic. She's passion and hope, a break in the storm and represents the women in my life who inspired me to find that love for life within myself again. She's Sandy, who gave me space to feel what I felt without question and was always supportive. And she's many of you, who made me realize how much wonder I have yet to discover in life and how much I could feel towards others. She represents everything that pulled me through and in no small way, helped me keep it together.

  This moment probably endured a few seconds as it flashed through the neurons in my brain. But the memory of it may last a lifetime.

My 'Relaxing' Vacation

  

    While my American friends celebrated their country's independence today, the rest of us returned to work. This workday however, has been a day of rest for me compared to an extended weekend which proved to be somewhat of a marathon. Or a whirlwind. A marathon within a whirlwind.

   A dweam within a dweam? No, that was Princess Bride. Stay on topic.

   Right.

   Sandy was off all last week on one of her typical working vacations, spending every possible minute working in our gardens. (Okay who am I kidding. They're hers, I just get to stroll through them, smell the pretty things and lift the too-heavy stuff once in a while). I took Wednesday and Thursday off to work on our back deck, my second home as of late, finishing the sanding in preparation for staining. We stopped mid-afternoon Wednesday, cleaned up and drove an hour and a half outside town to watch my nephew graduate elementary school. The ceremony was long but pretty well done, every kid got involved and they threw in a slide show which was a bit long but entertaining. Was I really that young at their age? It seems a lifetime ago.

   Got home late.

   Thursday, sand the deck. Friday, sand the deck. Saturday, finish sanding the deck. Hey it's a pretty big structure (14' x 16') with railings and posts, so it takes a while. We stopped late Saturday, cleaned up and drove an hour outside town to visit my dad and his wife for their annual family barbeque. My sister, her kids and her boyfriend were there, my brother and his wife were there as well. We had a roast, corn-on-the-cob and potatoes which were all done on the barbeque. Caesar salad, shrimp cocktail and apple pie with whipped cream for dessert. And of course plenty of booze to wash it down. Luckily we were just finishing dinner when a nasty storm blew in. Some of us stayed out on the back deck to watch the show of wind and lightning. (God I love thunderstorms). We ended the night with a few rounds of pool.

   Got home late.

   Sunday morning I slept in until almost 9:00 (gee, lucky me). I awoke to a gorgeous clear sky, and after breakfast we sat out on the deck sipping Sandy's home-made latte. Afterwards it was back to work, where I gave the house a desperately-needed vacuuming. Is it sick I was looking forward to it? Then, back outside where Sandy and I both spent three hours applying the first coat of stain under a blazing sun. It seemed a bit of a waste at first having stripped off the old gray, weathered layer only to stain the wood gray again. But I have to admit the deck is looking great so far. Photos to come.

   Late Sunday afternoon we cleaned up. The neighbours a few doors down invited us over so we sat by the pool (didn't swim this time), shared some drinks and watermelon. I played with their dog, a very affectionate if rambunctious Doberman.

   It was a busy several days but overall a very enjoyable time. This coming Saturday we're driving an hour and a half out of town to visit my mom and her husband for their annual family barbeque. And where do you suppose we'll be on Sunday?

   Yup, working on the deck. (Edit: for those of you who have been asking, yes Sandy and I designed and built it ourselves).

Secret Sunday

Hey everyone, hope you've had a great weekend.  Time for the thirtieth round of Secret Sunday, a chance to share secrets and/or fantasies you've been keeping to yourself. Some are uplifting, some are heartbreaking and some are just plain naughty.

All are valid.

This is open to anyone who wants to participate, whether a regular follower or casual visitor. You can participate anonymously. If this is something you'd like to run on your blog please feel free to copy the rules.

And now to it...

On Paper Wings

One day perhaps
I’ll write all my secrets down
On sepia paper,
Fold them into an airplane
And set them free off the coast of Spain.
Or France.
No who am I kidding,
It would have to be Australia.

Always Australia.

My hopes, dreams and fears
Would be carried
Upon these fragile wings
Every crease a soul I’ve met,
Some buried deeper within the page
Than others.
To whomever finds it,
You’ll be in there somewhere.

Maybe I’ll write
All these secrets as a song
With no particular melody,
Just verse.
And if by chance
This song
Finds its way to you
Unfold it carefully
And sing me.