Fields

She walks through Earth's whiskers along a clumsy path as if she's wandering. Almost drifting, she browses the trees, swaying conveniently with the wind. The tall rough grasses bow out of her way, and she thanks them with her light step.

Everyday I see her there. She maintains her route as if her footsteps create the refrain to her favorite song. As she stops to watch the far off road, the wind carries the song to her lover. And after a few moments, the gentle smile on her face reveals he's sent one back. Though I often try, I cannot hear what it is she hears.

(from January 1, 2009)

?

(A story from 2006. Not sure what to think of it now...what does it mean?)

Little did he know, he left the light on in the kitchen. He thought he had flicked it off this morning...but he didn't. I guess it was ok.

"Be sure to turn the light off in the kitchen," she had said. She was a reasonable woman with few requests. But she had a thing about turning off the kitchen light when they left the room. It was ok to leave the bedroom light on for the evening if they were watching tv in the den or even to leave the bathroom light on as a nightlight. But just turn the light off in the kitchen.

He came home to an empty house. She wouldn't know...so he thought. He turned off the light, his breathing pausing slightly. He didn't mean to forget this morning....it just happened. Just like the day happened.

"By the way," she said, "did you take out the trash today?"

"Yes," he said, with a glance her way.

"Ok," she sighed.

She had forgotten his dry cleaning. He reminded her about it this morning. I guess she just forgot. He didn't bring it up so neither did she.

They played a game of checkers while sipping wine. They always listened to Johnny Cash when they played checkers. Sometimes he let her win, and sometimes she let him win.

She knew about the light, and he knew about the dry cleaning.

They kissed goodnight.

In the morning, she flicked the kitchen light off before she left, and he left early to pick up his dry cleaning.

Little did they know.