The Meaning of Life........(mine anyway)

I have been a member of the social network site, "Eons", for over a year now. I have made a lot of friends, joined a few groups, written over two hundred blogs and, most importantly, I have learned a lot. My online friends and acquaintances have generously shared their wisdom with me, either on purpose, or accidentally.

In that time, I have learned of the dangers inherent in “female upset”, the pleasures of jelly beans, the joy of hearing the sounds of nature, the pain of trying to find love again, and the most important lesson in my life, so far. In "talking" to a friend, quite accidentally, she shared the Meaning of Life with me. Well, at least the Meaning of My Life:

All a real woman needs is the right Tool…..

I had my first Tool several years ago. It was a necessity: I had a screw loose and needed to fix it. I needed a Tool. I went online to one of “those sites” and did my research. Found out what size would be best for me, how much power I needed, and whether or not it needed batteries.

With this important information grasped firmly in my trembling hand, I drove to “that store”. As I looked around, somewhat embarrassed to even be there, a salesman walked up and asked: “may I help you?” I turned beet red!!

Now, I happen to know a good salesman: he knows how to make his customers feel important and how to determine what they are looking for, and how to get the right part for the right job. He makes the world a better place, one part at a time!

This salesman was NOT that salesman! This one just looked at me blankly and said: “that Tool is too big for you, you need this little one.” But I didn’t want the little tool, I wanted the Big Tool. As he was talking, and rolling his eyes, I glanced next to him and saw exactly what I wanted on the shelf. “Thank you!” I said as he walked off in a huff.

Tool in hand, I headed victoriously to the check-out. I was so excited that I couldn’t drive fast enough to get home and fix that loose screw! Naturally, I had to wait for the batteries to charge but, it was worth it! When my wait was over, I used my Tool to fix my loose screw!

I have purchased several Tools since then. Now that I know how to use them, I just can’t get enough! Sometimes I make up excuses to use them. And, when I do use them, it is never disappointing! I am, however, longing for another Tool. It is the one I cannot live without yet, here I am, living without it.

I first saw the Tool awhile back. I was helping Frazier put up crown molding in my living room. I don’t know what Frazier’s first name is, I just call him Frazier. He has a problem with his eyes: one is looking up and out while the other is looking sort of straight ahead. I never know when we are looking “eye-to-eye.”

We were both standing on ladders; he was nailing the crown molding into the wall, and I was about 8 feet away, holding the other end. He looked at me; I’m not sure but, I think we were looking eye-to-eye. He saw the desire in my eyes; he grinned. “Would you like to use my Tool?” “Yes!” I fairly shouted back at him.

Gently, he placed the Tool in my hand. It was heavy but, it felt good to hold it! He moved his ladder closer so he could show me how to hold it just right and press the trigger. Chnk! Chnk again! And again, and again! I was in heaven!

“Whoa! Slow down, little lady! That’s too close together!” he said. But it was no use: I was unstoppable! I had found My Tool and I was gonna use it! And use it! I was trying to think of other things that needed to be nailed……..anything……..anything at all! Just please, please don’t make me give up My Tool, okay??

Well, he did make me stop, and, when he left, he took My Tool with him. And the cute little “baby” air compressor that ran it. I was heartbroken! I finally found my True Love, and lost it, all in one day! It didn’t matter that I didn’t have anything else to nail; all I could think about was how good it felt to hold it!

I know what you’re thinking: either this woman is incredibly naïve, or she knows how to use a double entendre! Let me give you a hint: I hang out with the Toe, ya know!

A woman and her Tool,

It’s a beautiful sight.

Think I’ll hang out

With my Tool tonight.

We’ll screw something together

Or maybe, take it apart.

Or saw it in a thousand pieces,

That would surely warm my heart!

But as I use these Tools

And have my evening fun,

I know they’re just a substitute

For my beloved Nail Gun!

Someday I will have my Tool,

You know, the Real One,

He and I will nail away,

And have a lot of fun!

Why??

They come to me at inopportune times,

Taunting me with their quickness and light.

Swirling about in my head so easily,

I try to remember them, with all my might.

And when I finally find a better time,

A time to remember them and contemplate,

They have flitted right out of my head,

Always in a hurry, never willing to wait.

And so, I sit here, empty-headed

Not knowing what clever thing to say.

Why, Oh Why, dear enlightened words,

Did you have to jump up and go away?

Sometimes I Get Introspective........

There are two forms of solitude:

One is loneliness, an unfortunate state,

And aloneness, which is chosen.

Loneliness leads to isolation and despair

Aloneness provides a time for repair.

Making choices that preserve my sense of self

Is not the same as being abandoned by another.

Sometimes abandonment is accidental

And my someone did not want to leave.

Other times, it is done with a purpose

Either way, it causes me to grieve.

Is it harder to grieve the loss of someone

Who did not want to go away?

Or is the pain more palpable when

The other is still living and just decided to stray?

Can the difference between the types

Of solitude be measured or judged?

Can aloneness provide comfort

That loneliness can’t?

Is there any joy to be had in finding out

That the choice to abandon me was calculated

To cause maximum grief on my part?

There is no joy in loneliness but

There can be great joy in mastering aloneness.

Learning to be comfortable with myself;

Leisurely learning what makes me tick.

Testing my strength and endurance

By placing me in the thick of it.

Having the time, in my aloneness,

To come to the realization:

I know who I am, I know where I’m going

And I know what it is that I want.

In my aloneness, through introspection

Deep in my heart of hearts,

I find that the Whole of me,

Is greater than my Parts.

And when I am in this place,

Looking carefully at my needs,

Sometimes I see that the Sum of me

Is made up of good deeds.

I Cannot Help But Wonder Why???

I met a little guy, 5 years old, in my travels as a home health nurse. 

He was dirty, and skinny, and had no shoes. When he smiled, his front teeth were all metal. But when he smiled, his eyes sparkled, and I had to return the smile. He lives with his grandpa who is confined to a wheelchair. The little guy is grandpa's caregiver. He was fascinated with my nursing bag and wanted to see everything in it. I wanted to give him something, so I gave him my tape measure. You would think I had given him a winning lottery ticket! He hugged me for an eternity. 

I couldn't stop thinking about him today; and I derived no comfort from knowing that my own grandchildren live comfortably. I wrote this for that little guy.

Is there some plausible reason why

If God made us all the same,

Some people live in abject poverty

And others vacation in Spain?

Why are children born with birth defects

And heart-breaking anomalies?

Why, in the world’s richest nation

Are there so many poor families?

Prenatal care, post partum checks

Well-baby clinics and education

Why can’t this be a reality

In the world’s richest nation?

Preventative medicine, annual check-ups

Should be a routine part of health care.

Keep people well and functional

And keep them off of welfare.

Children in Appalachia

Just want to learn to read.

Their parents never learned

Too many mouths to feed.

Children in Mississippi

Just want a place to live.

Charities look for volunteers

With building skills to give.

Children wandering darkened streets,

Their parents gone, or unknown

Their fondest hope, and greatest wish

Is to find a warm and loving home.

Children who fear going home

To torture and abuse

Children living a silent tragedy

From perpetrators on the loose.

Is this just an isolated problem

Magnified by Media sensation?

Or is this a horrific travesty

In the world’s richest nation?

We have to look at these problems

The depth, and breadth, and scope

For these children are our future

These children are our hope.

Sunrise, Sunset….

Wherever you roam, wherever you be

Please come Home and spend sunset with me.

The day is long and filled with chores,

Working all day and shopping in stores.

Buying the food and fixing the meal,

I cook, you wash dishes, that’s the deal.

And finally, when the day is done

And we’re slipping fast, just like the sun

We’ll sit together on our couch, at last,

Talking quietly about the day that has passed.

The talking dies as the miracle starts….

Breathtaking red sky warms our hearts.

Together as the sun dips at last into the sea,

My hand in yours, your arm around me.

We’ve weathered together another long day,

And ended it, always, in just the same way.

Watching the sunset, regardless of the weather,

When we are once more together, always together.

And tomorrow is another day...

Life Goes In A Circular Fashion

I came into this world, conceived in love, and welcomed by adoring parents. I grew up in love and then fell in love, and the circle of life continued. I often wonder what my purpose is on this earth: I give to others of the abundant love that was given to me. I rejoice in the sunshine and smell the flowers along the way.

Where am I going? What is it that I am supposed to be doing?

Sometimes, I think I know; most times, I know I do not. I do believe that it is not the destination that matters: it is the journey. I have had an interesting journey, perhaps an enviable journey.

I have suffered with others, and I have learned and grown as a person. I believe that it is not the triumphs that make us better people, it is the tragedies……I have learned a lot from my own successes; I have learned much, much more from my failures. I have learned to accept compliments and, more importantly, I have learned to deal with disappointments.

I am still learning……..

Life goes on in circular fashion, each morning wakes anew
With sun and clouds and crisp air, grass covered with dew.

I wake in anticipation of the day’s unfolding possibilities,
Yesterday, today and tomorrow have many similarities

Yet each is an entity unto itself and different from the rest
Each day brings new challenges, and surprises, at best

To keep us ever delighted with the dawning of the new day
And help us see what joy we bring, to each other, I pray.

High noon brings the golden rays of the sun overhead
Warming me, or bringing the rain clouds instead.

The day is half over, half spent and half left to go
How will I get from here to there, I really do not know.

Looking both ways, before I cross the street at midday
Morning is gone; afternoon is here, heading toward the evening way.

Assessing quickly the day’s events, what have I left to do?
Oh yes, I will hurry home, and spend some time with you!

And as the sun sets slowly, off in the western sky
Someone new is born, and someone else must die.

And the circle of life remains unbroken, from birth to death again
And none of us knows where, and none of us knows when

Our circle will be completed, and our journey will be over
May mine end in sunshine, lying peacefully in the clover.

On the wings of alabaster angels, whose company I keep
May I be taken gently, to my everlasting sleep.

Choices...

Each day, when I wake up,
I make a conscious choice:
Hide myself in silence
Or bravely find my voice.

Go out and do the work
That I’ve been trained to do?
Or take another direction
And leave the work for you.

It isn’t always easy
Or even a lot of fun
But I know I feel better
When my work is done.

I’m really nobody special
I’m just another nurse.
Sometimes I care for the sick,
And sometimes, I write verse.

Life is not all good
And life is not all bad
I just try to make each day
The best one I’ve ever had.

Am I just an idiot?
Too dumb to see my Fate?
Or is my Happy Heart,
A very lucky trait?

Whatever life’s meaning,
No matter what the reason,
I’ll deal with things head-on
Each in its due season.

Please don’t think ‘cause I’m smiling
That I don’t know the score.
I know how anger and grief feel,
I just like Happy more!

Forward!

Forward! Moving slowly, moving surely
Heading toward the future, you and I
Healing, revealing, ourselves to each other
Always truthfully, never with a lie.

Questions occurring daily, hourly
Answers appearing, but not as quickly.
Minds full of questions, never answers
Words reveal themselves to us thickly.

Who are we, what are we doing
How did we get to this place?
Is there something that will be revealed?
Or is it as plain as the nose on my face?

Why do things happen the way that they do
Why are tears shed over the littlest things?
Who can decide what is important?
Who knows what tomorrow brings?

Why would we travel this unknown road
Heading toward who knows what
If we didn’t have some sense of peace
That at the end is what we sought?

Do we need an explanation
For every misplaced turn?
Is there a need to understand
Every lesson that is learned?

Can we just accept our fate
And bravely move on ahead?
Trusting that the eventual outcome
Will not be something to dread?

Are we confident enough in our sight
To know that we truly cannot see
Just what is around every turn
And what will happen eventually?

Do we have enough trust in each other
And enough faith in what will be
That we can walk hand in hand
Toward the future, you and me?

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 11

Finally, Seth thought, I get to buy this woman some dinner!
Wait! She has been through hell today, is tonight the right time?
Table for two please, in the corner where nobody can see her poor face!
Seth pondered his dilemma, holding her as close as he dared.

They walked silently from the emergency room toward the corner.
Rrrrrrring! A new, irritating sound broke the sweet silence:
“Hello? Hi mom! How’s Sarah? She is? Tell her I miss her, too!”
There goes tonight! Seth could feel his anger building.

How selfish! Was his next thought. She could have died today!
She has suffered through a traumatic experience
That left an indelible imprint on her sweet face.
How could he expect her to go out to dinner tonight?

“It was my mom” Annie shared. “Sarah is going to spend the night
With her cousins. She wanted to say ‘good night’ to me.”
She was smiling at him. He felt his face flush and a smile appeared.
“So, dinner then?” He heard himself ask her pleadingly.

“Oh yes! I’m starving” Seth realized he was starving too.
“Where would you like to go?” He wanted her to choose.
“Could we go down by the lake?” What a good idea!
Just you and me, some food, and a front row seat by Lake Merritt.

They found a deli, purchased a simple meal and a bottle of wine,
And headed toward the lake. “Bench for two” Seth thought out loud.
Balmy evening, beautiful woman, and finally, a chance to get to know her.
Life is good! Seth smiled at her and kissed her cheek ever so gently.


posted 8 months ago, updated 12 minutes later
(This chapter wrote itself this afternoon...there may be more)

Finally, Seth thought, I get to buy this woman some dinner!
Wait! She has been through hell today, is tonight the right time?
Table for two please, in the corner where nobody can see her poor face!
Seth pondered his dilemma, holding her as close as he dared.

They walked silently from the emergency room toward the corner.
Rrrrrrring! A new, irritating sound broke the sweet silence:
“Hello? Hi mom! How’s Sarah? She is? Tell her I miss her, too!”
There goes tonight! Seth could feel his anger building.

How selfish! Was his next thought. She could have died today!
She has suffered through a traumatic experience
That left an indelible imprint on her sweet face.
How could he expect her to go out to dinner tonight?

“It was my mom” Annie shared. “Sarah is going to spend the night
With her cousins. She wanted to say ‘good night’ to me.”
She was smiling at him. He felt his face flush and a smile appeared.
“So, dinner then?” He heard himself ask her pleadingly.

“Oh yes! I’m starving” Seth realized he was starving too.
“Where would you like to go?” He wanted her to choose.
“Could we go down by the lake?” What a good idea!
Just you and me, some food, and a front row seat by Lake Merritt.

They found a deli, purchased a simple meal and a bottle of wine,
And headed toward the lake. “Bench for two” Seth thought out loud.
Balmy evening, beautiful woman, and finally, a chance to get to know her.
Life is good! Seth smiled at her and kissed her cheek ever so gently.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 10

Rushed out of the bookstore to the waiting ambulance,
Seth only catches a glimpse of Annie as she goes by.
Eyes closed, face battered and bruised, he can’t decide:
Should he cry for her, or go upstairs and kill the man who did this to her?

The crisis worker is conferring with the police captain.
Mr. Langston, the policewoman holding little Sarah, and Seth are ordered out of the bookstore.
As he looks around the street outside, Seth can see that the SWAT team is in place.
This is surely the strangest—and worst—day of my life.

Minutes turn to hours, the stand-off continues.
Sarah has been taken to her grandmother.
Mr. Langston and Seth decide to go to the hospital.
Annie is okay.

She looks up at him: the bruising has not diminished the beauty of her eyes.
She smiles at Seth and says “hi”, a casual, friendly “hi”
Not the kind you would expect after a day like today.
Seth is amazed: Annie is okay. Annie is okay. He says it over and over.

The standoff has ended.
Russ surrendered peacefully.
No shots fired, no further injuries sustained.
The only evidence of the day’s events is on Annie’s face.

Russ is taken to a mental facility
Where he will be placed back on medications
For his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
He will receive the help he needs for the pain he suffers.

Annie is ready to be released from the emergency room.
Mr. Langston offers her a ride home.
Then he notices that Annie’s eyes are locked on Seth’s
And his on hers. Bookish man says his good byes and leaves.

“Do you think we can talk now?” Seth asks with a smile.
Her smile answers his and she replies: “yes”.
Arm in arm, they walk out of the ER and into the balmy evening.
“How about some coffee?” “You owe me dinner” she responds with a laugh.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 9

He raced across that same street, again.
Only this time with more urgency than ever before.
Mr. Langston was waiting for him at the door.
There was an ambulance, and a fire engine in the street.

“What happened?” Seth heard himself ask.
“Nothing, yet” was the guarded answer.
Bookish man told him that Annie’s ex had showed up
At the bookstore this morning.

“He was demanding to see Sarah, and threatening Annie”
The terror in his voice transferred instantly to Seth.
“Where is Annie now?” Seth was terrified.
“He’s holding her hostage, upstairs”

Nothing in his life had prepared Seth for this scenario.
He hardly knew Annie and his worst fear was that he never would.
“Who is Sarah?” he asked bookish man.
“She is their daughter. She is four.”

Seth rushed in, only to be stopped by a policeman.
A crisis worker is attempting to talk to Russ, Annie’s ex husband.
“Russ, we just want to help you. Let Annie go so we can talk.”
No answer. Seth could hear his heart beat.

A policewoman is holding a small child. A little girl with reddish hair.
And her mommy’s sparkling blue eyes. She is looking at him.
He is keenly aware that, before this is all over, she may be an orphan.
He has never felt so helpless in his whole life.

The crisis worker pleads again: “let her go, man, let’s talk”
Seth hears a sickening thud, oh God, is Annie all right?
He cannot breathe. His eyes are watering. Why is this happening?
Annie staggers down the stairs and collapses in a firefighter’s arms.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 8

When the books were all inventoried, and the boxes broken down,
There was nothing left for him to do but leave.
He looked at her one last time; she was filing the paperwork
And she looked beautiful to him.

“Do you know when we might have a chance to talk?” he asked.
“Next Sunday? After work, would that be okay?”
“Nothing sooner? There’s no chance we can talk before then?”
“No” a terrible, final answer he didn’t want to hear.

He walked out of the bookstore into the night.
He wanted to take her home but Mr. Langston was going her way.
He crossed that street again.
Tiptoed past Mrs. Thompson’s apartment and into his own.

He slept fitfully, unable to get her out of his mind.
He awoke with a start when the alarm went off.
Why does sleep come so easy just before the alarm?
Life isn’t fair.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday,
All looked the same, only the names were changed.
No phone calls, no messages, no Mrs. Thompson even.
Do I have the plague, or something? He thought to himself.

Saturday, only one more day of waiting until he could see Annie.
Actually, he had developed waiting into an artform.
The drawings on the pad by the phone would attest to that.
Will I spend my life waiting? Or do I get to live? He wondered.

Another night of tossing and turning. Ugly thoughts invaded his head.
Find someone else, she’s too much work; you never even get to see her.
Too many secrets, too many obstacles. Even Natalie was easier to see.
But who would want to be with Natalie, if he had a chance with Annie?

Sunday morning at last. Leisurely cup of coffee, sun shining in through the window.
Jeans and t-shirt, 2-days’ stubble, hair in a mess.
“Seth? This is Mr. Langston. Could you come down to the bookstore?”
His heart pounded from the urgency in bookish man’s voice. He raced out the door.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 7

“Hi, Seth! Sorry I missed you! Call me when you get a chance”
Why would he want to call Natalie? Erase.
“Seth? It’s Annie. I’ll try again later.”
No number to call, no real message, just more waiting.

And more waiting. Until midnight waiting.
The phone didn’t ring at all waiting.
Not even telemarketers waiting.
He went to bed feeling defeated.

Tuesday night, rush home from work.
Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Avoid Mrs. Thompson.
Is there a blinking light?

“Hello, Seth? It’s Annie.
I’ll be at the bookstore tonight doing inventory.
If you want, you can come down and we’ll talk.”
If I want? If I want? He thought to himself as he went out the door.

The bookish man had a name, Mr. Langston,
And he smiled as he let Seth in the locked door.
“She’s upstairs” he said as he nodded in the direction of the stairs.
Seth couldn’t get there fast enough.

“Annie? Where are you?”
“Over here” came her sweet voice from behind a stack of boxes.
“What’s going on?” he knew he asked too urgently.
After all, they were just acquaintances.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly, betraying his genuine concern.
“Oh, yes, I am. Sarah was sick.”
Lost, he asked the obvious: “who is Sarah?”
Annie looked at him pleadingly: “I have so much to tell you, and so much to do here tonight.”

“Okay” he replied. “If I help you tonight, will you have dinner with me tomorrow night?”
“Oh Seth, I can’t, I have to go home right after work.”
He felt his temperature rising, he didn’t understand
And he didn’t like what was happening.

They worked nearly silently for the next three hours.
Slowly, efficiently inventorying the books in the boxes.
It was not what he had in mind but, he was grateful.
After all, he just wanted to be with her.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 6

He was crossing this street more frequently now,
Always in a hurry. Anticipating Annie.
Ten after eight. She should be there by now.
He opened the door with his heart in his hand.

“I’m sorry, sir, she’s not here today.”
He was looking at a bookish old man
In a wrinkled cardigan sweater
Telling him his plans are lost.

“Why don’t you telephone her at home?”
Bookish man asks reasonably.
How do I tell him that I don’t even know her last name,
Much less her phone number?

“Could you call her for me and give her my number?”
He pleaded with the bookish, cardigan sweater man.
Looking truly perplexed: “you don’t even know her number?”
Explaining it would not be easy but he had to try.

“You see, I used to know her and I hadn’t seen her in years.”
“I saw her in here accidentally last Sunday and we had coffee”.
He thinks I’m nuts, I’m sure he does; it sounds so crazy, even to me.
Bookish man smiled: “you must be Seth.”

He raced home as fast as he could, crossing that street another time.
Bookish man had dialed the number, after making him turn his back,
Then handed him the phone to leave a message:
“Annie? It’s Seth. I really need to talk to you!” Gave his number and left.

The hours past unrelentingly, the phone sat there silently.
A ring, at last! Oh, Mrs. Thompson’s faucet is leaking.
Put her off until tomorrow, cannot leave now.
Checked the phone frequently, Dial tone? yes. Ring? not today.

Monday at work was excruciating, concentration was nil.
He raced home after work.
Ensnared by Mrs. Thompson, leaky faucet repaired.
And now to the answering machine, is there a blinking light?

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 5

Monday night. Dinner with the boss.
He was entertaining out of town clients
And depending on Seth to help him out.
No such luck.

“Excuse me?” he missed a comment
From an important client.
His boss was keenly aware
That he was not paying attention.

How could he?
Annie had completely taken over his mind.
How stupid. He had a brief encounter, then coffee
Now this? No other thoughts able to enter his mind?

It’s a good thing I won’t see her until Sunday,
He thought to himself
I need this time to put things in perspective.
Or better perspective, at least.

How could she do that to me?
A usually friendly, socially adept man.
SON: Survivor of Natalie, not easily taken in by a woman’s charm
Until now, at least.

Thursday: such agony!
It’s been days since I saw her
And nothing really happened
A friendly chat between two people who had some history.

He looked in the mirror and saw a love-struck puppy.
That is disgusting he thought, and then he smirked.
A rather nice looking, if love-struck, man
Maybe she finds me attractive.

Saturday evening, finally!
Can’t wait for tomorrow morning
He had wished his whole week away.
All for one tomorrow.

“So, Annie, would you like to go to dinner?”
He practiced out loud until it didn’t sound contrived
Or did it.
He went to sleep dreaming about tomorrow.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 4

He crossed the street, again in a hurry.
Fear turned to joy,
There she was, smiling at him.
Standing in that same doorway.

“You look very nice” she said.
He expected something like “you’re late”.
Another pleasant surprise
In a very surprising day.

“Where would you like to go?”
He wanted her to choose.
“Over there is fine” she said
Pointing at the coffee shop he was in 2 hours ago.

The owner smiled as Seth held the door for Annie.
Seth could imagine what he was thinking:
Much better choice this time,
Looks like a very nice girl.

Yes, a very nice woman
With pretty blonde hair
A quick smile
And mesmerizing blue eyes.

He brought their coffee and sat down across from her
She was looking intently at him
Not like Natalie: she only looked at him for a reaction
To whatever she was saying.

The next two hours passed quickly
Too quickly
They had a lot of catching up to do
In more ways than one.

She had been his roommate’s girlfriend
All those years ago in college.
David was more interested in succeeding
And Annie did not have a part in his plans.

She disappeared shortly after the breakup
And he wondered often how she was
David graduated, got a good job,
Married the boss’ daughter, and lost touch with the past.

Annie, it seems, had succeeded on her own.
College graduate, many interesting jobs, travel.
Wait! Did she just say she was married?
Oh, married and divorced. That was close.

“I need to get home, Seth, thanks for everything.”
Wait, she can’t go, I want to buy her dinner.
“Thanks, you’re sweet! I really must go now.”
He was persuaded by the urgency in her voice.

“Maybe I’ll see you next Sunday!”
She smiled sweetly as she walked off down the street.
He stood, motionless, watching her until she was out of sight.
I don’t even know where she lives, he thought.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 3

He looked in the mirror and smirked;
Messed up hair, 2-day stubble,
And Annie smiled anyway.
He started to shave.

Stubble was fine when he saw Natalie;
No good impression necessary.
Her thoughts were hers,
He didn’t care.

Maybe he should start a group:
VON: Victims of Natalie
They could meet for coffee and
Talk about their collective horrors.

Or maybe, SON: Survivors of Natalie
Same thing: discuss horror stories
But with a twist:
They all survived it!

He smirked again.
If anybody had told him six months ago
That he would be able to say “Natalie” and laugh
In the same breath, he would have argued the point.

Maybe he should call Jeff,
They could be co-founders of the group,
Pick a coffee shop; plan the “meetings”,
Maybe they would need to rent a hall. Another smirk.

Back to the topic of the day: Annie.
Shave, then cologne—women love that.
Comb the hair with a brush, not Annie’s gentle fingers.
Gotta go, it’s almost noon.

Heading down the hall, hurrying towards Annie,
Mrs. Thompson stops him in his tracks.
“Seth, dear, can you feed my cats while I’m out of town?”
Affirmative nod, gotta go.

Not so quickly, dear boy.
“Come inside, I need to show you
Where the litter box is
And how to mix the cat food.” Mix? You’ve got to be kidding.

Finally, out on the street.
Five after twelve.
Hope she’s still waiting.
Don’t want to think about if she’s not.

A Chance Encounter: Chapter 2

See previous posting for beginning of story:

He saw her sitting at a table
As he walked into the coffee shop.
“Seth, what a surprise!”
She said as he walked toward her table.

No acting awards there,
He smiled to himself.
“I’m fine, Natalie, and you?”
If you only knew, Natalie, if you only knew.

“Get your coffee and come sit with me”
Some things never change:
Natalie tells you what to do,
And you do it.

He sat facing her
The aroma of his coffee
Brought back memories
Of days when he was glad to see her.

“I’ve just broken up with Jeff”
She offered pitifully.
“He wasn’t ready for a commitment.”
Smart man, he thought to himself.

“And you, Seth, are you seeing anyone?”
She always was as subtle as a freight train.
The question is obvious but,
What is the answer?

He thought about his answer: I’m not seeing anyone now,
But I just saw Annie
She’s going to have coffee with me
But that’s not a relationship.

I don’t know what will happen next
I do know that I don’t want it to involve Natalie
“Yes, in fact, there is somebody”
Where did this grin come from?

Maybe it was Natalie’s
Her smile was now gone.
“Oh, I’m so happy for you.”
Another acting award that won’t happen.

“It was nice seeing you, Natalie”
He got up from the table.
“Have a nice day” he said.
And stay out of my neighborhood, he thought.

A Chance Encounter

He crossed the street in a hurry.
Pulling his hood over his head,
He ducked in a little book store.
Did she see him?

It never occurred to him,
As he ventured out for a cup of coffee
On a Sunday morning,
That she might have the same idea.

True: this had been “their” coffee shop
When they were together.
But now, months after they parted,
Why was she there?

This is his neighborhood,
He has an apartment
Three blocks away
Not her!

She has walked more than 10 blocks
Past several other little places
To get to this, his place, his territory.
Why?

“May I help you?”
Interrupts his thoughts.
He turns to see a familiar face.
“Annie, is that you?”

She smiles at him and pulls his hood off his head,
Straightening his hair gently with her hand.
Seth! She hasn’t seen him since college,
Nearly 10 years before.

What should he do now?
Make something up, lie, or tell the truth?
“I saw someone I didn’t want to see
So I ducked in here.”

“Oh,” she replied, still smiling the same smile
She had when she recognized him.
“You’re safe in here” she said with a laugh.
He knew she was right.

“Um, uh, so, um, Annie” he fumbled
Looking for intelligent words to say.
“Do you work here all day?”
Oh, god, that was stupid!

“No, just till noon” he heard her say.
“Are you busy this afternoon?”
No plans, that’s good; now ask her
“Would you like to go for coffee?”

He smiled with joy when she said yes.
Amazing things happen
For ridiculous reasons
Or do they?

“I’ll see you at noon!”
He said as he left.
Must go find her and thank her,
For invading my neighborhood.

Another One For My Somebody...

Where did he go? My elusive Love?
He was sent to me by the stars above.
Did he leave? And set me free?
Or is he coming back to me?

I feel the sun, it warms my skin
And feeds my happy heart within.
The gentle breeze blows my hair
And breathes new life, everywhere.

Flowers blooming, their scent so sweet
Green blades of grass tickle my feet.
The babbling brook, such a gentle noise;
Horses running, with grace and poise.

Spring is coming, I feel it in the air,
And My Love is with me, everywhere.
He never left me, never went away
He gave to me this glorious day

To share with him, and feel his Love
Til sunset comes, and stars twinkle above.
So far, far away, he is from me
But here in my heart, he’ll always be.