a soft blue sky as close as a fingertip; letting the arrow fly; solace after rain.

the bowling ball whizzing down the center of the lane; knitting up a storm; the silver birch in starlight.

breaking a habit; the tickle of minnows around your toes; seaweed.

the mysterious sounding bowls; a praying mantis on your flowering window-box; actualizing your self.

hopping on the wagon; the tiny door into the garden; marching in the parade.

the ship’s flag flying in a stiff breeze; the human touch; sitting in your pleasure-garden under the mango tree.

taking the bus; soaked through with moonlight; over the field and through the woods.

consulting with the wise owl in the rafters of the barn; drawn by six white horses; bergamot and violets.

the sizzling drizzle of oil on grilling vegetables; serendipity; meeting again in the candy store.

lying on the rock beside the seal; vast spaces; a singular opportunity.

glass earrings in the firelight; soaking up the sun; realizing you’re a mountain, not a squirrel, and you don’t have to crack a nut.

what the medal is for; standing on the breakwater and gazing out to sea; drawn to the encampment by the sound of violins.

the strange lady galloping through the mist; resting for a while in a field of poppies; cleaning the rust from your armor and donning it.

honeysuckle in a forest grove; seeing your ship come in; Antares shining particularly brightly.

Hestia, the mysterious goddess of the hearth; an extraordinary time; being as majestic as mountains.

that long afternoon at Mont St. Michel; lost at the flower festival; your eyes meeting across a crowded room.

the small blue bottle with a vital message inside washing up at your feet; the fog lifting; a thing of beauty.

filling the pie crust with freshly-picked cherries; six partridges crossing the road; an old-fashioned parking meter with time left in it.

moving off the fault line; feeling the tremors of springtime; entering the Peloponnesus from the Isthmus of Corinth.

hiding under a mossy rock; owning the store; dancing through the seven veils.

tapioca pudding; wishing you were right; the great gates into the city.

exquisite balance; charging with your sword held high; resting on a bed of moss.