large floor cushions; whitewashed houses on Lesbos; breaking through and knowing at last.

meeting with the empress; a hot tub in the snow; browsing the bookstore.

rubbing a magic lamp; early snowfall on the catalpa; Edith Nesbit.

bringing in the tea tray; the Outer Hebrides in a storm; spider solitaire.

climbing all the way to the top of the tower;the dark of the moon; finishing the crossword.

bravely stepping into the abyss; emerald green leather gloves; finding the Golden Fleece.

at the source of the Nile; yellow velvet; filled with a rush of love.

sailing the seven seas; the Bear Mountain Bridge spanning the Hudson; climbing into the four poster bed in the heart of the castle.

dashing through the snow; a giant dahlia; Michelangelo.

heading north, into Vermont; a crown of silk and yellow leaves; moments like these.

an antique box of sewing notions; the flight to Honolulu; waking startled from a real dream.

walking along the Serpentine in the mist; haunting gypsy tunes played on a fiddle; dancing in the street.

a black cat arching its back; six pomegranate seeds; the wind in the pines.

the ash, the elm, the oak, and the yew; the desert highway to the Dead Sea; harvesting mistletoe.

popping the cork; knowing all the sailors’ knots there are to know; lightning bolts over Mount Olympus.

a tremendous burden lifted; gazing at the Turkish mandala; the Great Pyramid at dawn.

fresh linen writing paper; The Raven; waiting under the maple in the rain.

following through on a decision; hand-wrought gold from long ago; that geese mate for life.

the sweetness of fresh apple jam; getting onto the ferry; the Catskills.

the Eternal City at sunset; at the crossroads; the acorns falling hard.

dancing in the living room after dinner; velvet slippers; a dream that explains it.

the Blue Mosque, Turkey; surprising him; a yellow leaf.