a thoughtful gesture; the aspen leaves shaking in the snow; that time we held hands in the dark.

boating down the Mississippi into St Louis; a friend’s birthday; fresh carrots with the earth still on them.

the tall grasses at the edge of town; cobblestone streets; saying the right thing at the right time.

a Spanish shawl flung around her shoulders; discerning dawn from night; the Honeymooners.

sitting at a Parisian cafe, arguing with your artist friends; a gift of potted miniature roses; an antique chest with an old letter secreted in the lining.

striking the right note; entering the temple of Khadro Ling,in Brazil; the gaze softening.

sweetening the pot; the moment before the applause; dawn over the Indian Ocean.

the Wolf Moon rising; finding a pearl in a clam shell; the final bow.

the burbling of the brook; arriving at the top of the lighthouse; the west wind.

sunshine pouring through the ceiling of the Pantheon; reading a novel while lying on a crimson velvet chaise lounge; a face in the crowd.

sailing over the countryside in a hot air balloon; coming to terms with it; an unexpected compliment.

the sound of rain in the forest; angels’ wings; going for a swim before breakfast.

receiving a poem written about one; a dog’s sense of smell; the answer to the riddle.

requited love; dancing in the Syrian desert; the pleasure of raking leaves.

a promise kept; kissing her behind her knees; Mount Katahdin: ‘the greatest mountain.’

grace under pressure; elves cleaning the house while you’re asleep; chestnuts roasting in a crackling fire.

sculpting in marble; the archer pose; sitting under a bodhi tree in the afternoon.

creating a stained glass window; three puppies asleep; playing marbles on a sunny sidewalk.

six geese flying overhead; the art of bookbinding; dancing after dinner.

standing on one leg by the edge of Lake Tanganyika; the cockles of your heart; first snowfall.

heading for the horizon; breakfast by candlelight; the Black Madonna.

an emerald green velvet gown; the depression lifting; pouring the fresh, hot tea.