List

The river was beautiful, tonight. Twilight twinkled in the glass windows across the water, a full moon rose above pink skies between the bridges, Midtown Manhattan gleamed wistfully at the horizon. I took steps so long I could have covered the whole island without getting tired, landed finally on a warm rock and watched fireflies dancing at my feet. This life is a dream.

All I wanted was the ocean today. I pretend I can wish it for you and that will be enough; perhaps one day it will be. Every day is an endless rollercoaster: when the drop at the bottom sinks stones in my belly I wonder how I'll ever endure without breaking, and I think perhaps it best to step off now and resign myself to the mire. But then the moment of weightless respite comes and briefly I see blue skies and fireflies in the corners, this life is a dream and once or twice I wrote a line so beautiful I thought someone else surely must have written it, it's only life. Today crossing Avenue A I found a copper penny heads up in the street, melted into the asphalt, I thought some luck you can't take with you, it's not yours alone, but I know it's there. The Universe knows better than to owe you anything.

But if it leaves you a twilight, a full moon, the scent of lilies or the right song at the right time, if it winks at you with these little gifts, take them.

It's still up to you to figure out what you can make them do.