rainbow

I remember the streets of the distant homelands I never belonged to.

chill

I saw the first wisps of ocean out of the corner of my eyes. I turned my head to look. Even after five years of driving, I wasn’t comfortable keeping my eyes away from the road for long. I pulled over at the first available opportunity and ran through the trees and across the sand, leaving clothing in my wake. I looked at the Pacific Ocean for the first time as I ran into it. I didn’t feel the chill of the Pacific North West.

gift

Steve was a writer as I had known working writers to be. His house was full of books and artifacts from his life, pictures done for him by his favorite illustrator. He had a tendency to talk, endlessly, and latch on to the one thing you said he knew enogh about to keep talking. Some mix of well educated middle class wrapped up in an unpretentious shell. He had been a nice enough guy that I decided to read his book. “This is his only autobiographical piece,” CM told me. “All of his other books are about hunting.” I read the introduction, even though it’s something I rarely do.

East of Amarillo, it’s all suburbs.

I started to laugh and laugh until I was on the verge of crying. I’d given that book to Alec years ago.