Why are the loved ones often so far away? There are any number of simulacra for you, and yet it\Zs so difficult for us both to actually be present, together.

There are rivers of people, each one a star in their own right, flowing between us, hiding you from me, separating me from you. It\Zs hot here in their midst, rivulets of sweat running down me. The parents lift their children up and the children lift their hands up, reaching for the threads of shiny wishes and blocking my view. The couples who found each other, whose wishes came true, dawdle along, clogging my path. The enka singers croon, the muzak tinkles, the sheer number of us here together deafens me. The corn crackles, the fish sizzle, the sticks of grilled meats hiss, the jagabatta smells so good, toffeed fruit cool in their ice cups, all distracting me. Where are you?

Maybe you are just up ahead at the crossroad there, at the end of this stream, on the edge of everything, where the breeze is cool\Z

• haw said on 05/07/25 at 12:18 PM.....

  Gorgeous longing,

  
  Your description so vivid I can smell it.