THE forest is only a shade; once the shadows shed and were-beasts lost are sad; then the leaves are torn off their trees to see the true worth.

No matter where the deer may roam, she looks for a tree and i hold her so sweetly.
I am the tree she depends on. The tree in her heart. I am always there. You are my Queen, i am your river!

The pale blue chalky water stared at the bottom with her shiny black shoes the color of her cheeks. Her shiny white bag that was not much bigger than her body with all her clothes folded neatly inside. Her pretty flowing dress and sweet smile and the pink, frothy lips.

“Dalal, Dalal, do you ever run out of things to do? Like books to read or stories to read to your children?”

She looked at her friend Elie and realized that this man who has been her only friend in three years had always been a good listener. They had arrived at the secluded spot to start their day with a little chatter and conversation.

“You can tell me your stories anytime, Dalal,” Elie said, reading the expression on her face.
She thought he looked pleased, the way he grinned from one corner of his mouth. “I don’t have much to do these days.

I always wanted to learn how to write. So I’ll start today.”

He had already unfolded his long legs from under the wide tree roots, and was looking up to the brilliant blue sky.

“We just arrived in The Forever Land, and the first thing I did was look for the post office, to send my wife and children pictures of the sea. She used to spend hours studying the pictures she had gotten off the internet. And here I am without a good job or money, with no travel opportunities.”

She asked him to tell her about the culture here. “The Forever People are a very friendly and trusting people. And they have this song they sing, very sad. It means, never love anyone but your family. And you never think you’ll find the one you’re meant to love until you get so old that you forget to fall in love. And then the special day comes, and you love again and fall asleep with a smile on your face.”

:: 03.29.2022 ::