A romantic note from a friend.....

That first kiss. The shock of something right.

Bodies melting, renewing. Discovering the familiar for the first time.

Falling asleep by your side, because I could.

Sounds and taste. Your hair mingled with mine.

Sniffing my fingers in the aftermath. The smell of you on my hands.

The scent of you during long plane rides. The goodbyes before the goodbye.

How I miss you now. You used to drive me in the moonlight, to our
secret space where we would hike in the dark.

I miss that stone house. You promised we would return, and we never did.

But that house lingers in my body. The memory of the cold wind and you.

The soft kisses in the dark. The smell of the ground rising. The scent
of soil in your hair.

Kissing you in a yellow dress. Aching now.

My hands are empty with longing. The smell and taste of you lingers.

My interview for Marie Claire

A note from an angle, Petra.

To laugh often and much,
To win the respect of intelligent people
And the affection of children,
To earn the appreciation of honest critics
And endure the betrayal of false friends,
To appreciate beauty,
To find the best in others,
To leave the world a bit better,
Whether by a healthy child, a garden patch,
Or a redeemed social condition,
To know that even one life has breathed
Better because you have lived,
This is to have succeeded.

Success by Ralph Waldo Emerson