Strawberries.

I stand in my father's garden
Knee-deep in carrots and tomato plants.
Garish rhubarb sneaks a playful swipe at my shin.
I wade through the tall grass and pinch my favorite leaf
Of lemon balm by the door.
I breathe in the quiet musty earth of my childhood.
"Was I a good parent?" he had asked, words that echo here in my ears as I part the leaves of a strawberry plant to hunt for forgotten fruit.
"Am I a good person?" my reply mixes in between the lines.
I remember weekends building
Summers spent and earned in learning
Evenings I felt loved.
Our house was always warm and full of laughter
I learned the things a father ought to teach his daughter:
How to change a tire, build stairs, dance the moonwalk.
How to help a stranger.
How to do your best.
Memories condense on the maple leaves next to me here,
As I find a tiny tart berry that the slugs have spared.
It tastes like home.

Stick it.

Stick the landing.

Get through this.

Whiskey face, this old place

Blood sweat tears

Do it again.

We fight we scream

We cry and breathe we dream and hope.

Tell me, my friend,

Why oh why how can we stay?

When it's so very hard to walk away.

Where oh where, when

Will it end

What ever will we say,

Stand our ground.

Or let it all fall down

Just hold your head up either way

Hold your head up either way.

Going.

What is any of it for, anyway?
For happiness?  For love?  For service or for research or meaning or pleasure?
The real meaning of my Saturn Return closes in and chokes me here,
This, more than ever before, is my chance to decide -
Sex or Death?
Generativity or stagnation - can I make my life count for something?
Has it already?


Down down, baby.
Down by the rollercoaster.
Sweet, sweet baby -
This, oh this.
Door opening, opportunity staring me in the face
What happened to my sense of adventure, my
Bright-eyed wonder, wander-lust?
Danger and fear, come one come all!
Why am I so very afraid of this
Very very giant leap?
To trust you, to take your hand
Make good on my promise, put my money where my mouth is
To start a whole new life together
Seems so very overwhelming sometimes.
It's going to be fun, right?
It's fun if you make it,
Everything is what you make it
Spinning my wheels here, it's definitely time
But oh, to find the courage
The resolve
The faith...

I never ask "what if we fail?"
I know we'll succeed, we'll find our way and be spectacularly happy.
It's just...
Whatever will we do with everything we've left behind?
However will I let go, leave all these flowers to wilt or bloom as they will?
How will I ever say "goodbye"?