A Date Long Due

Yesterday I was alone.

I considered feeling lonely.

Then I decided I had better things to do.

I went on a date.

With myself.

First I tried to find a park I'd heard about. I couldn't find it. I ended up in a nursing home parking lot, overlooking the river. I parked in the sun. It was too hot, but I put my seat back and I took a nap. When I woke, I pulled out of the drive and noticed these seeds. Of course I had to get out of the car and take time to explore them.




Not to be defeated in my search for the elusive park, I eventually sort of found it. Except I couldn't find my way by road. So I left the car in a strange empty lot near the highway, and I walked. I found this tunnel. It was sweet to listen to the echo of two voices at the other end— friends hiding from the sun, maybe hiding in each other on this warm afternoon.




At the end of the tunnel, I saw wild roses. I love the way light infuses petals.




The park was smaller than I'd hoped, and crowded. I moved on to another park. As it turned out, it was crowded too. People with people with people. I went alone to a shady hill and listened to all their sounds. I listened to the birds. Closed my eyes, napped again, sat and dreamed, wrote. I pointed my camera towards the river, then towards the sky and enjoyed my time with them, with me.



Sunday photos by L.L. Barkat.