my careless contagion

Slipping in and out of sleep, I dreamed you were here, your body against mine. Through closed eyes, we felt one another across a great distance. You teased me repeatedly, making me want you, then retreated, asking me what's wrong. There's nothing wrong with wanting. What's wrong is the not having, not being sure, grasping for the golden ring, like falling in love with a movie star from long ago.  My eyes opened, and you weren't there. But I was sure you were momentarily, visiting repeatedly. We connected across time and space, like a portal yawned open for a moment. Our souls touched. Our hearts met. Then you were gone again.  Are you a wild animal which refuses to be kept, more at home in the forest than with man? A cat, a fox, a wolf. All have been tamed to a degree, but all retain a wild heart. The fox in The Little Prince said we are forever responsible for what we have tamed. But you there is no taming. You come and go as you please — like the wind, the waves, a fi...

The Little Prince is a children's book written in a different era. Like so many children's books, it has remained popular. There is something about it that makes parents want to pass it along to their children. I came upon the Little Prince as an adult and read it in disbelief. It deals with love and loss like few adult books do.  I painted the Little Prince on his planet for my ex-sister-in-law many years ago. When I gave it to her, she started crying; I guess the Little Prince resonated with her. I'm a terrible painter, by the way, so I'm sure my skill or lack thereof had little to do with her emotional response.  Everyone has their favorite quote from the book. For my ex-sister-in-law, it was, "You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed." That has stuck with me for many years.  For brief moments, I feel I tamed my ex-wife. She was a different person when I met her. She became something else over the years. She was wild, staying...