Present

What better present to present those present than the presence of those present?
For the greatest gift to those who would gather again is in the very act of the gathering.
It is in the reinforced friendships;
The reaffirmed ties.

For what can money not buy
But the one thing that surpasses all value?
Time.
Of course, time = money.
But how much time = how much money?
No one can count.

How smart that the first to define "present"
Called it a gift;
Called it a time.

130808

Today, I saw
On the ground, a butterfly
Ravaged by a swarm of ants.
Its wings a faded turquoise.
Dead, by then.

Today, I saw
A clear sky -- cloudless.
Would have been lovely
But I read.
Lack of cloud cover, clearly.
(Pun intended.)
The prettier the sky,
The closer to doom we are.
Oh, the irony!

050808 / 2018

Time: 1900 HRS. The sun is setting; the skies turning a deep shade of blue. The streetlamps begin to come aglow -- their work from here on is long and unforgiving. The stars strain against the final rays of the dying sun. What then of the moon? Ah, but it had already long been there -- a silvery smile across the bright blue sky. You have to watch carefully; it has often been mistaken for a mere cloud. The moon? It is long ready: eager to have the sky to itself.

Soon, but not yet. For the sun has yet to set entirely. It still peeks cheekily over the horizon, although at present already out of view. The moon will have to wait its turn. By now, it does not show impatience. Years of time has taught it well.

By now, the sky has turned a velvet shade of blue. The beauty stills my steps; I smile. The person who called a shade of blue "sky" clearly has never stepped outdoors. How could anyone ever claim to have reproduced such wonder?

If only...

050808 / 1947

What is the difference --

Faith; Prudence
Hope; Foolishness
Passion; Lunacy
Desire; Obsession
Love; Friendship
Respect; Fear
Confidence; Pride
Too little; Too much

-- but merely just a thin, thin line?