On a Road Somewhere

On a road somewhere, we approach a small dip, and there, spread before us, is beautiful water, not clear, but the richest brown possible. It is filled with ruby undertones, alive and sparkling with beneficence, shivering gently as it flows across the road. Off to the left, there are young children laughing and swimming, paddling from one bank to the other. A gray-haired man swims slightly apart from them.

As though it is quite common knowledge among them, the people with me begin to say to each other in excitement: "This is where love is. This is love." I look closely but see nothing unusual.

Anne Yohn
November 2000