OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

Outside my window the world is bright and beautiful.

Always in perpetual motion.

I lived there once.

Walking its streets, enjoying the sounds of people talking, children laughing, horns honking, traffic lights, buses, cabs, bookstores, art galleries, museums, the theatre, the ballet, the smell of coffee drifting out the doors of coffee shops, outdoor cafes, window shopping, bright orderly stores with rows and rows of tempting new merchandise.  Tall old apartment buildings with beautiful architecture.  New condominiums with balconies holding pots of colorful flowers.  Beautiful women, well-dressed men.  Feeling alive.  Exhilarated by the excitement and the movement of the city.

Outside my window the world is bright and beautiful.

Always in perpetual motion.

I lived there once.

In the quiet of the country, birds singing, squirrels scolding, fresh clean air, snowy mountains peeking above tall pines, clear lakes, colorful sailboats, stars bright in the night sky, moonlight illuminates the yard and shines in my bedroom window, tree frogs singing their nightly songs.  Nature all around.  Flower beds.  Gardens.  Porch swing.  Life is slow. Shopping is miles and miles away.  There is time to breath in deep and reflect.  There is time and space to create.

Once upon a time life was exciting.  New things to discover, places to explore.  Adventure a thought away.  But then in one short, quick moment my world imploded.  I heard the words and everything changed.  Everything came to a crashing halt.  You were gone.

Outside my window the world is bright and beautiful.

Always in perpetual motion.

But I don't live there any more.