I was thinking of you. The way you tie your shoes. The way you rub your nose when it itches. The way you sigh when things aren’t going your way.
I like how you pause after saying “the.”
You have a wonderful way of eating cheese.
No one frowns like you.
And then there was that time that you sat all day. You told me a few times you thought of getting up. But then you said you were enjoying sitting so much that you didn’t want to ruin it.
I was out for a walk when I heard from above, “Look who thinks he’s Mister Big Deal.”
I glanced up and saw a cloud glowering back.
I kept walking.
The cloud said, “Hey, don’t ignore me!”
I didn’t look up.
I heard a rumbling and then thunder as lightening struck the top of my head. Smoke was coming from where my hair used to be. I patted out the fire.
I looked up at the cloud. I said, “Hey! What’s wrong?”
The cloud did one of those things people do when their face trembles as they fight back tears. Suddenly rain came pouring from the cloud.
I said, “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay.”
The rain came down harder.
I got eaten by the frog. Its long tongue shot out and I was swallowed. Once inside I was comforted by the frog’s wet and warm stomach. I fell asleep.
I dreamt of sitting on Abraham Lincoln’s lap. He patted my head and told me things were going to be okay. I saw a tear coming from his right eye. Inside the tear I saw the glow of cities on fires.
I was woken from the dream by another person being deposited into the frog’s stomach. He was panicked and said, “Oh my God, what’s going to become of us.” I said, “Just wait.” He fell asleep.
I dug a grave for 2019 and waited. At midnight, 2019 fell into the grave. I put the dirt I’d dug out on top of 2019.
In the gap in-between I had a spaghetti dinner.
Then I midwifed the birth of 2020. I said the usual, “Best of luck this year.” 2020 nodded and waddled on its way.
I went to bed. It was daylight. But I was tired and fell asleep quickly.
I became a park bench overlooking the lake. I liked the feeling of people’s warm butts sitting on me. It brought me comfort during a difficult time.