Good afternoon!

I can't claim to know entirely the purpose of the next few paragraphs. But I have been injected - to the point of saturation - with zest and zeal, and I feel that I must share this with you as it was, very easily, the best laugh I've had all week.

Barbra Streisand's Smile playing in the background.

"This is supposed to be one of those songs that you listen to when you're depressed, to make you feel better... and less depressed about life. But the music is so melancholic that it makes you want to just... (and here I made a gesture, which I hoped was sufficient to render the actual saying of 'kick off' unnecessary.)"

More Barbra Streisand in the background.

"Yes, I'm beginning to think how I could use this fork (light gripping of fork, which was covered with a healthy amount of frosting and cupcake crumbs - a feeble attempt at theatre) to... (and here, hand movements that one would normally associate with wrist-slitting)"

A lot of laughter.

"This could be one of those songs that you listen to while you slit your wrists!" I laughed very, very hard.

---

A rather macabre, morbid subject to laugh about, I completely agree. In my defence, however, when you're under the influence of the devil('s food cupcake) and a good game of Scrabble, anything has the potential to be of great comedic value.

Thank you for a fantastic Wednesday afternoon.

For Mrs H.B.

Once in a while, you meet someone who you know you will remember for the rest of your life. Mrs H. B. is that someone for me, and this is for her.

A spot
not a stain
but a spot
nonetheless.

A pattern
woven where it should
into the cloth

this cloth!

this incomplete piece of cloth
by the calloused hands
of life.

But remove this spot

this pattern
this pulchritudinous pattern

for the heart wants it elsewhere.