I am in the middle of it: chaos and poetry; poetry and love and again, complete chaos. Pain, disorder, occasional clarity; and at the bottom of it all: only love; poetry. Sheer enchantment, fear, humiliation. It all comes with love
-- Anna Akhmatova

Ah, mischievous Charlie. I opened the door tonight before bed to shake some crumbs out for the birds, and he slipped by me to go into the shadowy yard and field and grove to chase the creatures of the night off his property. Wouldn’t come when called. I stuffed my pockets with cookies and put my jacket over my pjs and went out. Under the full moon and starry sky. Thank you, Charlie. A gorgeous night. Cookies did the trick. We started the day outdoors after the bustle of departures: Frank off before daylight on his trip; my daughter’s first day at a new job, her bustle. The river is caught between freeze and thaw and doesn’t seem to mind. The wetlands are not safe for sliding around; I’m sure they will be soon enough. I kept the dogs close. An early client and then off for a swim, my 3/4 mile; got a great rhythm going again. Prepped today for tonight’s group and tomorrow morning’s group. Picked the Special One up and food shopped and whisked up some dinner before a very special group, so deep, so powerful, such writing and emotion and intimacy. At the end, I asked for their take-aways for the night, and one said, “Now I understand the power of enchantment.” A different dumpster from a different company was delivered today. Where to put it? The first one hasn’t been picked up, but it’s full. The trash collector truck pulled in at the same moment, of course, and this is the way it will go for awhile. Tonight, in the peace of the yard, under the stars and the fresh air, it was easy to care about nothing except the steady, predictable, bright and cheerful moon lighting the long grass in the meadow.