"I can't prepare myself for that..."
The other day I gave an Australian guy directions.
I can travel on the railway system with ease.
I make a damn good cup of tea (using loose leaves of course)
I can list off phone numbers with the best of them
Example: 9963 7775 is read Double nine six three Triple seven five
I sing along to the Neighbours theme song (Popular show on TV here)
Kiwi grapes? Don’t mind if I do.
I know first hand just how awful Vegemite is (tastes like a combination of spoiled chicken and rotten garbage)
I can fish blindly through my wallet for the coins I need…my fingertips recognize them instantly
No worries is not just a saying…it’s a way of life
Little moments throughout every day when I realize just how much this place is becoming a part of me
I feel proud to show this off as my city
But last night, at The Frames concert, it hit me harder than ever before.
I felt your arms wrapped around me and I looked up at you.
We were both shouting out the lyrics.
You smiled at me, gave me that look, squeezed me extra tight and kissed me on the forehead.
Suddenly my mind tried to calculate where I would be and what I would be doing right now if we had never crossed paths.
I began to imagine this colourless, muted place
You squeezed my hand and I was back
In Sydney
Listening to beautiful music
With you.
That song doesn’t belong to us. It’s sad and it’s amazing, and it is not ours.
It’s as inconsequential as the alternate universe I dream up in my head – the world where we never met.
And you understand all of this.
That was the look.
Rave on.
7 Comments:
I had no idea you felt this way about me. Gosh,
You were thinking about Kasey during OUR song?? Fine, I see how it is now...all very clearly. And just for the record, I squeezed your hand cause the guy in front of us had bad gas and I wanted to move but you were on my foot...
"Mute, colorless place"?? Sounds like quite the Helen Keller southern-colony fantasy.
...And I'm appalled that you would so swiftly turn to racism if Kasey wasn't around.
Didn't any one warn you about the Vegimite? Well please don't show off and try the Bromite (because that's beef extract - the horrors). Are you drinking Roiboos tea? Because that's damn good. Isn't it fun to be a native in a new culture? Oh yes, I went and looked back at a few of the pictures Jeff posted (from Bondi beach) his long jean shorts are slightly disturbing to me...I'm not sure why, but they're just not right. Did he tell you I called to inform you that Bartlett caught Charlie sneeking away from a bootie call with Zoey? Oh yes my friend that is how wonderful the West Wing is. Loving you and missing you.
Mary Kay,
How wonderful for you to have someone who makes you feel so safe and yet so wild while you are on this journey!!
We could always tell that you and Jeff enjoyed every moment together, but now you are enjoying it with only each other and i am sure that is making your relationship even deeper than you thought it could be.
i love you both!!
Love, Jay!!
Mary,
The poem was "The Psalm of Life" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Yes I posted it, and I was happy to recieve your letter. I'm presently a Staff Sergeant in the United States Army. I start OCS in a month. Post back to this comment so I know you get it. My situation at present is a bit sensative so I dont have the ability to recieve e-mail but I can at least use a computer again. Life is strange but fullfiling. See you soon.
Sgt. Sean K. Moran
Message received Sgt. Sean K. Moran. So happy to hear about the fulfillment...can you still receive letters at the same address? Let me know, and send a letter my way if you can.
Love Always,
Mary
Those were NOT jean shorts. I was still wearing my bathing suit -- swimmers, as they're known over here. And please,if I was going to wear jean shorts, at least cut me some slack and assume I'd revert to the black denim first.
Maybe even slip on a pair of Reeboks.
-Jeff
Post a Comment
<< Home