I've Been Accused Of Trying Too Hard

He Had Handed His Daughter To Caroline Gill And That Act Had Led Him Here, Years Later, To This Girl In Motion Of Her Own, This Girl Who Had Decided Yes, A Brief Moment Of Release In The Back Of A Car, In The Room Of A Silent House, This Girl Who Had Stood Up Later, Adjusting Her Clothes, With Now Knowledge Of How That Moment Was Already Shaping Her Life.

You Missed A Lot Of Heartache, Sure. But David, You Missed A Lot Of Joy.

Though Lexington Is Not A Small Town, It Sometimes Feels Like One, With Circles Of Acquaintance Overlapping Once, Then Again; The Person You Meet By Chance At The Library Or The Pool May Turn Out To Be The Best Friend Of Your Down-the-street Neighbor. Maybe Thats Why People Are So Friendly Here, So Willing To Be Unhurried.

He Fished In His Pocket For His Keys And Instead Pulled Out The Last Geode, Gray And Smooth, Earth-shaped. He Held It, Warming In His Palm, Thinking Of All Mysteries The World Contained: Layers Of Stone, Concealed Beneath The Flesh Of Earth And Grass; These Dull Rocks, With Their Glimmering Hidden Hearts.

Away From The Bright Motion Of The Party, She Carried Her Sadness Like A Dark Stone Clenched In Her Palm.