mulch.

It was an overcast day in mid-June when they delivered the first load. At that point in time we had no way of knowing how much this entity would dominate our lives for the next 2 months. When it rained it turned to sludge, and when it was too dry you could almost see the sparks flying off your feet as you ran through it trying not to start a fire. The most delightful though, was having your feet slip out from under you causing you to land in a pile of it, allowing the red bugs to feast on your sore ankles. Aside from these joys I believed it to be a living thing, traveling and seeking shelter in the most unusual places. One would expect to find it clinging to socks, inside a sleeping bag or hiding in underwear, but imagine my surprise when going to pay for a movie one night and there it was! Hanging out with my crumpled dollar bills and coins. Sigh. The summer pressed on and we learned to make the best of it. We sang and danced. We hiked and camped. We fell in love under the stars and then said our good-byes…week after week, all summer long. It had become a part of life. And now, twelve years later, it has weaseled its way into my memory of us. Just recently, on a gloomy spring day when the rain had subsided, I stepped outside, took a deep breath and there it was. It covered the ground as far as the eye could see. It now liters the floor of my apartment. It is stuck in my dog’s fur and last night I found it under my covers. Just before tossing the last fragment in the wastebasket, I froze…then smiled. All I could think of was you.