To Life,
In my mind, I live in a place where weeping willows lay await.
Their branches stretched out as far as they could possibly go, reaching out to mysteries unknown.
Exactly what they are reaching for, I could never know—whether it is a person they have yet to meet or a memory from long before that’s become bittersweet.
However, some branches lay limp, only to be pushed around by the cool breeze that wisps around them. It is in that momentary movement that they are able to glimpse and grasp at the water set below them. Each time, it sends a wave of water rippling to the other side of wherever this water may end.
Sprinkled all across the water are hundreds of water lilies. Each of its flowers dots the groups of lily pads with a colorfully beautiful image.
They catch the attention of all who are near it, and yet, beneath them, they shelter all who wish to stay hidden.
I watch as the serene scene unfolds in front of me.
And there, watching right beside me, is you.
You are there with me as the birds graciously dance alongside one another in the air—all while singing songs I could only dream of guessing the meanings to.
Even so, I like to imagine that they are the songs of the world: the world full of laughing, carefree moments, the world full of heartbreak, the world full of everything perfectly in between.
You are there with me as the burning day blends into the shaded nights.
As the time blends all together into one, we watch as everything that was once so bustling and awake falls into a deep-set calm—a type of serenity that feels to be irreplaceable.
Although some things may go into hiding, just as many choose to come out: things that brighten up those dark nights, from the stars above to the fireflies below.
But no matter what it is, I never feel alone.
You are there with me as I watch the seasons change from a warm embrace to a cool breeze.
Even as the ground begins to become painted with a myriad of colors—turning the floor from a tranquilizing green to a mixed assortment of colors—you remain.
You, just like the branches that grasp onto the water and the birds that so graciously dance in the wind and the water lilies that dot the endless waters, remain.
In my mind, I live in a place alongside you.
Love always,
Alysse
