Tabitha

The memories wash over me, like so many ocean waves. They pulse with feeling and emotion; at night they come alive, like ephemeral phantoms, dancing in my mind.

I remember. I remember the first time I saw her. I remember how the light played on her face. I remember the worn karate gi, the calluses on her hands... I remember the intensity that burned in her eyes, filling her being with a vibrant and earthy energy. And I remember her smile, I remember the tug on my heart...I didn't want to leave. I wanted that moment to last forever.

I remember that day, how nervous I was walking through the park...the rush of sensation when I spotted her approaching me. I remember her touch, the sound of laughter in the air. It was June. We made love that night for the first time, under the stars. The smell of champa filled the air. I would have given anything to suspend time; I remember watching her walk away.

I remember the storm...I can hear the music in the background, I can see her in the candlelight. I remember the poems, inscribed on the back of leaves. It was autumn.

There are so many memories, some so beautiful they cannot be expressed in words, some so painful that they rend my soul to pieces...

I remember the ginkgo tree. Last night I picked a few of the leaves and let them fall into th e river. I watched them swirl and dance, and one by one, disappear.