<small>Stop and use this page as a prompt if you wish, or continue on from here. Or you could [[a mind to meander|go back to where the river begins]].</small> ---- It was a mammal: sleek supple dextrous shining intelligent whimsical; and it had spoken to me, I was sure of it. I had definitely heard its speech, music, not “words” but a message? maybe? or just an impulse. I felt a bond. It had (for whatever reason buried deep in the cooling earth) decided to allow me to join it for this one moment, 1726497903, today, for a brief flash in the dappled sunlight. For that one moment, I had permission to think of “us” as “one.” It was ridiculously long. Longer than a heron, the one my daughter called “that long bird.” Longer than a lounging cat stretched out fully in a slanting sunbeam. Longer than the day, longer than my life certainly. It tumbled into the past, leaving dirt clods and shadows behind, taking on saplings and fresh breezes as we unfurled the future together. The conversation went something like this: motion joy impermanence love danger survival laughter \[repeat] We knew each other’s secrets. They aren’t secrets; we’re free to share them with anyone and in fact we must share them in order to live. But they are also secrets; there is always the part that cannot be conveyed. Because it only exists right now, 1726498126. The seconds keep tick tick tick tick ticking; was that a good one? How about that one? You only get so many. Might as well enjoy them while you can. My supple path creature out there in the day, meeting other people’s feet and tires and tired bodies. My path creature friend, large nameless quiet friend, also out there at night, not alone but secret... there is an element of loneliness in every molecule of joy