Valentine's Day

I love Christmas Eve.

A rather bizarre sentiment to be coming out with considering today is Valentine's Day. I'll grant you that one. Let me elucidate.

It was early early Christmas Eve, and I was talking to Shannon on ICQ. I had just opened my Christmas present from her, 100 Love Sonnets by Pablo Neruda, and I read one I had just read and had caught my eye. And we chatted, and then as we are sometimes wont to do, we argued. And during the course of this argument, at precisely 12:52AM (PST) she said "cj. i love you." And minutes later I told her "I love you too Shannon."

Remember that this was a long distance love. Me in California, and she in Oklahoma. Several minutes later, as this was settling in, she also said ".. holy hell.. what have we done.."

I tell what we've done babe. We moved you out here, got married, had two wonderful, beautiful girls, and are still in love. It has been over six years since we said those words. I love you more now than I did then, but not as much as I will in the future.



Matilde: the name of a plant, or a rock or a wine,
of things that begin in the earth, and last:
word in whose growth the dawn first opens,
in whose summer the light of the lemons bursts.

Wooden ships sail through that name,
and fire-blue waves surround them:
its letters are the waters of a river
that pours through my parched heart.

O name that lies uncovered among tangled vines
like the door to a secret tunnel
toward the fragrance of the world.

Invade me with your hot mouth; interrogate me
with your night-eyes, if you want---only let me
steer like a ship through your name; let me rest there.

-Pablo Neruda


I love you muchly Shannon.