in those days it was just the two of us the house was clean, resplendent with sunlight the Buddha-head smiled whilst Himalayan beast preened and I worked on fixing the world in those days I knew happiness for the first time I was in love, but not in the mad wild manner oft meant by the term my heart was open and I felt young also for the first time of course, it had a brief life this remarkable, perplexing unexpected sentiment one that, though it vanished as furtively as it manifested left in my memories an indelible imprint a thought that life can be meaningful that another word for it is love that even for us dead inside a single instant can pivot years of melancholy that a scintilla of happiness may last a lifetime [25 XI 2020]