Revelation

It was the best of times (pedicure), it was the worst of times (the thunderstorm wended its way around us despite impressive clouds), it was the age of wisdom (I haven't spent all my money yet), it was the age of foolishness (I've spent nearly all of it), it was the epoch of belief (we've managed so much), it was the epoch of incredulity (how have we been here nearly two weeks already??), it was the season of Light (and heat, too), it was the season of Darkness (no! darkness!), it was the spring of hope (the flight's shorter on the way back), it was the winter of despair (eight hours is still way too long), we had everything before us (home!), we had nothing before us (holiday is over boo hoo), we were all going direct to heaven (London actually), we were all going direct the other way (back to work) -- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities (me for instance) insisted on its being received, for good or evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.

Dear Minnesota,

A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces (well, your rolling tobacco is terrible), An airline ticket to romantic places (I'm talkin' 'bout the lakes), And still my heart has wings (like the aeroplane we'll board tomorrow), These foolish things remind me of you...

A tinkling piano in the next apartment (we did that!), Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant ("your accent is so cute!"), A fairground's painted swings (okay, not quite, but you do have an amusement park in the centre of your mall), These foolish things remind me of you...

xxx