City of Legends

My most exquisite friend, Thomas, asked me a philosophical question the other day (he is worried about my passion for the muse known as "the Sunday Girl" and how bent out of shape I am going to be, eventually) about what criteria I apply in letting people get close to me.  It was a valid introspective question.  There are days I hate my friend, Thomas.

Out of that grew a list that I will not, in this life, share with anyone.  Don’t ask.  But the question that followed was "Who are the ten dearest people in the world to you".  That one stopped me in my tracks, because you have no idea how hard it is for me to answer that.  So, I made up the list, then punted.

Here’s a follow up to that list, though.  A sort of statistical survey of the ten people I hold dearest in the world.

# of the people that I have written poetry about?  That’s easy, 10.

# who are related to me by blood?  Ah…4.  Yes, I know, with three kids and four sibs still alive and both parents still around, that means there are some people who did not make the top ten who maybe feel they should’ve.  Tough.

# who know they are that precious to you?  6.  You may not think it, but as effusive and passionate of a writer as I am, there are some people I know I have not expressed my affection for them nearly, dearly enough.  And some who don’t believe me.

# who you have spoken with in the last 24 hours?  If you include all forms of communications, email, text messages, phone calls and notes…6.

# who would include you in their list of the 10 people most precious to them?  Well, I can’t see into everyone’s hearts and, if I did, I think I would be very disappointed by what I see with some of these, but my best guess is somewhere between 5 and seven.

Try this at home, kids, but don’t take it too seriously.  Sorry, I have to now go off in a corner and weep.  Sometimes I hate my friend, Thomas.  And he’s not on my list.  But the Sunday Girl is.  So, there.