What would you do if you were guaranteed success?
Would your life be very different from the way it is now?
If I were guaranteed success….
I would create the perfect cup – or cups – of coffee, deliberately grinding the beans,
hovering over the red kettle as it rises to just before a boil,
grab it, and pour with gusto.
I’d exuberantly throw open the windows, welcoming the morning birdsong from my upstairs desk,
pull the blanket over my lap and scribble my thoughts with my cherished black pen,
and the words would fall into place…
You’d see me wearing the slightly higher heeled boots with black tights,
not worrying about being on my feet all day
or if I could gracefully ride my bike to work.
If I were guaranteed success…
I would call and text her every morning and each night
just to check in and see what life is like so far away,
and send her a few dollars for fresh fruit.
I would zip up my ski parka and snap into my bindings,
jump into the race course and fly down the hill-
my smile blinding the spectators on the sidelines…
then go home to create the perfect tiramisu for her birthday party,
not buying any ingredients fat-free, sugarless or on sale,
and sit by her side savoring every exquisite bite.
If I were guaranteed success…
I would find a way to make a living
that doesn’t trade time and flexibility for income,
and no grouchy, uptight parents would tell me how to do it.
I’d buy a fast laptop
lock myself high up in the mountains or on a seaside cliff,
turning pictures into words, memories into stories
smiling broadly every morning….
opening the chest of love letters from long ago,
letting the words and memories pour into my heart-
dripping through my veins and onto a page
for you to read.