An Idyll

For this fantasy of an ideal day, I'd like something tinged with magic and nostalgia even though it's yet to happen. Since it's also a poor excuse for an idyll - poetry is beyond my abilities - it's appropriately pastoral.

Everyone I love and admire is gathered at villa in Umbria or Tuscany. Why there? It’s one of my favorite places on earth, and it’s set apart from my everyday life. A table large enough for everyone sits in the shade of ancient trees. A cat hunts a grasshopper through long, sweet grass. Fields of sunflowers cover the hillsides. Sheep or cows graze in a far off pasture. Live music, nothing complicated or intrusive, fills contented silences. Local wine served in earthen jugs, olives, fresh bread, and other simple but good food covers the table. As we leisurely eat our way through this feast, we talk and laugh. There is enough time to visit with everyone and reconnect with them in a way that we will hold in our hearts long after this day is over. Writers talk about writing. Friends talk about life. Fascinating people I don’t know but admire keep me enthralled with their stories. It’s a relaxed and joyful gathering.

Nothing else is needed to make this day perfection beyond a jug of wine, a loaf of bread, and thou.