I’ve always wondered what could happen if I could create a world. It would be perfect, beautiful, lush. Like when you rinse out a paintbrush and the water swirls in the most marvelous of blues.

Like when you lie in the fresh-cut summer grass and close your eyes and breathe in and it tickles at your toes.


Like when you’re reading a book on the beach and the sun burns at your legs and the salt coats your lungs and you can taste it on your tongue.

Like when you’re on a boat and the wind whistles through your hair and you’re cold but you don’t go inside because like a queen as the bow cuts the water.

Like when you climb a tree and scratch your leg and you’re covered in sap and you’re laughing because there’s a twig in your hair and you look ridiculous but you don’t care because it’s summer and everything is beautiful.

Like when you sit on a cliff and look into the depths and caverns and contemplate your tiny-ness and feel part of something greater than yourself.

Like smelling fresh made strawberry jam.

Like having a girl braid your hair in the sunlight.

Like watching the salmon swim upstream.

Like feeling your feet in a pile of mud.

Like swimming forever without stopping for a breath.

Like opening a window on a hot summer night and feeling the breeze fan your face and hearing the music from the boy next door.

Like silence. Complete silence. With your eyes closed and wanting.

Like peace. Complete and utter peace. On a beach or in the grass. Salt tingling on your tongue and water rushing and wind whistling and sap sticking and swimming and peace. That’s what my world would be.