Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to know it and be known.
The forest breathes. Listen. It answers,
I have made this place around you.
If you leave it, you may come back again, saying Here.
No two trees are the same to Raven.
No two branches are the same to Wren.
If what a tree or a bush does is lost on you,
You are surely lost. Stand still. The forest knows
Where you are. You must let it find you.

~David Wagoner

My short story "An Element of Poetry" was published in Stolen Moments- which is now a Finalist for the 2005 Lambda Literary Awards~!!

When I was younger, I had three major dreams... I wanted to be a paleontologist, an archaeologist or an astronomer. Yes, I was a nerd even then. The last two weren't quite as strong as the ILOVEDINOSAURS complex that I had for years and years... This was most probably driven by my intense love of Jurassic Park. Yes, the movie. Don't laugh in that tone- you were probably all sorts of obsessed, too. I mean, my GOD- it's got DINOSAURS!!! And they're not cheesy looking! And you're really frightened of them! (Or, at least, I hope you were.)

This utter desire to be a paleontologist was somewhat crushed when my mother- repeatedly- reminded me that not only did I have a weak constitution, I also had asthma. Which... equals not digging around in the dust for the rest of my life.

But still, I dreamed. I devoured really dry (and ostensibly long winded) books on everything dinosaur-ific. My family threw dinosaur parties for me. I played with our toy dinosaurs. I dreamed some more.

And, somehow, it fell apart. I mean, you do have to eat. And there are bills. And yes, REAL LIFE with all its shortcomings can sometimes be a little bit of a stumbling block.

But then articles like this, somehow, get it going again.

Remember- I was the lesbian that stared up with awe at Sue in the Chicago Field Museum. I sighed. Deeply.

...She was, after all, my first crush... ;p

Ah. The nostalgia. I'll just play with my puzzle dinosaurs on my desk and try not to daydream. Much.