Lurking

Yes, I have. But, like the creaky floor in the loft in which I am squatting, downstairs neighbors are well aware of my presence as I rouse to use the facilities.

I go home today, the real one (for now), a piece of my heart having arrived sometime last Saturday. It has been an adventure of reflection, which can be exciting in its own right, don't you know. I have learned a few things:

Playing nice can be stifling, just as playing cautiously is not as rewarding as it can be.

This virtual world is not as serious as the feeling of solitude it engenders. Hugs are better.

Contradictions and obliquities (yes, I made up the word) are part of my parcel. Then there is the screaming back to earth.

I made good money. I slept poorly.

I held back tears while others did not.

I acted like a drunkard while dead sober. And spoke of death with one suffering from his last binge.

And I have pictures. Lots of pictures.

Until then,