Like precious rocks gathered from the bottom of a river, I hold them up in my head, turning them round and round in the bright sunlight, inspecting them, trying to understand them. They are pieces of a puzzle that I cannot fit together. I try different combinations, different possible matches, but none work. No matter how I arrange them, the edges do not align; some uncomfortable space still sits between each and every one of them. After a while, I stop. I sip my tea and watch a hawk ride a thermal round and round. Maybe the pieces are better left apart. Maybe my problems come from trying to
...more
