Here I sit, alone in my thoughts, pondering nothing, listening to echoes, occasionally wiping the drool off the side of the face of Merlin, who ate several bites of catfood today and lapped up a few drops of water.

Alone with my thoughts?

Perhaps.

Not the first one or the last one.

A rainy day like any other.

People living, working, playing, somewhere nearby.

A soft day.

Am I related to Picts, Saxons, Normans, Danes?

Does it matter?

Egg salad sandwich and potato salad accompanying leftover fried wontons for lunch.  Topped off with a cherry cordial by Brach’s given to me by my parents’ neighbour, Mrs. Williams, for Christmas last.

Flowing along with the thought sets of others, I’m sure I am.

Seasonally adjusted.

Less noise than usual.

Deafness does that for you.

Give in to missing what others say and the tinnitus no longer becomes a bother.

Enjoy the gaps in conversation.

Besides, we humans are so very good at pattern matching and filling in ___ blanks.

Not even just a singer in a rock-n-roll band.

Me.

Slowly dying with perhaps many decades to go until I go.

If ever I existed.

Holding the universe in my hands to give my wife, and she simply happy for a dancing lesson or two – my soul’s safe – you can have the universe, if you want it.

Living with my flaws like sleeping soundly on a lumpy bed.

Can’t hear the water dripping outside but it makes a great rain curtain hanging off the rotting gutter.

This is my life and I’m glad to share it with myself.

Sweet dreams, my friend – nightmares are for those who have troubled thoughts, like possessions that’ll possess you and then you’re lost.