Have you ever been quietly content? There is much on your mind. There are crazy emotions swirling up in the noggin and in your heart but there isn’t anything you can do about them as you sit so you choose to be quietly content with things as they are.

Currently quietly content.

Family, friends, lovers, etc. These relationships and the madness of them all fade as the smooth drawl of Ray LaMontagne fills my ears. He croons of being saved by women and providing a shelter for his love. My mind drifts to romance and the stories I make up on long car rides alone. Always slightly faceless, my lover nurtures my mind and hugs my soul as we gently sway to the sounds of soft rock in my light adorned living room. In these daydreams (that sometime occur at night) I am always quietly content.

“You will shelter me, my love, and I will shelter you. I will shelter you… — Ray LaMontagne (RL)

In the quiet of the evening, we shelter each other with steady smiles and quiet hums. With my head on his heart, my breaths fall into a quiet rythm with the thu-thumps…

“I could hold you forever…” — RL

Do you ever think about that, Stranger? Do you ever think about the future like that? Do you create these versions of life and love that in your mind are beautiful and easy and right and perfect? These beautiful pictures where things are so simple that every day feels like the first day at the beach on a particularly hot summer and the only people there are your friends and family. These beautiful pictures where things are so calm it feels like when you were little and you and your crush would swing on the swings holding hands. Neither of you going further than the other. Neither of you in a rush to jump to the slides. Hand in hand you remain tethered to each other. You look right into each other’s eyes and smile. The smiles we used to smile before we realized smiles could be misconstrued and stopped smiling at our crushes for fear that they would not smile back or that others would catch us.

There are very few points in my life where I do not live in those dreams.

Some people drink to become intoxicated. I get drunk on my dreams. I spend my time in them for not only are they simpler than my reality, they draw me in with promises of security and acceptance.

“If you shelter me too, I will shelter you…” — RL

-M