<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=us-ascii"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Tension</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><i class="">"Never use the word suddenly just to</i></font></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><font size="3" class=""><i class="">create tension." - Writing Fiction</i></font></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Suddenly, you were planting some yellow petunias</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">outside in the garden,</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and suddenly I was in the study</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">looking up the word oligarchy for the thirty-seventh time.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">When suddenly, without warning,</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">you planted the last petunia in the flat,</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and I suddenly closed the dictionary</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">now that I was reminded of that vile form of governance.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">A moment later, we found ourselves</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">standing suddenly in the kitchen</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">where you suddenly opened a can of cat food</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and I just as suddenly watched you doing that.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">I observed a window of leafy activity</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and, beyond that, a bird perched on the edge</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">of the stone birdbath</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">when suddenly you announced you were leaving</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">to pick up a few things at the market</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and I stunned you by impulsively</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">pointing out that we were getting low on butter</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and another case of wine would not be a bad idea.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Who could tell what the next moment would hold?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Another drip from the faucet?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Another little spasm of the second hand?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Would the painting of the bowl of pears continue</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">to hang on the wall from that nail?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Would the heavy anthologies remain on their shelves?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Would the stove hold its position?</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">Suddenly, it was anyone's guess.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">The sun rose ever higher.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">The state capitals remained motionless on the wall map</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">when suddenly I found myself lying on a couch</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">where I closed my eyes and without any warning</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">began to picture the Andes, of all places,</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">and a path that led over the mountain to another country</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">with strange customs and eye-catching hats</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class="">suddenly fringed with little colorful, dangling balls.</div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px;" class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Billy Collins</div><div class=""><font face="Calibri" class=""><span style="font-size: 16px;" class=""><br class=""></span></font></div></body></html>