<html aria-label="message body"><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><div dir="auto" style="overflow-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;"><span style="font-size: 22px;">A Blessing</span><div style="font-size: 22px;"><br></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> when my bunny</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">jumps up on the couch beside me</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">and offers her small skull</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">to be stroked. Often I’m reading, lost</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">in the cold world of </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;">Anna Karenina</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">or seeing </span><em style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;">The World According</em><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;">to Garp</em><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">. But her world is the only</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">world, this couch, these pillows,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the rug set down on the bamboo</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">flooring, her running onto the smooth</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">wood and sliding, like a child, </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">under the kitchen table to hide,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">or jumping up on a chair to survey</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">her queendom as she nibbles</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the ratan. She turns her head</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">into my hand, like my husband</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">turns to me in bed and nuzzles in </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">under my armpit until I stroke</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his head, then lifting his face</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">to give me the last chaste kiss</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">of the day. He doesn’t speak</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">like she doesn’t speak. No need.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The eyes turn liquid, bright</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">with pleading, and I feel</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his need. A blessing to be</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">needed like this, to know</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">the heart of another so fully.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The frailty of love. Our</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">helplessness in it and</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">before it. The largeness,</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">largess, of such silence. </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">And then she turns away</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">and leaps four feet into</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">space, hanging on air</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">with the faith of all </span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">land creatures that the earth</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">will catch her.</span></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div style="font-size: 22px;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(52, 52, 52); color: rgb(52, 52, 52); font-size: 21.6px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>- Dorianne Laux</span></div></div></body></html>