the point of making love

[from Far Afield © 1990 by Susanna Kaysen, p313-14:]

---"Jonathan?" Her tone was tentative.
---"Yeah." He braced himself for a new accusation.
---"It wasn't really right, what I said."
---"Oh?" He turned around.
---"It's that I felt alone." She paused. "As if you didn't want me in particular."
---"Well, whose fault is that?" He was tired. "You made such a fuss about no future and just this visit. What do you expect me to do?"
---"You could be with me. Then you'd have more to remember."
---"That's just a fancy way of saying more to lose."
---"Maybe losses are wealth," said Daniela.
---Jonathan stared out to sea. Was he the sum of his losses, soon to be increased a hundredfold when this landscape no longer met his eyes? He turned back to look into her eyes and was surprised to see the glaze of desire on them. He moved a step closer, and she stood up. For a moment she was standing in his arms, then they were falling onto the cool cushion of grass, their green, cloud-canopied bed.

[I do so enjoy women writing men characters—they're some of the only men i can actually stand! I only wish Susanna Kaysen would write some more stories, but i guess that it's up to us writers to carry on the torch as best we can. Or maybe i could look her up somewhere, meet her, and get her to share some ideas about writing.

I guess this morning i was looking for something to illuminate love and loss, endings, and the ways people find to go on with their lives.

Hold on to what is good, peeps. Farewell.]