Swoon

This morning as I walked along the lakeshore,

I fell in love with a wren

and later in the day with a mouse

the cat had dropped under the dining room table.

Aimless Love - Billy Collins

It's 95.3% true I'm not one to keep a list of desirable characteristics one looks for in a partner. Put me in the camp that suggests it's better to remain open and celebrate the moment when one finds something spectacular. And oh how I swooned last Sunday evening. What beauty, what grace, what substance! These shelves have no equal; the wood is dusky, worn and textured, and the strong rope pops with a spring-sky blue. Each slab rests slightly from two nails facing a window where light reflects on its uncomplicated strength. What conversations to be had, so much beyond the surface. Titles like Cradle to Cradle, Food Politics, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn offer the beginning of a long, delightful journey of discovery. 

The most devout love is not possessive: I do not own these shelves. 

The deepest love is shared: I offer you the elements, but not the splendor of the shelves. 

GoodReads is an online booksharing network where I have posted a "shelf" or category called shelves of danli.  It seemed shameless to write all the titles down upon first meeting, so the GoodReads list is only a start from memory and will grow with time. 

I can only hope the shelves didn't see me blush.