Such love there is in the universe, how much it hurts, he said.
It didn't have to be made this way, did it? I say.
Of course not, he said.
The sky was so clear, we could actually see stars. Dying, colliding stars, I said, 
and I wanted to reach out to them.
Such light, my husband said, such beauty.
My husband has more faith in the basic goodness of the universe.
The dog's breath was like smoke, his tail wagging, head high. He was proud 
of pulling us through the world. He only stopped once, to pee against a frosted stone,
the steam hissing against the ice.
For a second, I felt the familiar sense of falling and slipping through some vast darkness.
Just let go, I thought i heard the dog say as he picked up speed again. And it will feel like flying.
Can't i give you anything to help you run? I asked the dog, as long as we were talking.
It's all good, the dog said. 



Susan Neville
Parting