outside, benny's happy and dances through the leaves in the thin strip of city woods by the train tracks the park district has left alone for the present. we never know how long the present will last in the city that works. inside he goes directly to his bed and looks at me and i try to get a picture of us together but i'm outside of it, but my keffiyeh's in it, and my chin, and it's about benny anyway. after a couple of pictures he turns to lick his body where the cancer grows. i hope he's not in too much pain. i hope we have more joy to come. i was a little hesitant in mind at first but now i'm feeling blessed to be part of benny's life.