Rainbow On My Wall

From Marc, as read to Laura on her 50th Birthday.

It was on the west side-somewhere between Delaware and Grant... of Buffalo that is, not New York - maybe it was Ashland Ave.

It was our first apartment together-living in lovely sin, a second floor walk up, in the back, with a big elm tree centered in the yard outside our window 1975 in Buffalo, earthy, gritty and alive with the times.

We were in love and lust, already well on our way to a lifetime together.

We had our good times and our struggles, as we do now-big issues and little ones.

One little one popped up the day you came to me and said you wanted to paint a rainbow on our wall- a big one, covering all of one bedroom wall.

You wanted it to be blue, red, orange, yellow and certainly purple,you wanted it to glow directly over our heads as we slept.

Now, I like color, but I also like caution and subtly. I was not too crazy about the idea-so bold, so bright.

You really wanted that rainbow with a passion. You convinced and cajoled, said it would look great-you smiled that wonderful smile-I said ok.

We bought the paint, and spent a rainy afternoon being mother nature’s son and daughter.

When done, it looked good, flowing from one side of the room to the other, an arc of color and form.

I liked it-you loved it and I liked seeing you happy, although I was too young and stupid to share my full pleasure in yours.

Now in the year 2000, you have been painting rainbows on my wall for a quarter century- the walls that support and decorate my life.

Sometimes I fought it, often I did not even know you were doing it- but secretly , at the times of day and night when the angels and fairies do the work, you have been painting- painting bright arches of color with your wonder, joy , enthusiasm and zest for life.

I knew back then, on that rainy afternoon, in a way that you know beyond conscious knowing, that I had something, someone special in my life.

I know now, that one of your main purposes on the planet is to bring color into the hearts of all you know and touch.

We have a picture of that rainbow on our bedroom wall- but I do not need it to feel its daily presence in our lives.

I see it every time you smile.

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