Nothing carries away a smart woman.
Not silk or starlight or bread’s sour steam,
neither ballads nor hymns,
not headlines, not contour lines, not any voice
claiming this is This (he calls it love
or just a fine red zinfandel.
In either case, she stifles a smirk).
The dog licks her face
for the same reason
a man meets her caprice
with certainty. Biological imperative
is behind every act of love.
She is aware
of neurochemistry
beneath her base instincts
even at the very moment
she acts on them.
All passion is passing whim
and hobbies are for fools
blind to the need
their tiny model villages,
double-diamond collections, and bird vocabularies
attempt to fill.
Exuberance is a flame
that thins the air
for liftoff. She is smart enough
to snuff it
before it can test
her tether. She keeps a firm grip
on earth
while managing to hover
a safe distance
above it all.
Shannon E. Williams 
But does she ever just let go and immerse herself fully? It can be enjoyable even if afterward she retreats to that safe distance, lauging, “wasn’t that fun?”
That is what prompted me to write this. I was raised a skeptic, educated into intellectual curiosity, and live with depression. It’s a dreadful mix. I recently noticed how completely this aloof detachment shapes (muffles) my experiences and keeps me from appreciating the fullness of presence. Patterns can be so glaring once you allow them to reveal themselves.
Thank you for sharing more of your story and the background to your thoughts. Your insights and self-awareness are really impressive and you express them so poetically – and in a way that is very easy to relate to. I have different tendencies and patterns but I’ve had similar observations of myself. Here’s to continued growth!
Thank you for reading. You know, reading blogs like yours inspires me. You are so good at noticing the fullness of what’s in front of you. Those reminders are so valuable.
I’m very flattered. I learn so much from reading yours, not to mention being frequently transported by the beauty of your words. You have a voice and style – and make observations – that really inspire me as well.
Smiling widely here. And cannot help – biased of course! – what an ultimately unfair comparison.
Another splendid piece of writing, from the heart, instinct and intelligence I feel.
More please.