a woman in the woods

“His body smelled like a precious-wood forest; his hair, like sandalwood, his skin, like cedar. It was as if he had always lived among trees and plants.”

“The only lover she had ever wanted was a lover in a dream.”

“I want to be able to trust, not live in perpetual self-defense.”

“She was also the most lonely and sad. She was a genius of sadness — immersing herself in it, separating its numerous strands, appreciating its subtle nuances. She was a prism through which sadness could be divided into its infinite spectrum. She was like a drowning person, flailing, reaching for anything that might save her. She addressed her world honestly, albeit hesitant at times, searching for something deserving of the volumes of love she knew she had within her.”