after a run
laying on my bed naked
catching my breath 
blue, cool summer evening 
alone
happy
the breeze over my skin
my hands tracing
collar bone, breast, nipple
ribs, stomach, hips
i want my face to shine like moses’s face
when he came down off the mountain
after seeing God’s back
only i want to see God face to face
and i want my whole body to shine 
white, beautiful, warm light 

these are frozen leaves in highland park from the day after christmas in 2009.  i got my camera as a present from my parents that year.  this was one of the first photographs i took.  

sometimes you stop doing things you love
like love
or take pictures
or believe
or travel
or write
or walk
or pray
or read
or be crazy
or talk to steve on the phone
or spend nights alone
and then it becomes time to try again
despite the previous failures
and you walk pass a window and catch a glimpse of your reflection
on penn avenue as you walk to catch the 54C 
and you recognize yourself again