An Enormous Woman

Cliff and I were en route to Bald Head Island off the coast of North Carolina.

The day was gorgeous. September in all her brilliance.

Puffy, proud clouds painted the sky in front of us.

“As a girl, I found shapes in the clouds,” I said. “They’d pop right out at me. I  can’t do that anymore. I’ve lost the knack.”

I studied the sky in front of us.

No luck.

A few hours later, we sat on the dock overlooking the harbor.

“Look!” Cliff called out, pointing skyward.

What?”

“An enormous woman!”

Stretching across the harbor, like the figurehead on a ship, was, indeed, a giant woman, with flowing hair and a billowing gown.

“Her face is starting to drift apart,” Cliff said.

But it didn’t matter.

I still got to see that lady in her cloud shape splendor.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that older couples often help each other in an easygoing and patient way.

I’m starting to feel that new sort of camaraderie.

I spent the weekend looking for shapes in the clouds.

My skills did come back, somewhat.

I spotted a duck, a whale, and the state of Texas.

But my favorite shape,

My favorite shape of all,

Was the cloud lady over the harbor.

Read more from Barbara Younger on her blog, Friend for the Ride