Desire

The origin of suffering is desire. This is the second noble truth of Buddhism. The others being that life is suffering, that suffering can be avoided, and that the path to the ending of suffering is known.

This was the first time we met in person and our conversation ran to nearly every topic possible, as if we would never meet again and so needed to cover the entire breadth of who we were in this one night. There were compliments delivered in both directions, she said she liked me, and I said, "cht'aimes beaucoup." She assured me that that meant the same thing.

We spoke in French all night, except for the few times where I couldn't find my words. When it got cold sitting outside on the terrasse, I offered her my sweater, which she wore.

She identified herself as a geek. A feminist. An anarchist. Queer. She identified me as a Buddhist. I know this because she asked me if I was one.

We left the bar at closing time.

In the morning, we woke up early, I had to meet someone before they left for work, and she was going out of town for the weekend. I left her my number and a kiss. And then another, before leaving.

Since, I've thought of her, constantly would be an exaggeration, but what else can you call it when you babble about her to everyone you speak to?