Last Entry in the Snail’s Diary - Jan. 14, 2025

Met a nice young couple today at a new patch of algae, brought their three children.  A bit wild, running everywhere, one bumped into me and never apologized.  Kids these days. Oh well.

Beautiful morning.  I’m retired. Life is easy now, though I do miss my wife terribly. The smoothness of her shell, the way our feelers touched.  Her slime trail still makes me tear up when I cross it. 

My brother invited me over again tonight for dinner at his place and when it was time to leave, I went home and wrote this.

One more minute, one second more crawling this lifelong routine of endless loops in gloomy shadows, and now alone, I can’t do it anymore.  I’m on the brink of crazy. Tonight I’ll climb above the water’s edge and settle on a rock. The moon is full now so at least I’ll have company, and I’ll stay there all night and wait, for something - a sign, a revelation, inspiration.

Like those movies with a forbidden zone that someone crosses into. That’s probably what it will feel like.  Of course, in films someone usually returns but don’t bother to look for me. I can tell you right now, I won’t be in any of the places you last saw me.