I thought long and hard at what I could become. God came to me the morning next and asked what form I was to be granted. I told him an elephant with the longest trunk.

I returned to my love that day, and I said, I cannot bring you water from a well, but I can now lower you that you might drink from the river at the base of the cliff. I said, I give you this, and now will you stay with me? And she said no. I cannot. I must go far far away, and I may not return.

I thought again that night at what I could become. God came to me the morning next and asked what form I was to be granted. I told him a giraffe with the longest neck.

I returned to my love that day and I said, I cannot bring the sun down from the clouds, but you can climb my neck above the clouds and see the clearest sky from above this world. I said, I give you this, and now will you stay with me? And she said, no. I cannot. I must go away from this place, I must go home. And I may not return.

I thought for some time, sleepless that night at what I could become. God came to me the morning next and asked what form I was to be granted. I told him a seashell of the eastern sea with the greatest cavernous spiral.

I returned to my love that day and I said, I cannot bring you the ocean from which you come, but if you listen inside of me with my body to your ear, you can hear the sound of your sea. I said, I bring you this, and now must you still go back? And she said yes. I cannot stay. I must return, for I have not finished what I began there. And I may not return.

I could not close my eyes and not see darkness that night. For my love was to leave the next morning. God came to me then, and asked, what form I was to be granted. I told him make me into a bird with the most beautiful feathers and strongest skin.

I returned to my love that day and I said, I cannot go with you, but I can give you my wings that will carry you safely over the mountains and rivers. And I can give you my skin that will keep you warm in the rain and the snow. She said, but you will die? And I said, yes. I will leave this place as well. And I may not return.

She crossed the rocky mountains the longest and widest of rivers, until she came to a great stormy sea. Here was her city, where she was queen. She could not stay far for long before the people would grow restless. So she always returned before long. Yet she was sleepless, and her nights were empty.

God came one morning and asked what form she would like to be granted. And she said a cloud of the greatest of oceans with the thickest curls.

She returned to me that day and said, You are gone now, but I return to you to see the rivers that you brought to me, the sun that you showed to me, and to hear your ocean. And she rained upon the coast, and rolled fog upon the bridges, and blew wind between the trees. With each morning she brought in the same fog, rolling over all the land searching. And by midday she would fly back to her home. Wherever you may be, my love, may you feel my presence with you always.