Wish You Were Here

by Various Authors

Wish you were here coconut gelato, to soothe me with your velvety sweetness and fond memories of Piazza San Marco in Venice in spring. I remember the gondolas bobbing upon the water, seemingly in rhythm with a dark saxophonist serenading me over my shoulder, perhaps in hopes of sharing a creamy bite. In the meantime, I have a bottled water to tide me over in my "exotic" office cubicle prison.

Wish you were here backyard cherry tree to serve as my "therapist tree" to confess my 8-year old summer philosophies on life to. How they would serve me now- 1.Balance with all my might on the branch 2. Bite off the sweet cherry parts 3. Spit out the pits and worms 4. Deal with the stains later.

Wish you were here Bebe lip gloss to prep my lips for a summer of many make-out sessions. Alas, no one will be the benefactor of my vanilla-scented, sweet, pearly kisses. I have completely run the gloss to the bone and am not able to run across the street to Germany to order a new supply, much less a sexy European man to accompany it.

To my favorite Virgo: I hold so much inside, because I'm breathless from your effect on me. Let's not let silly rules hold us back. They were made to be broken. I hear you talking yourself out of the good stuff all the time--knock that off, would you? If you're feeling it too, give me a sign. Thanks for teaching me how to be a true badass.
With love, Adrienne

Seattle, I wish you were here. That these windmills were sawmills, that the Ajax soccer stadium was the Tacoma Dome, that the quaint shops were replaced by Pike's market. I need to hear your voices and feel your coffee house smells wraparound me. Come to me.
Amsterdam

ANDREA - Remember all those nights we spent looking at the stars when we were kids? You're all grown up now, office job, house in the 'burbs, dog, mid-size sedan, etc., and I'm living up at L5 getting set for the big trip to Io. Sad we've fallen out of touch. Wish you were here.
YOUR IMAGINARY FRIEND

Wish You Were Here

by Margaret Doran

Wish you were here . . . instead of me, sweltering in this warehouse on swing shift . . . wish I were somewhere else . . .

Wish you were here . . . in the hot desert sands, a world away from your family, mindful of the mortars, where there is no reprieve . . . I'd prefer to be in your air-conditioned White house.

Wish you were here . . . the body I used to have, to fully appreciate the romance of Italy and the feel of the night breeze across your nakedness

Wish you were here . . . but you were such a jerk, I only want you here to see that my life is wonderful without you

Wish you were here . . . in the daytime when the kids are at school and we could have the whole house to ourselves and our fantasies

Wish you were here . . . breathing down the back of my neck like you used to do when we were only 25 and I still wore bustiers

Wish you were here . . . where I could hold you on my grandmotherly lap and hug you 'til I couldn't forget the way you feel and smell

Wish you were here . . . or I was there . . . so our conversations would include how we look at each other to tell what is true

Wish you were here . . . so you could see for yourself how much I love you

Wish you were here . . . still, so I would not have to complete this road all alone by myself

Wish you were here . . . because after all these years I still ache for the comforting, loving arms of my father

Wish you were here . . . my child who wasn't born, so all these years of love would have a home and I wouldn't still feel such a loss