"Alchemy for Happiness"

By Diana Raab

Kisses on the inner thigh
the center of a chocolate soufflé
fluffy Maltese puppies
chilled Crystal champagne
Beatles concert in the park
lobster tails dipped in butter
bright purple Orchids
fresh snow on Christmas morning
roasting marshmallows
half-melted peanut butter cups
mysterious love letters
lying nude under the Hawaiian sun
writing in Parisian cafés
chestnuts roasting in the oven
wrinkle-free and svelte
multi-colored gel pens
Aunt Lilly’s chicken paprika
reading Anais Nin’s journals
unbreakable finger nails
French kissing under the full moon
a mink coat on a cold day
journaling in Big Sur
private jet to Fiji
bagels and cream cheese
scoop of coffee ice cream
vinaigrette-basted artichokes
hot chocolate at the skating rink
a month at Yaddo or Esalen
convertible drive on Route 1
freshly-caught salmon
chocolate-filled croissants
chocolate chip cookies dipped in cold milk
front row at a Sting concert
fluffy down comforters
sunbathing on a Caribbean beach
crunchy French bread
runny cherry pies
bunion-free feet
24-hour bookstores
meditating in The Himalayas
bilingual in five languages
Aunt Silva’s gefilte fish
chardonnay on the terrace
bouquet of red roses
surfing in Hawaii
sipping double espressos
boxes of Good ‘n Plenty
a night with George Clooney.

Repeat.
Repeat.
Repeat.

Diana Raab is a writer in Santa Barbara, California. Her memoir, Regina’s Closet: A Granddaughter Discovers a Grandmother’s Journal, is due out in September 2007. She is working on two other memoirs.