Of course the book nearest to me at my computer desk would be my pocket-sized dictionary. I turn to page 29 which consists of two columns of 50 words each, beginning with “astrological” and ending with “attacking”. Second from the bottom of the left hand column is the word “athirst”. I don’t remember using it in writing and certainly not in speech. It is a pristine word that holds no contemporary meaning for me. Or so I thought.
I let it rest within me for a while and then heard it singing the line ” You are the promised kiss of springtime” from the song “All the Things You Are.” Oh no, we’re not going there again. Once upon a time my girl friends and I spent early spring afternoons driving along roads near the cotton fields surrounding our small town. The radio played songs like that and I yearned for somebody to sing the words to me. Even today when I hear that song I am athirst with longing for something I can’t define.
Well, I do recognize the feeling. I sensed it yesterday. It’s a yearning for romance – whatever on earth that is. I have the common sense to realize it is a figment of my imagination. And the wisdom to be thankful for my delightful and well-ordered single life. And still I am athirst for the possibility of something that may happen only in story books, but seems altogether real. That’s it! Its like one definition of a myth as something that never really happened and yet is always true. Romance is the stuff of dreams and movies and good books. It’s the hope that something wonderful will happen in the midst of an ordinary day. It’s finding silver linings in situations that don’t go so well. It’s believing that even if practically speaking your romantic years are over, they really aren’t. Being athirst is where the possibilities begin.
poetrybyheart.me 
Learnt a word today! Really liked how you linked the word to the post.
Thanks.
Loved it! I had to laugh out loud at the words that jumped out. How funny!!!! I especially like image of you and your friends driving and listening to the songs. Your sentence, “Even today when I hear that song I am athirst with longing for something I can’t define.” Lovely.
I’m glad you liked it. It was fun to write.
We should all be athirst…for the promises that life has to offer. Athirst for knowledge. Athirst for truth. Thirsty.
Your writing seems to fill that thirst . Great blog site.
Thanks for your comment. I’m glad you like my blog. It is good to feel heard.