In my dreams, she wore a skirt that went on forever. Velvety, golden, sequinned, immense. She carried amulets of burnished pewter. They said that if you found her, she would grant you one as a gift, and you would have no need for further protection against any danger.
I set out to find her early, for I knew the journey would take years.

First I found Sometimes. She lured me in with her sense of adventure, but her moodiness drove me away.

Next I found Occasionally. She lived in a world of her own, and although beautiful, she kept drifting off.

There was also Once, but I couldn’t remember her the next day.

Oh – and Often: she kept coming back to find me, to tell me some of her news, then dashing off again.

I hear rumours of Never – that she is following me, seeking me. Some say that she is running away from me and it is I who am pursuing her. What if she finds me? What would become of me?

I continue, for I know Always must be there, waiting. Always, in the last place I look.