Song of the moment: Ron Sexsmith's "Riverbed." His voice soars and embraces you warmly, and casts its spell so that you start to see inside rather than outside yourself, even if your eyes are wide open (not the best song for driving, but I manage). It's rare that I see or hear evidence of another person reacting to his or her environment exactly as I would, but the lyrics to this song almost perfectly coincide with my thoughts and movements in similar places, such as along the Seine while I was in Paris. I frequently sat down on the cobbled surface along the edge of the river, to gaze at the wide pearly sky as the sun warmed my face, then lay back and closed my eyes and let dreams and stories and ideas stream through my head in a river of its own. I saw a cascade of red and green dots of light, appearing and disappearing, on the inky blackness behind my eyelids. When I occasionally opened my eyes, I became hyperaware of detail: the colors and crevices of the stones by my feet, the curled wrapper of the beer bottle which had been smashed by the trash can, the specks of vegetable or animal matter in the gently lapping river. Occasionally I'd hear passersby say something of interest and make sure to jot their words in the book I carried everywhere with me. Never did I write as much as I did while I was in Paris. Never was I as aware of every aspect of my environment as I was in Paris. Resensitization in an unfamiliar environment, I suppose.

"Riverbed" is from Sexsmith's album Whereabouts. I bought the album because it was recommended by one of the employees of the local record store, but also because of its cover. It features a man (whom I presume to be Mr. Sexsmith) seated at a green picnic table, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, holding a bright yellow leaf in his hand. His arms are positioned across his body as if he is shielding himself. His head is turned slightly to the side and down, but he looks up at us through his shaggy bangs. Something about his somber and vulnerable-but-protected expression reminds me of a college friend of mine. They only mildly resemble each other physically; it's that expression of his face and body which just captures who he was when we were at Yale together. I haven't seen him enough since to know how well this image represents his current self.