The poet

"She's about 5'6, or 5'5, pretty tall. Let me see, I am 5'11, ya, she is 5'6..."

"What? Prof is only 5'11?" In my mind, I was a little shocked.

Prof was adding a new entry to the Codex column of Novelcrafter, a profile for a new human character. He's always been proactive in exploring the latest tools, from the .com bubble to the blog era and now the AI "revolution." He'd sometimes ask me to try them; most of the time, he'd try them himself. We've always enjoyed playing with the most up-to-date internet toys. He recently purchased Novelcrafter to help him write his autobiography, and we were exploring its functions together this morning. Novelcrafter, one of the hundreds of emerging AI products that can assist you in any field, some of which Raj also invests venture capitals in.

Why did I think prof was 6'1"? It could be because I truly have no sense of numbers - be it height, length, or money - unless someone states them for me to see. Or it could be because I truly look up to him, viewing him as a 6'1" giant in my mind.

Again, I was "held up" by prof in his office for hours, discussing his writing, which left me with no time to do my own work. I had almost finished reading the chapter he sent me, but I hadn't had time to write the review I promised. I mentioned some editing suggestions off the top of my head, and he took them very seriously. We discussed how to make the changes and also spent an entire hour talking about a future chapter that will elaborate on his relationship with physics. 

He earnestly inquired about my writing, too. After I returned to my desk and reread some of my novel drafts, I told him I hadn't made much progress since my trip to India and China. I also told him about my sci-fi novel's imagining of a fourth feminist movement and how human society will be shaped by technological advancement.

Prof always introduces me as one of the "earliest founding members with whom he together built it up from scratch" to the people we meet. And I am! I often wonder how long I've been involved with this, and how long I've known him. We literally built it together, brick by brick, exploring many fancy tools and putting in long hours.

One might ask, "So, have you two ever...?" It's a valid question, but only if that person truly knows us both well, which is almost certainly nonexistent. My answer to that question is: Can it be any more obvious? Back in the days, prof used to take me to travel all around the world. 

I took eight years off for a childbearing break. Given the scattered hours I've been able to put in since returning in 2022, was that eight-year break really necessary?

The more obvious truth is, I would not allow anything to happen. I didn't. I would never knowingly or unknowingly hurt another woman; children and men too, especially in this case. I make my moves based on other people's well-being and happiness, never putting myself first - it's as simple as 1+1. As a result, now we've truly built a lifelong friendship and partnership, one without any burden or stain. When we freely exchange our most profound thoughts today, both of our consciences are crystal clear, and our minds are utterly relaxed. Most people in this world don't have that! People make mistakes; I didn't allow that to happen. I believe neither of us today thinks any entanglement between us, other than what we have, would be better in any sense.

And yes, I don't think I could stay too far away from Berkeley, largely because prof is here. Of course, Berkeley and San Francisco have their own charms on me.

"I imagine having this book in my hand, a collection of poems by a true poet, who uses his poems to tell his life story - the people he connected with, the places he mesmerized, and the choices he ended up making. A book about a poet living a poetic life." I told prof.