between the lines

I was inspired to write about lines... "clear lines, drawn in the sand." But then how clear can a line be if it's drawn in something that shifts with changing tide and outside elements influencing it? A strong wind, or even a casual mis-step can render the line a memory. Then I thought about the lines that are being painted in the parking lot here as I type out my thoughts; Watching the same white lines be re-painted only after being laid down less than two years ago. Even the so called permanent lines often need to be re-painted, possibly moved altogether, or maybe even changed in color. They can be used to define empty spaces that need containment. There are other lines to, like those on the skin of a weathered face that hold evidence of beauty and pain, captured without having to use words...something that I have grown to dearly love. The trickiest lines of all, are the lines of boundary, that are set in place to honor agreements. Those kinds of lines can only be felt, since they're invisible I suppose. But my favorite lines of all, are the ones that take up residence between the words and message. Those lines can lead different readers in different directions, giving birth to "reading between the lines!"