Marvin Gaye's Falling In Love Again. Perfect.

Mr. Bolano, I love you. Rest in Unruly Peace....

On Friday, I had an epiphany in Brooklyn.

This so called epiphany?

I believe in love. Quite capable of it. And in fact, really believe that it exists. For everyone else. Not me though. How did this happen?

Friday night, I met up with two old NY friends. One owns a bookstore in which actually had novels by Roberto Bolano constantly selling out. I had always returned time and time again to this bookstore looking for books by him. Friday had been my lucky night. A copy of Bolano's The Insufferable Gaucho was there. Hardcover, shiny, and sleek. My first friend, the bookstore owner met up with me at a local coffee shop in Vanderbilt Avenue. I had tea. He had coffee I believe. Love definitely hadn't been kind to my friend this past year. It's too bad. He deserves to be loved. Sweet man. A kind heart.

Then my other friend came in. We left the bookstore owner in front of his shop. I then quickly found my Bolano. The gaucho was waiting for me.

My other friend wanted to buy a bottle of wine. We took it and walked on towards Ft. Greene to an African restaurant called Abistro on Carlton Ave. I remembered going there a lot when I lived in Brooklyn. I miss Ft. Greene. I miss NYC. Period. Except for the awful walking in the slushy snow.

Remember, we just had a blizzard.

Abistro Restaurant, Carlton Ave, Ft. Greene, Brooklyn.

Sitting down to a dinner of Senegalese Fried Chicken, Lamb Shanks with Curry, and Spicy fried plantains the two of us discussed our current love lives, crazy people that we liked. Prospective loves. Exchanging and glancing of one another's odd text messages of friends looking for love, and seeking for companionship. The restaurant itself was small, cozy, cramped. Quintessential Brooklyn neighborhood hangout. I always tend to pay attention to what's playing in the background. Background music always intrigued me. What did I hear?

Marvin Gaye. His album of Love Songs and Bedroom Ballads.

But what did I actually hear?

It was "Falling In Love Again" from his Here My Dear record circa 1978.

Groovy. Sad. I had no idea that this song would set me off into a mixture of emotions ranging from resignation, to despair, to happiness, and to acceptance. I rarely feel these emotions when listening to love songs. They're cliched and hackneyed to death. But this one...Mr. Marvin's wistful and muddled declaration of finding love, I felt was the perfect song to begin 2011. I had to find it on YouTube for all you to see. Right now, as I type this, I'd like to say that I believe in love. But right now, it's not for me. Although, I'm glad my friend took me to Abistro. It led me to this wonderful song. My new earworm.

An excerpt: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYh7_O9rKkg

Now I'm falling in love again...
All over.
I've found somebody
She says she loves me....
Love, Don't Torture Me...