that bird has flown

Well, not completely. My bird and I have parted ways, both now admittedly "single", still friends. He and I have not been quite right for the past few months and our time in Virginia, the state which is advertised as being "for lovers", pretty well cinched it. The sputtering spark has flickered for the last time.
He is such a good guy and I do wish him well. When I broached the matter last Friday by stating that "I don't think of us as a couple anymore and haven't for a while." he was as relieved to hear it as I was to say the words. He agreed that he had felt that way for some time, too, but he didn't want to be the one to put an end to things. He was patiently waiting for ME to gain the courage to say the words. I'm sure it must have been quite a strain on him, but he waited. It was important to him that I be the one to formally end what we had. How very considerate!
I think this has been a good learning experience for me. I have found that I am definitely not ready for a relationship, for a commitment to another person. I am certainly more at peace with myself, thanks to the Mississippi plum, that's for sure. And I feel that one day in the distant future, I will once again be ready for full-tilt boogie immersion in love... not any time soon, but perhaps in a few years. Time will tell, as it always does, as it always will.
My heart has found a beat again, not in rhythm with another, but a rhythm of its own.
Thank you, my friend.