When he first felt rain on his skin, he stripped off coat and shirt, spread his arms wide. When he first saw the sun rise, he cried. When he first heard birds sing, he sought them and studied them obsessively. When he first saw the flaming colors of autumn, he stood with his heart in his throat and stared for a very long time. When he first saw a rose, he touched the soft petals and pricked his finger on a thorn and laughed at the pain. They had taken the whole world from him, but now it was his.