Sunday, May 12, 2013

She's Going To Be Alright

While I played nanny 
with borrowed kids in the park
 a little girl came to talk as
I nudged two swings into rhythm
with both arms. One held
 a baby boy in a basket.
The other held his sister
who liked the wind
 teasing her hair. 

She wanted to know if 
I was their grandma. 
I said no.
I wanted to know 
if she stopped 
to smell the purple flowers
when she passed the yard
dripping with blossoms 
on the way from preschool
to the park. She knew 
which yard I spoke of
 but said no,
 I always want to 
but we don't have time 
to smell flowers 
because everyone 
needs to hurry 
and stay together
 in line. 

She shrugged 
the tragedy off
 and let it lay in the 
playground chips, then
turned her shining face 
up to me and the sun and said, 
I'm a princess because 
my mama's a queen and 
my daddy's a 
king.