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.
