WALKING THE DOG

I fumble with the collar, hands shaking.

The eagerness of the dog is my friend.

Down familiar streets,

I try to walk with my relationship around my ankles.

The dog shows me around.

Today the maple leaves have curled into crowns,

A hummer preens on the highest twig,

Puddles collect a flow of glimpses from the garden.

Tomorrow joins yesterday in retreat, Now wins the day.

And just in time.

My face tightened with pain, my heart shrunk, my ears burned

From the harshness of minutes before

In the past, where I am from.

I would despair

Were I not here

Now.

pubbed in UMM Binnacle Ultrashorts 2016

UNDETERRED

                               .published June, 2013 

About six years ago, a dark-haired, thirtyish man in a white T-shirt pushed an arresting young woman in a wheel chair up the main aisle of the hardware store. She had intense brown eyes, smooth tan skin, like her companion, and exuberant, thick eyebrows.

He approached me. “Do you have a little time you can spend with my sister? Anna has a few questions.”

“Sure. What can I help with?” I said. I was grateful. I am a rover in the store, free to help almost anybody with pretty much anything, but especially a pretty girl.

The girl had the same shiny rich, black hair as her brother, shoulder length. Her upper body was brown and broad; her legs were in jeans, but Velcro-wrapped to the foot rests of the chair.

“Well, I hope you can help me with pulleys, because I have to invent some things. I can picture it, but I need help to get the pieces together.”

Her eyes were mirrors into which I didn’t dare look. “Okay.  Anna, I’m Jerry. What are we building?”