recent observations, october.
wonder, everywhere.
Monk parakeets that have never taken a vow of silence
make rebellious homes in gothic arches.
Asters envelop chainlink fences.
Petunias creep across cement sidewalks.
Dragonflies dart on golden wings pecking off mosquitos.
Below, a swarm of children chase a tattered ball in the setting sun
—perpetual motion on different planes.
The Maghrib echoes across the neighborhood rooftops
into open windows
where Yahrzeit candles flicker in cool breezes
as the sky turns pink then purple to match
the morning glory’s psychedelic mystery.
This city, a training ground.
For what?
Wonder.
Symbiosis.
Resistance.
Who'd have imagined that such a skipping, lilting, lightly glancing description of life in the city could be the most powerful reminder of the holiness of our shared lives there? Thank you for writing and sharing, Erin. My soul feels girded and renewed. That little poem is, riffing on the boxing metaphor in this thread, the corner team for hearts that don't want to give up. Onward.
Amen!