Covignette

Three miles walking on this sunny, Covid day is not enough
to clear the mind.

My students
My town
My kid
My world

My God.

A car sidles up to me
Stops
Social distance social distance social distance

I walk
They stop

They get out
Social distance social distance social distance

Is she crossing the street?
No, she walks in front of the car
No mask
Social distance social distance social distance

She bends down and I remember
A scene from 15 seconds ago

I had already forgotten
A single flip flop
Is that a flip?
With fur over the toes
For a fancy five year old
Who would be sad it was gone

Car pulls away
Unaware that I was aware
The flip and the flop restored
For a kid I cannot see a smile returns

My mind is clear again
Until it isn’t

~~ James Hayes-Bohanan
Bridgewater, Massachusetts USA

May 21, 2020