"Crush" - 7/26/16

When you have a crush on someone the idea of magic
Suddenly becomes viable and the idea of vulnerability
Suddenly becomes undeniable

When you have a crush the world shifts from pastel to neon
Shamelessly the sun burns your skin and the idea of wearing
Sun screen literally or metaphorically becomes reckless

Self-protection becomes the enemy and openness
Beckons beauty and people you were annoyed by are
Charming and the unreliable become simply eccentric

When you have a crush the chances of feeling foolish
Are enormous and yet the danger of feeling nothing
In the grand scheme becomes anathema

I'd always rather have a crush than be resigned to logic
Reality is ephemeral anyway who's to say how much
We make up of what defines our day to day

When you have the opportunity to go outside and play
Why would you choose to skip recess just because
You might get grass-stains on your pretty dress?

"oasis" - 7/15/16

tonight after far too long without a visit and getting
caught in an unexpected downpour en route
I was delighted to have a lovely dinner
with my sister and my niece in Brooklyn
over a leisurely meal we caught up on summer camp

(science, crafts and drama) I felt so grateful and happy
on the walk home she jumped up onto a tree stump
balanced for a few moments and jumped off
as far as she could to see if she could beat
a previous "record" landing cat-like on the sidewalk

moments after we returned from dinner to their home
and after the requisite tchatchke-giving-joke-telling
(she's quite a budding comedienne) I saw the news
on my phone about Nice, France I attempted not
to register it how can you in the presence of a joyful
innocent but very perceptive little girl?

we are all so connected yet detached at the same time
once she went to bed the adults shared minimal words
about yet another awful tragedy one parent conceding
they do "talk about these things" with their daughter
(I can't begin to imagine how); I ventured back to the city

numb with sadness after an otherwise perfect evening
I don't envy parents today so much heartbreak so much fear
yet the bravest among us seem to be children trying
new things on a daily basis and jumping headfirst
into what we've all forgotten once fueled hope