There is a woman sitting at a table down the sidewalk from me-
She was not there a moment ago,
A trickster no doubt,
Appearing just a few seconds after she wasn’t there,
Clever.
One thin denim leg crossed over the other,
Sitting straight, perfectly erect,
Phone to her ear,
Three quarter turn away from me,
Long straight straw-colored hair, beige coat over a dark blue shirt, black clogs over black socks,
Elegance casually worn.
Her voice comes startlingly child-like,
It could not belong to the figure sitting there,
She glances around speaking into the ‘phone, “I’m going to the hotel!”,
In an instant she’s to her feet rushing off,
Fully in view for several minutes moving easily in such a way that I haven’t in decades,
The long coat with vents up both sides switching left and right,
The sight both lovely and fun,
I catch glimpses of her left denim leg and then the right
Taking long steps, the coat flashing,
Glimpses of youth on parade,
Striding into her future.
G. M. Goodwin September 14, 2019
Playing Fair and Being Kind 