Tuesday, January 9, 2024

Hope

Jeffrey's sock is all the way up,

his pantleg goes down over the other,

his shirt is untucked and his hair is messy,

he's the cutest thing I ever saw

and his eyes have a friendly depth

like a deep pond in the backyard.

He just ran into the room

and gave the top of my head a kiss.

Every evening I walk up a steep hill

to see if the sunset will be pretty.

I check the clouds like a fisherman 

checks his lines and his nets. Ooh, I say, pointing,

those could be good. We're gonna have a good one.

At the top of the hill we wait. 

Pinks streak and a dark black helicopter

descends onto the roof of the Children's Hospital. 

It's not so beautiful, and it's noisy,

but I believe a child's life is being saved,

or chilled organs are in a rush to be saving.

The clouds don't pay off exactly. We hike back down.

On the last turn, I stop beside a house with giant windchimes

hung high in a second, really third, story window. 

I want to hear them sound, and the wind perks up,

but the loud cars are hurrying home

and there's another helicopter overhead.

I run to catch up to Jeffrey and take his hand. Maybe tomorrow 

there will be a really good sunset

and I will hear the windchimes.

At home I hold onto Jeffrey tight 

and we examine each other constantly, 

hoping the other is not too sad. 

2 comments:

  1. The clouds don't pay off exactly // we examine each other constantly, hoping the other is not too sad. !!!

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  2. Sensory!! Love "but I believe a child's life is being saved," First poem I've seen with a helicopter - twice! Also did not know all I needed to do was untucked shirt, messy hair and uneven pantlegs. Thanks for the tip. Very cool - helicopters and hope. A symbol of hope? Wow. MASH like?

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