Run Away

Wishes

He pulls on his mommy’s long, autumn dress,

which blends in

with the park’s colorful leaves and bright green grass.

He tries to remove her from her conversation

with another mommy.

He shakes her dress

creating a breeze

against her bare calves

until she agitatedly opens her purse

and places a shiny penny in his small hand.

He cups the valuable coin

and walks quickly and anxiously over to the fountain

at the center of the park

where a man closes his eyes to kiss his fiancé’s lips.

The lovers stand holding each others gloved hands

as her left temple rests against his shoulder.

They watch the small boy sneak under their embraced hands

to acquire a good spot.

The boy opens his fingers

making sure the penny is still safe.

He closes his eyes tightly—squinting—

he silently mouths his wish.

He opens his eyes,

and as if the penny were a baseball,

he winds up his arm,

eagerly throwing the coin into the fountain.

It makes a splash in the center of the waterfall

and then slides into the pool of copper…

of lucky pennies

of other wishes.

He runs back to his mother

as the lovers turn to watch,

and they wonder what he has wished

as he remains unnoticed

by his creator.

The Piano Man

The aged man peacefully sits on the wooden bench in front of the piano.

The bench from 1932 with carvings of fish in its legs,

that squeaks every time someone sits on it,

screaming that it’s too old

to be pressed farther down into the ground

with the weight of his body.

But he ignores its scream

and acts relaxed

as his wrinkly fingers move from key to key,

playing a tune that he’s been humming all day.

He plays for hours, it seems,

as his torso rocks back and forth with the melody.

I stand behind his body,

and the room becomes faint

as the light from the window fades with the sunset.

He continues to play as the room darkens,

and the bench creeks with every move and sway he composes

as he presses the piano notes lightly but with emphasis…

I ask if he wants the overhead lights turned on,

but he says no

because

light is overrated.