Hope on wings

Two summers ago
We met after noon
Apart in a quiet city
Alone in a quiet room
Hushed were the hallways
Silent were the streets
Nowhere to be, no friends to see
In our hospital suite for three

Two summers and
Two months ago
When it was just spring
Nothing to worry about
We prayed
Nothing would change
We believed

How could we know
The futures closing to you
That Time itself could stand still
That everyone could live alone
And anyone could die alone

One day
You will ask me
The first time
You met a stranger
The first time
You saw someone sing
The first time
You wore a mask
The first time
You went to a party

I will tell you how
Ignorance is a blessing
And isolation is a gift
When fires rage across the land
And storm up Capitol steps
While mindless noise blinds our eyes
And lightless opinions invade our bodies
And kindless acts choke our throats

One day
I will tell you how
Last week was your first —shot
Quiet was your fourth word
Love, your only expectation
Two blankies your security
And ‘mano your only friend
Who will you have then?

I will tell you how
We lost three hours moving east
And erased our family history
Second by second
To restart Time again
Though we cannot rewind it
To a simpler time
That never existed
Contrary to human belief

But summer has returned again
And there is still water to drink,
Dappled shade in which to linger
A cool breeze

My golden sun, may you know
The sound of pavement against the rain
The will to weather winter again and again
The rhythm of plants in a living symphony
The soil to keep, the air to breathe
The dance of fireflies and bees

My treasure, may others know
The babble of your language
The joy of your appetite
The way your kisses fly
The way your wonder tilts
The sway of your melody
The gait of your glee

My new morning, may you learn
The balance of cost and value, true
And fair
The difference between weapons
And cures
The privilege we have abundant
And rare
The difference between attention
And care
The necessity of life other
Than yours
The passing of all things difficult
And dear

Hope on wings
To heal this boiling world
Of fear and fragile things
You are its namesake