The other day,

while looking at the girl in the mirror, I asked

          "What is a feral child to do?"

that scruffy thing just smiled faintly in response, if you can believe it

and later this woman, palm on her face, uttered, searching, to herself

"WHY is it always gone when I need it and here when I don't?"

as if sabotage was ever an option,

can you believe it?

And those same people milling about as she crossed the street to the theater

around and over those guideline stripes like ants, swarming

all turned at once and yelled "Get a grip!"

and she at once faced them and wailed, quite miserably: "I know! I know!"

              (but secretly failed to obtain said grip, smiling guiltily as she did)

while the men around her muttered "what a hassle, what a very big hassle"

and the women whispered "there isn't enough time, simply not enough time"

And-  believe me, in that moment

those two

smiled