we rode the merry-go-round today -
the one you rode as a child.

you chose the ostriches
that rose up and dropped down again
as the world spun faster and faster
making us dizzy

and you reached for my hand
as the park and the parents of small children spun by us
and as I took it in mine-

just for a moment-

your hand was tiny
and your eyes were huge
and your cheeks were rosy and soft
as only a child's are

and I saw you as you were
years and years before we ever met

and I loved you,
the small boy

and then I blinked
and went back to loving you,
the man.

07/02/2012

Posted on 07/02/2012
Copyright © 2025 Maria Francesca