I sat under an azure sky to watch
My kind come and go.
Though few were innocent,
Innocence I saw in them that
Saturday afternoon.

Why I saw a man lift a child 10 feet in the air.
The child laughed with glee while the mother frowned,
Yet you could not mistake her pride in them
Saturday afternoon.

A boy came with a girl to walk in the park.
She hid her fears of him rather well, I thought.
Hardly looked at him as they walked that
Saturday afternoon.

He tried to impress and failed
But with courage that should be noted
He held her warm, moist hand on
Saturday afternoon.

I saw a man of some age looking to the sky.
A seagull circled. It seemed propelled by joy.
We knew in unison, by age and experience,
The white bird was another gift of that
Saturday afternoon.

My kind I observe with constant care;
Their sudden change is not rare.
But before I think of the father against the son;
Of the mother in the bars;
Of the boy with a gun;
Of the ******* drugs;
Of the man gone ill,
I will with magic protect our
Saturday afternoon.

It is done. Written.
Frozen in time,
Memories and lessons of this
afternoon.

© 2016