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The Larger Thing
by Carolyn Wolfe
Lunch, down by the waterfront
where the water has taken on the color of light
The grey of the sky clouds
and the white of the tumbled rocks
that barrier the water
from the park
It is a gentle place
people are having lunch from a picnic basket
walking, running, sharing special moments
but the conversation,
when there is any
is hushed
This is a place of peace
As I look deeper into the water
I see other shades within it
I see the grey of mist
of concrete
of steel
It appears to melt all the city's disappointments
into itself
and then release it.
Out at the far edge of the water
a bright red tour boat
rolls by
a distant hum
on the grey calm
Vibrant colors
tease their reflection
along the waves
as if to share
the joy of red
with the ashen colored water
There is a shared purpose here
Industry quiets
loses itself
in the contemplation of larger issues
other than the legal tender
and I realize
What fate brought me here
to this lovliness
will deliver me
to a greater tomorrow
For now
I sit here
and journey away from my workplace
feeling a sense of continuity
with nature
with a thing that is beyond myself
beyond the ebb and flow
of a 9-5 existence
and so I sit here
a casual admirer
of the larger thing...
Making Change
by Carolyn Wolfe
Talking to the cashier
she said
things have got to change soon
I am beginning to feel like the leech- woman
hanging on to bad relationships
which keep dumping salt on me
"Quick get her off"
they say
but me
despite the seasoning, I hang on
And let me tell you
the old bad habits
are getting boring
I'm searching for new mistakes
sort of a reverse birthing process
and looking to get further behind
'cause looking ahead
is way too taxing
and ha ha, I haven't paid taxes in years
I could lead a life of quiet desperation
or not so quiet belligerance
but who would notice the difference?
Instead I
cash and carry
and off load my woes
on all who come near
my wading pool of self pity
what?
Oh I digress
can I have change for a dollar?
as she leaves
she never notices the people in line
that had been behind her
hiss and crackle like cellophane
and the cashier hands her a blank check of a stare
but she just walks away,
and feels relieved,
as she makes her way down the street,
jingling her change...
Bio: Carolyn Wolfe is a free-lance writer and author of the children's book "The Unhappy Little Dragon, Lessons Begin, and two collections of poetry, "When The Moon Speaks" and "Notes From The Shadow Self." Her newest book, "The Moonsparrow Collection" was just published this month, and is a collection of her original fiction and fantasy short stories. Ms. Wolfe currently coordinates local poetry events in The Shenandoah Valley, where she lives with her husband, artist/photographer Scott Wolfe, and her feline animal companions.
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