slowly, i rise

slowly, i rise
for it is dark in my home
for others the night continues

slowly, i enter
for it is day in my world
for others the day lingers

slowly, i pray
for it is done in my spirit
for others the breath returns

the night continues
the day lingers
the breath returns

sprinklers and kickball

Father & Son
by Samuel Carter

we were kids

what did we know?

our world was sprinklers

and kickball

but one day,

while we kicked the ball,

a dog caught a car

we heard the yelp

and the driver heard it too...

she stopped

while the dog ran away

and there,

in the tire,

was a tooth

kicking the ball
and running through sprinklers
carried on
but I wonder still

if that dog ever chased

another car

wandering

wandering toward

wonder

a habit it seems

to return to
questions

for what is a habit

if not a return

to the familiar

to the questions
wandering

toward wonder

toward wandering

questions...