Door County Writes: ‘I became distracted’

by Jocelyn Swanbeck Winkel

I was going to write a poem today
but I was distracted by
shadows lengthening on the lawn
murmuring summer is slipping by
I have no yardstick by which to measure days and
time slips away like ripples on the water
I have no child to rescue in midstream before waves carry him away
I am at the corner of yesterday
where peers are ones with stooped shoulders
when vision and memory cloud
and when tomorrow is not anticipated
and right now is sweet
I think of late summers past
new school clothes are precious packages
pencils and erasers are counted and recounted and placed in rows
and the sight of old chums brings loud yays
now I am entertained by lengthening shadows on the lawn
there is no poem
I was distracted by memories