AT 2:55 PM

He asked the kids 
to be quieter, and then 
the sky started clearing, 
and thoughts came 
like light-hearted and loose 
sunlight. It was life 
letting go of oldness
and starting over. 
There were voices outside, 
but they slipped away
like birds belonging 
to a far-flung land. 
He held his hands up 
to hold the silence 
and feel his good fortune. 

The day 
made a dramatic gesture 
and danced on.