so often now
so often now
when I am out among my species
out in the world alone
I recognize every face I see
though we’ve never met
all faces are friends or family
former husbands, former lovers
children of colleagues, children of friends
young, open faces from decades
of August classrooms
a street musician’s trumpet
arcs over the boulevard
and down to wrap around and
permeate the whole of our divinity
the shapes of our humanity
including the monk who
speaks no English but offers me
a token of peace in exchange
for money I do not have
we smile as I keep the peace but
hand the token back
refrains of Edelweiss lift the late afternoon
gold and saffron trimmed in crimson
sunset or monk’s robes?
ending or beginning?
a homeless man shuffles across the plaza
to drop a dollar in the trumpet player’s
instrument case
hard begged and well spent
common drums beat in all our chests
rhythmic tattoo of hopes and needs
copyright Megan E. Freeman
originally published in Stoneboat Literary Journal