I hope you enjoy this poem. It was published back in 2017 as part of the Hall of Poets anthology, Feathers. Thank you for reading.

A fleeting moment, a snapshot to be savored before it dissolves:

Under the old rickety bridge, a rushing stream spellbinds a young lad. In the distance his mother pries berries from a tangle of vines and partakes of summer’s sweet nectar; her gratitude unfurls.

At lake’s edge, squirrels playfully circle the trunk of an oak. Bees dash toward a fluttering branch. My morkie curiously tracks their gyrations, paws at their dance.

I smell a fragrant garden, hear nature chattering. This must be it: the precipice of a dream world, a portal to an inner sanctum.

A finger taps my sweaty shoulder. An unexpected cool breeze envelops me like delicate, caressing fingers. A man, tall and smiling and wearing a smock garnished with colorful smudges, stands before me, holding an ice-cream sandwich. He is silent, respectful of my trance, of this blissful setting.

I indulge in his token of generosity. Lick my lips. Enjoy the sensation derived from the sweet gift, share it with my companion.

With renewed spring in my stride and Murphy at my side, I cross the bridge. Planks rattle in song. I inhale the air of vigor, of contentment, of infinite wisdom; and I will nurture this scene—this rare passage of time—in the palm of my hand.