Mr. Future’s Manipulation

Future’s unknown is full of surprises,
at times concealing its decisions,
we hoping more for compassion than malice.

Birthdays are the worst.

Will the next year bring me regret?
Will the next year be kind?

Most of us fear the unseen
and that is perhaps why we have never
been introduced properly to Mr. Future
though we’ve always been over-the-fence neighbors,
maintaining just enough separation
to keep us from becoming vulnerable.

We run into one another often,
don’t we, especially around birthdays?

We seem prone to happenstance,
standing there,
peeking over the today and tomorrow boundary,
speechless and embarrassed
bowing to any distraction
from our dogs,
or the scrub jays cawing at us both,
to the daily hearse
gliding away from the corner funeral home,
always loaded with flowers,
always trailed by vehicles thankful for their alive-day…
for now.