After
(...for the poets of Mariposa)
© 8/5/12, J. Joy “Sistah Joy” Matthews Alford

After an afternoon with fellow writers
In a city north of my hometown
I hiked up my skirt
Then stepped into waters warm enough to bathe in

The deluge of mid-day downpours seldom last
And swirling waters kissing recently freed toes
Can be surprisingly soothing 
So, shoes in hand, I sashayed across 
Soaked sidewalks, current-filled streets
Then allowed my feet to greet the saturated
Ground between The Center and my parked car

Bathing my bared feet on Walsh Street
Recaptured, if only for an instant,
A time when I’d sought out such fun
As concrete-warmed rivulets
Running across my toes

Delightful resurrected memories
Treasures of an urban dweller
Who recaptured briefly
The childhood joy of splashing
And dancing in the rain