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 I skipped out of church that Sunday  
 There was a drunken gray overcast
 The air was heavy and foul scented
 I climbed up on the concrete railing  
 Perching myself like some giant bird 
 Looking down at the deceptive water
 Waiting for fates sudden gusty breeze  
 To save my frail courage from failing
 But on that morning, it was windless
 Any other day would’ve been windy  
 My bad luck or was fate still toying,
 With my mind, my heart, my life?
 I remained seated watching, waiting
 For answers I couldn’t find elsewhere  
 Hours past, none came as I felt dull
 I stood and turned to get back down
 Feeling defeated even more when  
 My feet landed, a gust of wind came
 And removed my hat; it fell down
 Upon the same watery surface below
 In that moment all I could surmise  
 Was my hat was gifted mercy I wasn’t
 Strange thing to compare oneself to  
 An inanimate object such as a cap  
 Frustrated I quickly turned in disgust
 At myself, my thoughts and lost hat
 I slipped off the walkway curb and fell
 Into the street in front of a screeching
 Car that came to rest inched from me
 A panicked lady rushed out of the car
 To my side to offer triage or prayers
 Her eyes were filled with teared terror  
 Thinking the worst had just happened  
 She knelt down by me; a crowd formed
 Her hands were shaking, yet she was  
 Focused on only my personal well being
 My heart filled with embarrassing guilt
 As I tried to reassure her, I was just fine  
 In hopes everyone else would move on
 And relieve her of any self-indictment
 She helped me to my feet and offered  
 A ride, then she insisted I drive if I felt
 Up to the task, and I eagerly obliged  
 It was the least I could do for my victim
 Of my childish tactics lead by emotions  
 We hadn't gotten more than a few blocks  
 When I realized she had been drinking
 And was still crying and apologizing  
 I told her everything will be alright  
 But she still assert it was all her fault  
 She had been depressed about her life  
 And was on her way over the bridge  
 With the intention of drive off the  
 Quay in her car after drinking all  
 Night long to muster up the courage
 Her sobbing increased and begged  
 Me to forgiver her, I wept myself
 To the point I had to pull over and  
 Confess my own foolishness to her
 After out tears and shame subsided  
 We agreed to go for coffee and talk
 Four hours later I pulled up at my  
 Address where a young man had  
 Been sitting and holding my cap  
 In his hand, I was puzzled at first
 When he explained he found it by
 The riverbank stuck on a tree branch
 He retrieved it and looked inside to
 Notice my name and address was
 Inscribed inside on a tag sewn in
 Which read, if found return it to
 My name and address for a reward
 I had forgotten my mother sent that
 And as a joke sewn that inside due  
 To me always losing hats as a child  
 I gladly offer him a ten dollar reward
 He happily accepted and headed out
 Then he stopped and said the most  
 Peculiar thing to both of us smiling
 “You know, with a little more faith
 And trust in the lord, he wouldn’t have
 Needed to do things the hard way for  
 Just to make both of your lives- happy “
 Bewildered I tried to stop him but-  
 He simply ignored my shouted request
 We wed at the church seven months later
 And that same young man also appeared  
 Waving and smiling in the crowd only to  
 To disappear a mere few seconds later  
 We both turned to each other… and grinned     
 
 
 Poet of the Light © 2020