Missing

I have missed that voice. I have missed the way he builds a speech, the way he draws us in, the way he makes you feel as if he's sitting at your table, talking, over an everyday meal. I miss the feeling that he cares deeply about whatever he may be talking about. I miss him.

I miss the way he walks: sure and steady, how he skips down the steps, how he stops to answer questions, how he sees people, how he responds. I miss seeing him light up when he sees a child, how he knows instinctively how to hold a baby or talk to a toddler. I miss him stooping to their level to speak face to face.

I miss the pride in his face when his wife, his daughters, his friends speak, when they are honored, when they are congratulated. I miss the naturalness of his demeanor, his willingness to discuss, his ability to disarm with a smile, with a pause, with a sudden burst of song. I miss the spontaneity and the charm.

I heard him on the radio just the other day, paying tribute to John Lewis. His was the voice I listened to, and sat in my car, parked at the supermarket, to hear through. I haven't done that in a long while. In almost four years. It was such a pleasure to hear a thoughtful message, delivered well, something meaningful and purposeful and true.

I miss being proud of him, and of my country. I want that feeling back, and my best chance for that is his friend, Joe Biden.

Dilemma

 Recognize

there is much we have to learn.

We guess at others’ tolerances.

Are we too cautious,

too bold? too close?

What is the limit for safety?

We measure out our lives

with statistics and percentages

we barely understand: cases

and graphs and tests; 

positivity rates and hospital beds;

recovery rates and deaths.

Know

we have become 

a city of bandits:

masked faces on every street,

stealing through supermarkets,

keeping our distance

relative to everyone else.

And we are suspicious…

assessing the history

of everything we touch, 

be it shopping cart,

countertop, or proffered pen.

Understand

that truth’s a rare commodity

these days..

that no one really knows

exactly what we’re battling..

or how we should engage.

Nothing is certain, nothing is sure

Some trust in history or science,

some in political rhetoric, 

some simply believe they are invincible.

Take your choice, but know this. Know this:

everybody lies