Silhouettes in the City Park

Roosevelt Park in Minot
July 2001.
Emily, the puppy and me
walked around
looking for a good spot
with shade
to have lunch.

I wanted to sit
near the
cute college girls
who 'ooed' and 'ahh'd'
a young man
with a cute daughter
and a puppy.

Emily wanted
to eat
on the
landscaping timbers
next to the
mini train tracks.

The puppy
wandered about,
poking
and sniffing and peeing,
running
and having fun
chasing squirrels.

We chose a spot
on a bench
shaded by
a giant green coppery
statue of
Teddy Roosevelt.

"Sit and eat,
quit chasing the puppy."
Like silhouettes
in a city park,
statue silent,
we sit,
wasting a beautiful day
munching sandwiches,
when we could run and play.