I left before the dew fell.
I did not hear the goodbyes or witness the backclaps
or smile at the kindness of handshake hugs that come
after a long day of earnest, gentle celebration. I did not offer
any ‘you, be good now’ or ‘stay safe’ half-raised waves, but I
nodded well-wishes toward the booth folks and
the happy children and the hillside wild roses that bloom
whenever Heaven calls on them to lift…
lift their delicate modesty for all to see.
I drove home…carelessly…recklessly…free
around county curves, slowing only
to admire baled hay, abandoned porches, and the green,
overgrown wonder blanketing the mountains around me.
Then, the day was over, and like the others-
the dogs, the artists, the workers, I slept.