Lucia

The grey page-boy always threatens to slid
over her eye.  You can see her pushing it back.
A capacity for delight, her laugh
brilliant, lighting the white table cloth,
the damask napkins, enlivening all
around her.

Eating only half her dinner roll,
pushing the croutons to the side
of her plate, she can tell stories
to grip any listener.  Humor
predominates–we all love to laugh.

She gets it about mediation,
the specialness of the meditation group.
Little passes her by, from the latest NPR
report, to the Charlie Rose interview–
this acute mind understands the nuances
of Manchester by the Sea, can share her fears,
vulnerabilities as well as deep joys.  She’ll bring
a friend poetry books in the hospital.

Out of all the choices in the distionary,
she knows “unencumbered”
is just the right one to describe
a carefree lifestyle, not burdened
with attachmensts.  Crowds clamber for
her readings and smile with recognition
as her words capture their world.
You can see her with a friend at lunch,
they share with passion what engages
them.  There’s an electric connection between
their heads leaning toward one another
across the table.  Do we only imagine sparks
of energy fly off their heads?